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Brooke Bellanca
Dr. Guenzel
ENC 1102
3/1/2023
Research Dossier: How AI Can Detect Diseases
Dossier Introduction
For my research paper I decided to pick a topic that was relevant to my major as well as
my desired future profession. After deciding my paper would be based on medicine and biology I
searched AI and animal medicine, the first result discussed using AI to predict diseases in
animals. The topic of using AI technology to predict diseases in animals could have a huge
impact on the veterinary world, which led to my question: how can AI be used to detect
diseases?

Since the beginning of the assignment I have been able to research how artificial
intelligence has an impact on veterinary medicine, and how the technology may be able to
predict diseases in animals earlier than a veterinarian is able to. I have discovered that AI
technology had been used in order to detect diseases before on farms, on domestic house
animals, and even on humans. Since I was able to find so much information on AI use on farm
animals and humans I expanded my research to how AI can detect diseases rather than focusing
only on AI in veterinary hospitals.

Many scholarly and internet sources have helped me build my knowledge on AI and its
contribution to disease detection. The two main sources that stood out to me and helped develop
my research topic are “Using Artificial Intelligence to Predict Life-Threatening Bacterial Disease
in Dogs” by Rob Warren, and “AI in veterinary medicine: From finding disease to predicting it”
by Jennifer Ogeer.

My research paper will include three different perspectives, the first one being how AI
technology is used on animals in the agriculture world. I have found multiple sources to explain
and discuss how AI can be used in the agriculture world to direct diseases. I will be using “AI-
based monitoring AIDS on-farm disease detection”, “Assessment of ventral tail base surface
temperature for the early detection of Japanese black calves with fever”, and “Association
between Rumination Times Detected by an Ear Tag-Based Accelerometer System and Rumen
Physiology in Dairy Cows”

My second perspective discusses AI predicting diseases on animals in veterinary clinics.

The following sources will be used to support my second perspective, “Ai in veterinary
medicine: From finding disease to predicting it.”, “Using artificial intelligence to predict life-
threatening bacterial disease in dogs”, and “Research perspectives on animal health in the era of
artificial intelligence”.
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My final perspective is how AI can be used to predict diseases on human patients. My

sources to support my third perspective include “Computational Models Used to Predict
Cardiovascular Complications in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients: A Systematic Review”,
“Artificial intelligence in liver diseases: Improving diagnostics, prognostics and response
prediction”, and “Artificial Intelligence (AI)-aided Disease Prediction”.

Research Proposal
Subject: Research Proposal: AI to predict disease in animals
Topic description: Using artificial intelligence in the animal care and medicine world could be
the difference in life and death for some animals. AI would be able to help predict diseases in
animals in the early stages while it is still able to be treated. Using previous data and symptoms
that veterinarians input into the system the AI is able to create a prediction of the disease an
animal may have or if the animal is negative for a disease. People may not trust the accuracy of
the prediction that the AI makes, however it could get a diagnosis faster than a veterinarian and
be a helpful tool to fit in more patients. Getting an early diagnosis would allow vets to treat the
animal more efficiently and have better results.
Documentation Style: I will be using the APA style because I am a biology major and plan to
go into vet school, which will consist of many research and lab papers that will most likely be
formatted in APA style.
Purpose: My major is biology, which discusses and goes into depth about diseases and illnesses.
I am currently learning and researching different diseases and bacteria in my biology class and
the symptoms. Not only does it relate to my major, but it also relates to my future career as a
veterinarian. Using AI to detect diseases would allow more time for treatment as well as more
time for other patients.
Intended audience: The intended audience are the students in my class. Some of the students in
class may not have prior knowledge in medicine and especially veterinary medicine. Some terms
may not be common knowledge and will have to be explained to the audience for a better
understanding of the topic. The students may be interested in my topic because many people are
pet owners including college students. I currently have 3 cats that I take care of, and some other
students in the class may have a pet as well. They would be able to learn about technology that
could save their pet in the future. I also know that one other student in the class was interested in
becoming a veterinarian in the future, so she may be interested in the research as well and how it
could affect her future profession.
Research Question / Preliminary Thesis / Argument: The use of AI technology in the
veterinary medicine world gives veterinarians an advantage when diagnosing diseases.
Types of research areas: I will be conducting research in scholarly and internet research, I don't
have direct access to AI in veterinary medicine so I will be doing my research through published
articles on the internet and information that professionals on the topic have published. I will try
to do field research if I'm able to conduct a survey or if I'm able to do an interview.
Keywords: AI, Artificial Intelligence, Veterinary Medicine, Disease Prediction, Animals
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Annotated Bibliography
Ogeer, J. (2020, June 2). Ai in veterinary medicine: From finding disease to predicting it.
Veterinary Practice News. Retrieved February 8, 2023, from
https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/ai-diagnostics-january-2020/
Content: The source discusses how AI technology can help detect disease in animals before
people can in order to help get a headstart on treating the animal.
Author: Jennifer Ogeer is a veterinarian with a lot of experience in the field, as well as
experience in teaching and technology.
BEAM: I believe that the article focuses on the data and research of the findings.

Quinton, A. M. (2022, May 25). Using artificial intelligence to predict life-threatening bacterial
disease in dogs. UC Davis. Retrieved February 8, 2023, from
https://www.ucdavis.edu/health/news/using-artificial-intelligence-predict-life-threatening-
bacterial-disease-dogs
Content: The article discusses how UC Davis used AI technology to predict a bacterial disease
in a dog, which was then published in Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation.
Author: Rob Warren is the Communications and Marketing Officer at the Veterinary Medical
Teaching Hospital at UC Davis
BEAM: I believe that the article focuses on the data and research of the findings.

AI-based monitoring AIDS on-farm disease detection. UKRI. (2022, September 5). Retrieved
February 8, 2023, from https://www.ukri.org/about-us/how-we-are-doing/research-outcomes-
and-impact/bbsrc/ai-based-monitoring-aids-on-farm-disease-detection/
Content: AI is being used to monitor AIDS in pigs on a farm.
Author: There is no known author, the website seems credible.
BEAM: The source seems to stay on track and is based off of research.

Sasaki, Y., Iki, Y., Anan, T., Hayashi, J., & Uematsu, M. (2023, January 29). Assessment of
ventral tail base surface temperature for the early detection of Japanese black calves with fever.
MDPI. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from e

Content: AI is used to predict japanese black calves with fevers early based on the temperature
of the base of the tail.
Author: There are multiple authors, however each belongs to a reliable background.
BEAM: The source seems to stay on track and is based off of research.
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Simoni, A., Hancock, A., Wunderlich, C., Klawitter, M., Breuer, T., König, F., Weimar, K.,
Drillich, M., & Iwersen, M. (2023, February 20). Association between rumination times detected
by an ear tag-based accelerometer system and Rumen Physiology in dairy cows. MDPI.
Retrieved February 23, 2023, from https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/4/759

Content: AI is used in an ear tag on dairy cows to detect rumen physiology.

Author: There are multiple authors, however each belongs to a veterinary school.
BEAM: The source seems to stay on track and is based off of research.