People Behind the Product: Cirdan’s AI Specialist

Meet Tom Toner, a member of Cirdan’s expert AI team, based in our Lisburn HQ.

Tom is a true AI expert! His journey with Cirdan began back in 2024, when he joined as Senior AI Engineer. On a daily basis, he balances many different projects and responsibilities, from project planning and management, to training, developing and evaluating AI models. In doing so, he forms an integral part of our expert team.

We caught up with Tom to get a deeper insight into the daily life of a Senior AI Engineer, and how Cirdan forms an integral part of his busy life.

What activities does your job involve on a daily basis?

Every day is different in my role. A large part of my time is spent training and evaluating AI models. As data is fundamental to AI, another key activity involves managing and working with large volumes of medical data. I also dedicate time to staying up to date with the rapidly evolving fields of AI and digital pathology, both independently and through our research group meetings. Some days are focused on project management, shaping ideas into structured plans and helping to move projects from early concepts toward practical solutions. Finally, each year we support a number of undergraduate and postgraduate student projects through mentoring and helping students develop both technical skills and practical experience which is a particularly rewarding part of the role.

What is your favourite thing about your job?

I really enjoy being able to work across the entire lifecycle of an AI project, from sample digitisation through to the application of fully developed models. Being involved in each stage gives a comprehensive view of both the technical and practical challenges and how each step contributes to the final outcome.

How do you spend your time outside of work?

Outside of work I enjoy a mix of exercise, board games, and catching up with friends and family over a meal.

What are you most passionate about?

I’m very passionate about the role of AI in healthcare because of the potential to translate computational methods into real-world clinical impact, helping real people in their healthcare journeys. I’m particularly interested in ensuring that AI models are developed and applied in robust, ethical, and transparent ways so that they can be trusted and widely adopted.