St Vincent’s clinician-researcher, Associate Professor Helen Frazer, has been honoured at the 2026 Women in Digital Awards, receiving both the ‘Woman in Digital of the Year’ and ‘AI Leader of the Year’ awards in recognition of the life-changing work she is leading to improve the accuracy of breast cancer screening.

A radiologist and breast cancer clinician with a career in breast cancer screening spanning more than 20 years, A/Prof Frazer founded BRAIx – a clinician-led program using AI to transform breast cancer screening in Australia – in 2020.

BRAIx uses an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to detect breast cancer in screening images and can estimate a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer over the next four years more accurately than current methods such as age, breast density and family history.

The AI risk-detection tool was developed using mammograms from over 500,000 women and then tested on independent data from almost 93,000 women from Australia. The results were then confirmed in a separate, international population of over 23,000 women. 

Research published in prestigious medical journal The Lancet in early 2026 revealed that the BRAIx risk score estimated breast cancer risk more accurately than the factors doctors traditionally rely upon and the AI-based tool identified women at high risk of developing breast cancer, with nearly one-in-ten of those scored in the top 2% by the tool diagnosed within four years despite previously being given the all-clear.

Developed in partnership between St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, BreastScreen Victoria, The University of Melbourne and Adelaide University, the research was support by the Medical Research Future Fund and with philanthropic support from MECCA M-POWER.

The BRAIx AI reader is currently deployed in a statewide randomised controlled trial in partnership with BreastScreen Victoria and BreastScreen South Australia. It’s one of the world’s first randomised controlled trials of AI in breast screening, with more than 140,000 women taking part in the Victorian trial.

A/Prof Frazer said she was honoured to receive the two awards which celebrate both the progress made to improve breast cancer screening and the possibilities that lie ahead.

"The use of AI models is a significant step in transforming breast cancer screening, enabling more accurate detection when used in conjunction with a radiologist examining every mammogram," says A/Prof Frazer. 

"Our AI risk work signals the potential for AI to detect cancer earlier and save more lives by personalising breast cancer screening according to risk. It offers the potential for the most significant step change in breast cancer mortality since screening was introduced in Australia in the early 90s.

"Given the potential we’re seeing with AI in the BRAIx program – its accuracy, and the information it provides clinicians – zero deaths from breast cancer is a real and genuine long-term goal."

Founded in 2018, the Women in Digital Awards celebrates Australian women within digital industries and the organisations who support them.