Research

Pushing the frontiers of AI for equitable innovation through autonomous research groups.

Research Areas

Knowledge Representation & Reasoning

Computer Vision

Natural Language Processing

Federated & Privacy- Preserving Learning

Multimodal AI

Speech & Audio Processing

Learning Algorithms & Optimization

Scientific Progress

Expand human knowledge through high-integrity research that pushes the frontiers of AI.

Sectoral Impact

Address critical real-world challenges where AI can create valuable impact.

Global Equity

Ensure benefits of AI reach everyone and its progress is shaped by all.

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Our Impact

publications in top-tier venues

$0.0M+

research funding accross 9 international grants

international collaboration rate

open-source repositories impacting the AI community

Featured Projects

TOGAI

AI-Powered Task-Shifting for High-Quality Fetal Ultrasound Service in Community Healthcare Settings

Computer Vision | Healthcare Task-Shifting | Low-Resource AI | AI in Maternal & Reproductive Health

RKDB

Screenshot 2026-03-10 at 12-07-04 2310.05990v2.pdf

BBMMLL

AI-Enhanced Coronary Artery Disease Diagnostics from X-Ray Angiography

Medical Image Analysis | Computer Vision | Clinical Decision Support | Low-Resource AI

YRDBSB

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TOGAI | CGL

Systems Genomics Modeling of Multi-drug Resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Computational Genomics | Infectious Disease Genomics | Drug Resistance Modeling

Lead:

Dr. Raunak Shrestha

DSDRDB

A² Lab

AI-Enhanced Flood Recovery Initiative

Computer Vision | Remote Sensing & Satellite Imagery

Lead:

Bipendra Basnyat, P.E., PhD

BBMKST

MAPMED

AI-Powered Surgical Planning for Knee Osteotomy

Medical Image Analysis | Computer Vision | Clinical Decision Support | Precision Medicine

TOGAI

AI-Assisted Diarrheal Parasite Detection with Smartphone Microscopy

Medical Image Analysis | Computer Vision | Infectious Disease Genomics | Low-Resource AI | Public Health

UCST

All Projects

Feature Publications

2023

FUTURE-AI: International consensus guideline for trustworthy and deployable artificial intelligence in healthcare

Karim Lekadir, Bishesh Khanal, Martijn Starmans

arXiv preprint arXiv:2309.12325 , 2023

Pre-PrintsTOGAI (Transforming Global Health with AI)

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2025

Transforming healthcare through just, equitable and quality driven artificial intelligence solutions in South Asia

Sushmita Adhikari, Iftikhar Ahmed, Deepak Bajracharya, Bishesh Khanal, Chandrasegarar Solomon, Kapila Jayaratne, Khondaker Abdullah Al Mamum, Muhammad Shamim Hayder Talukder, Sunila Shakya, Suresh Manandhar, Zahid Ali Memon, Moinul Haque Chowdhury, Ihtesham ul Islam, Noor Sabah Rakhshani & M. Imran Khan

npj Digital Medicine (nature)

Peer Reviewed Journal articleTOGAI (Transforming Global Health with AI)

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2025

Assistive Artificial Intelligence in Epilepsy and Its Impact on Epilepsy Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Nabin Koirala, Shishir Raj Adhikari, Mukesh Adhikari, Taruna Yadav, Abdul Rauf Anwar, Dumitru Ciolac, Bibhusan Shrestha, Ishan Adhikari, Bishesh Khanal, Muthuraman Muthuraman

Brain Sciences (MDPI) 2025

Peer Reviewed Journal articleTOGAI (Transforming Global Health with AI)

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2025

Multimodal Federated Learning With Missing Modalities through Feature Imputation Network

Pranav Poudel, Aavash Chhetri, Prashnna Gyawali, Georgios Leontidis, Binod Bhattarai

Medical Image Understanding and Analysis (MIUA) 2025

Peer Reviewed Conference articleBBMMLL (B Bhattarai Multi-Modal Learning Lab)

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2024

NLPineers@ NLU of Devanagari Script Languages 2025: Hate speech detection using ensembling of BERT-based models

Anmol Guragain, Nadika Poudel, Rajesh Piryani, Bishesh Khanal

CHiPSAL: Challenges in Processing South Asian Languages. COLING 2025

Peer Reviewed Workshop articleTOGAI (Transforming Global Health with AI)

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News & Updates

December 31, 2025

NAAMII at the 5th Annual NaYAN Conference on AI for Science and Society

Mahesh Shakya and Alok Khatri represented NAAMII at the 5th Annual Conference & General Meeting of the National Young Academy of Nepal (NaYAN), held on December 5–6, 2025, at National College, Dhumbahari, Kathmandu. The conference, themed “AI for Science and Society,” brought together young academics and researchers to discuss the role of AI in education, research, and societal impact.Mahesh Shakya, research associate at the TOGAI lab, spoke on AI in Scientific Research, highlighting practical applications of AI in advancing research in Nepal and promoting innovation in low-resource settings.Similarly, Alok Khatri, founder of Tangible Careers (a startup currently being incubated at NAAMII), presented on AI in Education, sharing insights on how AI-driven approaches can enhance learning, capacity building, and talent development.The event also featured the 4th episode of NiCHOD, a nationwide student competition where participants presented their research in three minutes, competing for awards at undergraduate and graduate levels.

December 31, 2025

Dr. Binod Bhattarai Presents at Nepal Embassy London

Dr. Binod Bhattarai, research scientist at NAAMII's B Bhattarai Multimodal Learning Lab, recently spoke at the Embassy of Nepal in London on AI's role in healthcare, focusing on World Models and Safe AI.World Models enable AI systems to understand contextual relationships in clinical settings, and Safe AI addresses the trustworthiness of these systems when clinical decisions affect patient outcomes. Dr. Bhattarai's presentation brought these technical discussions into the public forum, engaging the audience with what these technologies mean for healthcare delivery and accountability.Reflecting on the event, Dr. Bhattarai emphasized how bridging the global digital divide requires not just cutting-edge technology, but strong community will, a principle reinforced through exchanges like this between Nepal's research community and international audiences.

December 31, 2025

AI Planning Logic CEO Visits NAAMII

Philippe Ballaire, CEO of AI Planning Logic, the company funding the Osteotomy project at the MAP-MED Lab visited the NAAMII office in early December. It was a pleasure for the team to meet him in person. During his visit, he shared thoughtful insights on working efficiently as a team and collaborating effectively on shared tasks, while also engaging in meaningful discussions about ongoing projects. The visit provided a valuable opportunity for team bonding, and the team enjoyed a pleasant lunch together, making his stay both productive and memorable.

November 30, 2025

3-Day AI-driven System for Post-Disaster Agricultural Damage Assessment Workshop Concludes

Date: 19–21 November 2025Venue: Alice Reception, Lalitpur (Day 1) & Alliance Française, Lalitpur (Day 2 and 3)NAAMII, with support from FAO Nepal, concluded a three-day workshop designed to bring key stakeholders together around a unified approach for post-disaster agricultural damage assessment. The sessions were part of the ongoing A2 Innovation Lab project with FAO Nepal, which aims to strengthen Nepal’s capacity to use drones, geospatial systems, and AI for timely and transparent crop loss estimation.The workshop centered on aligning perspectives from farmers, local governments, technical agencies, and national institutions to validate and refine standard operating procedures. Alongside these discussions, it also educated students and young practitioners in UAV operations, GIS workflows, and AI-based image analysis. Day 1The first day focused on establishing a shared technical foundation. Bal Kumar Lamsal, Drone and GIS Data Officer at NAXA, provided an overview of UAV types, autonomous systems, and mapping software including PICTERRRA and PIX4D React. Er. Moti Ram Itani, Aeronautical Engineer and Founder of Pushpak Udaan Aviation Academy, shared his expertise on aircraft design, drone policies, and licensing regulations in Nepal. Practical demonstrations by Sishir Lamsal helped participants understand flight planning, geospatial data collection, and software applications, providing a foundational knowledge of drones, mapping, and AI integration, setting the stage for practical problem-solving.Day 2The second day brought stakeholders into problem-driven discussions. Suyog Chalise from Impact 477 guided students through design thinking and problem identification. A representative from Amit drone consultancy demonstrated LiDAR applications for analyzing Nepal’s land and resources. Tashi Bista and Sajal Pradhan from Salt, a wildlife media company, shared their experiences in wildlife photography and videography, including collaborations with the BBC, and highlighted challenges in acquiring filming rights. The day concluded with Sishir Lamsal and Lalit BC demonstrating AI/ML model training for image analysis, enabling students to understand the intersection of drones and AI.Day 3The final day centered on feedback, real-world constraints, and pathways to scale. Arun GC from FAO Nepal delivered opening remarks and feedback, followed by Ritesh Jha from the Department of Hydrology who discussed challenges in precision agriculture and flood damage assessment, emphasizing how drone-based AI/ML solutions can improve accuracy and decision-making. Participants explored scaling prototypes, integrating with existing systems, and using baseline data for predictive analysis, gaining practical insights into turning technology into tangible impact. The sessions concluded with discussions on how these projects could be further developed to benefit farmers, local governments, and disaster management efforts across Nepal.The workshop strengthened coordination among institutions, technical experts, and young practitioners, creating momentum for a national system that links drone data, geospatial analysis, and AI into a unified and reliable process for agricultural damage assessment across Nepal.

November 30, 2025

Dr. Binod Bhattarai Advances Trustworthy AI Across Asia

From mid-September to late October, Dr. Binod Bhattarai, Research Scientist at NAAMII’s B Bhattarai Multimodal Learning Lab (MMLL) and Assistant Professor at the University of Aberdeen, shared his expertise in trustworthy AI at key international venues.The Multimodal Learning Lab (MMLL) is a cross-border initiative between NAAMII, Nepal, and the University of Aberdeen, developing robust, interpretable, and reliable AI algorithms for complex, heterogeneous data—from surgical videos to low-resource languages—to tackle challenges in healthcare, energy, and agriculture.A highlight of Dr. Bhattarai’s trip was presenting the lab’s latest research at MICCAI 2025 in Daejeon, South Korea, a premier conference in medical imaging. In China, at Xidian University and the NORA student chapter, he delivered two talks on “Towards Trustworthy AI in Healthcare,” engaging students, postdocs, and faculty, and sparking discussions on ethical, interpretable, and high-impact AI applications.The visit generated meaningful discussions, fresh ideas, and new directions for research, reinforcing MMLL’s commitment to advancing trustworthy AI and fostering international research partnerships.

November 6, 2025

TOGAI Team Supports Global AI Hackathon in Uganda

Best wishes to the TOGAI Lab team Nishant Luitel, Mahesh Shakya, and Prasiddha Bhandari who are traveling to Uganda to provide mentorship and support for the upcoming Global AI Hackathon in Obstetric Ultrasound. The hackathon focuses on federated learning and AI applications, transforming maternal and fetal healthcare in low-resource settings.This event is a follow-up to a three-week virtual training program held earlier this year, where mentors trained participants on both technical AI methods and medical applications. Five teams from each of five participating countries Nepal, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, and Pakistan will be competing, with the winning team having their work showcased at the 20th AI in Health Africa Conference and potentially receiving project support.

November 1, 2025

Dr. Bipendra Basnyat on AI and the Future of Farming in Nepal

Dr. Bipendra Basnyat, Adjunct Research Scientist leading NAAMII’s Agri AI (A²) Innovation Lab, recently shared his insights on AI-driven agriculture in a podcast hosted by Sushant Pradhan. With over two decades of experience in AI and machine learning, Dr. Basnyat discussed the challenges and opportunities of integrating advanced technologies into Nepali farming, sustainable agriculture, and climate-smart practices.NAAMII’s A² Innovation Lab combines cutting-edge technology with traditional farming knowledge to develop resilient, scalable, and sustainable agricultural systems. Its work spans climate-smart agriculture, regenerative practices, and permaculture, using AI, IoT, satellite imagery, and computer vision to optimize resource management, improve crop resilience, and preserve local knowledge.Dr. Basnyat’s conversation also addressed the misconceptions around AI, data security, and the role of technology in empowering farmers. He highlighted practical applications of AI in Nepali agriculture, from precision farming to intelligent systems for real-world use, demonstrating how innovation can bridge the technology gap and strengthen local farming communities.The A² Innovation Lab continues to develop tools and insights that support farmers, researchers, and communities, while advancing AI for conscious living and sustainable agriculture.

November 1, 2025

NAAMII at AI in Health Africa Conference 2025 & AI4GH Synergy Hackathon

Mahesh Shakya (Research Associate), along with Research Assistants Prasiddha Bhandari and Nishant Luitel from the TOGAI Lab, travelled to Makerere University in early November to represent NAAMII at the AI in Health Africa Conference 2025 and the AI4GH Synergy Hackathon. Their participation highlighted NAAMII’s growing involvement in global efforts to advance equitable healthcare AI across low-resource settings. Mahesh delivered a talk on how NAAMII has built research capacity in Nepal without seed funding and shared examples of applying AI to maternal health and medical imaging challenges.Prasiddha and Nishant supported the AI4GH Synergy Hackathon by mentoring teams from Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, and Pakistan as NAAMII continues to work on AI-powered gestational-age estimation from blind-sweep ultrasound videos. The visit helped expand collaborative opportunities in maternal and public health AI while strengthening ties between institutions working on similar healthcare challenges in Africa–Asia research networks.

October 14, 2025

FAO–NAAMII Global Representation at the World Food Forum 2025

Dr. Bipendra Basnyat from the Agri-AI (A²) Innovation Lab represented NAAMII at the FAO World Food Forum (WFF), highlighting Nepal’s pioneering efforts in AI-enabled disaster assessment and agricultural resilience. The presentation underscored FAO/NAAMII leadership role in fostering data-driven innovation and positioned the initiative as a model for future regional scaling. He presented the ongoing work under the FAO–NAAMII partnership for AI-Driven Agricultural Disaster Response System in Nepal, showcasing innovations in cloud repository automation, data-driven modeling, and the integration of UAV, Sentinel, and field survey datasets for improved agricultural intelligence.The project strengthened coordination among FAO Nepal and NAAMII, and will next focus on a stakeholder workshop to review outcomes and demonstrate AI workflows. Upcoming efforts include finalizing the cloud offloading SOP, advancing preparing training materials, and enhancing project outreach through communications.

October 1, 2025

NAAMII at the U.N. Open Science and Open Scholarship Conference 2025

Dr. Bishesh Khanal, research scientist at the TOGAI Lab, traveled to Japan this October to present at the U.N. Open Science and Open Scholarship Conference 2025 on building an ecosystem for AI knowledge generation, dissemination, and translation to society for equitable advancement in the AI era. Alongside representing NAAMII, Dr. Khanal also represented the National Young Academy of Nepal, where he serves as a founding executive member. His talk highlighted the role of open science and scholarship in democratizing knowledge and enabling institutions like NAAMII to excel even in low-resource settings. Strong AI research relies on open collaboration and sharing of code, datasets, and ideas, and embodies this commitment, advancing AI research, education, and innovation in practice.

September 30, 2025

Field Visit to Koshi Accelerates AI Solutions for Climate Resilience

As part of the ongoing four-month project with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) under the A² Innovation Lab, the NAAMII team visited Koshi Province from September 27–29, along with NAXA. The visit was aimed to capture farmers’ testimonials, document on-ground realities, and film the ongoing process of using drone and AI technologies to assess flood-induced crop damage.During the visit, NAXA led drone surveys and data processing across multiple municipalities using LiDAR and multispectral imaging, producing high-resolution aerial maps and 3D surface models that reveal crop conditions, soil patterns, and how floods have altered the landscape. These spatial datasets will feed into the AI-based analysis being developed by the team to evaluate flood damage, recommend post-flood crop options, and help farmers replant more effectively.The team plans to return after the October floods to capture new data for near real-time assessment, supporting evidence-based recovery planning. Through this collaboration, NAAMII continues to bridge AI research with on-the-ground impact, strengthening resilience in vulnerable regions.

September 2, 2025

NAAMII at MICCAI 2025

NAAMII made a strong presence at this year's MICCAI conference in Daejeon, South Korea with seven accepted papers from TOGAI (Transforming Global Health with AI) and MMLL(B. Bhattarai Multimodal Learning Lab). Dr. Bishesh Khanal (TOGAI) and Dr. Binod Bhattarai (MMLL) represented the institute at one of the most competitive venues for medical imaging and AI research, along with Dr. Sharib Ali (University of Leeds) and Dr. François Rameau (SUNY Korea), contributing through multiple accepted papers, spotlight presentations, and active participation in conference panels, workshops, and outreach activities. Main Conference & Spotlight PapersNERO: Explainable Out-of-Distribution Detection with Neuron-Level Relevance in Gastrointestinal Imaging (Oral) Anju Chhetri, Jari Korhonen, Prashnna Gyawali, Binod BhattaraiAdaptive Frame Selection for Gestational Age Estimation from Blind Sweep Fetal Ultrasound Videos (Oral)Tanya Akumu, Marawan Elbatel, Victor M. Campello, Richard Osuala, Carlos Martin-Isla, Ignacio Valenzuela, Xiaomeng Li, Bishesh Khanal, Karim LekadirHallucination-Aware Multimodal Benchmark for Gastrointestinal Image Analysis with Large Vision-Language Models (Spotlight) Bidur Khanal, Sandesh Pokhrel, Sanjay Bhandari, Ramesh Rana, Nikesh Shrestha, Ram Bahadur Gurung, Cristian Linte, Angus Watson, Yash Raj Shrestha, Binod BhattaraiWorkshop PapersMMLL contributed multiple papers at the DEMI (Data Engineering in Medical Imaging) workshop:Estimating 2D Keypoints of Surgical Tools Using Vision-Language Models with Low-Rank Adaptation Krit Duangprom, Tryphon Lambrou, Binod Bhattarai Effect of Data Augmentation on Conformal Prediction for Diabetic Retinopathy Rizwan Ahmad, Anamika Amirekaandar, Joel Pallo, Carl Laxson, Binod Bhattarai, Prashnna Gyawali Addressing Bias in Vision-Language Models for Glaucoma Detection without Protected Attribute Supervision Ahsan Habib Akash, Garge Murnagh, Anamika Amirekaandar, Joel Pallo, Carl Laxson, Binod Bhattarai Surgical Vision World Model Saurabh Koju, Saurav Bastola, Prashnna Shrestha, Sandesh Pokhrel, Rida Ruq Poudel, Binod Bhattarai Challenge ParticipationA team from MMLL also participated in the SAGES Critical View of Safety (CVS) Challenge, one of only three Lighthouse Challenges at MICCAI 2025 (out of nearly 50 challenges hosted).The CVS Challenge advances AI for surgical safety by having participants analyze laparoscopic cholecystectomy videos to detect the Critical View of Safety, a key step in preventing bile duct injuries. The team, led by Pratik Shrestha, earned 2nd place in Hepatocystic Anatomy Segmentation (Sub-Challenge C) and 3rd place in CVS Classification (Sub-Challenge A), receiving prizes of $1,500 and $1,000 respectively. Leadership & EngagementAlthough most team members were unable to attend in person, Dr. Bishesh Khanal contributed to the international medical AI community through several roles. As a panelist in the "Challenges and Opportunities of Medical AI in Asia" session, Dr. Khanal shared his insights on the specific barriers emerging regions face in developing robust AI and discussed collaborative pathways for inclusive medical AI research across Asia. He also engaged in MICCAI's outreach initiatives, enabling such regions to participate meaningfully in global medical AI research, and served on the MICCAI Young Scientist Publication Impact Award selection committee, helping recognize outstanding early-career contributions to the field. We’re proud of all our researchers for their dedication and technical excellence in advancing the global medical AI dialogue, and congratulations to everyone who made these achievements possible!