Cave Hill Students Join Prestigious AI and Surgical Robotics Training Programme
July 20, 2026
Prospective CariSurg Scholars
Two top Cave Hill students are among the latest cohort selected for a pioneering surgical robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) programme, following in the footsteps of Barbadian scholar Samiya Allen, who helped blaze the trail last year.
Computer science students Keziah Boyce and Aryanna Boyce are among 43 scholars from eight Caribbean countries chosen for the 2026 cohort of the CariSurg initiative.
Founded by Saint Lucian researcher Dr Nikita Greenidge at the University of Leeds in partnership with The University of the West Indies, CariSurg combines career mentorship with practical training in healthcare technology. Scholars gain experience using industry-standard tools, complete hands-on projects and develop professional portfolios that showcase their skills to prospective employers.
In its inaugural year in 2025, Allen was one of just four Caribbean students selected for the programme. She completed an internship at the University of Leeds’ STORM Lab, a leading research facility specialising in surgical robotics, before earning a place on the Dean’s List and securing an AI fellowship with technology company Amini.
Opportunity to learn and connect
Allen shared her journey during an in-person CariSurg event held in June at The UWI Cave Hill Campus, which brought together current scholars, alumni, mentors and partners. The event also provided prospective students with an opportunity to learn more about the programme and connect with participants.
“I always wanted to be an engineer, but Cave Hill doesn’t have an engineering faculty. CariSurg let me realise that dream and apply it to something as impactful as healthcare,” Allen said. “It showed me a Caribbean student can do this work at the highest level, starting right here at home.”
Dr Greenidge said the Barbados event was especially meaningful.
“It made me so happy to be with our students in person and to see Samiya again, and everything she has achieved. She is exactly what this is about: Caribbean talent that goes out, comes home, and contributes to local technology development.”
Deepening engagement
Like Allen, scholars in CariSurg’s surgical robotics track will have the opportunity during their UK placement to visit the operating theatre of Barbadian robotic surgeon Dr Jonathan Noël at Guy’s Hospital in London and observe live robotic surgery.
The programme is also seeking to deepen engagement with medical students, who were strongly represented at the June event. The gathering formed part of a wider Caribbean pop-up series, with similar sessions taking place in Saint Lucia, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.
CariSurg’s healthcare AI training is delivered through the tenx platform of Ethiopia’s 10 Academy, a South-South partnership that emerged after Dr Greenidge met the academy’s founder, Yabebal Fantaye, through the Emergent Ventures fellowship.
