Key Takeaways
- Chase Markel, a University of Wyoming Ph.D. student, is using artificial intelligence to predict the risk of congestive heart failure in cattle based on images of a cow’s heart.
- Markel’s AI model has been trained on nearly 7,000 images and can correctly categorize images with a 92% accuracy rate.
- The new tool has the potential to revolutionize the field of animal science and help alleviate financial losses associated with congestive heart failure in cattle.
- Markel is also developing a similar model to evaluate liver images for the presence and severity of liver abscesses in feedlot cattle.
Introduction to Chase Markel’s Research
Chase Markel, a University of Wyoming Ph.D. student from Wheatland, is harnessing artificial intelligence to transform how animal scientists study risk factors for congestive heart failure in cattle. His AI model, the first of its kind, has been trained to predict the risk of congestive heart failure based on images of a cow’s heart. Markel, who grew up in the cattle industry, hopes that this new tool can ultimately help alleviate financial losses associated with the condition. As he notes, "I’m not a computer scientist, I’m not an AI guy, I’m someone who is studying heart failure [in cattle] and just happened to have the right conversation and made the connection in order to build something that I think can be useful."
Background and Motivation
Markel completed both his undergraduate and master’s degrees in the UW Department of Animal Science. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in the same department under the guidance of faculty advisers Hannah Cunningham-Hollinger and Cody Gifford. As a master’s student, Markel studied pulmonary hypertension, also known as high-altitude disease or brisket disease, in cattle. He didn’t anticipate that this animal science research would eventually lead to a fellowship in the UW School of Computing and the development of a "computer vision" model with the potential to revolutionize his field. Markel’s master’s research indicated that subclinical cases of pulmonary hypertension, in which an animal is affected by high-altitude disease but survives, may have larger economic impacts than direct profit losses incurred when an animal dies before harvest.
The AI Model and Its Accuracy
Markel’s AI model has been trained on nearly 7,000 images of cow hearts, each of which was scored by hand using a 1-5 scoring system developed by Tim Holt, a close collaborator and professor at Colorado State University. The model has achieved a startling degree of accuracy, with a 92% correct score rate when given an image it’s never encountered before. As Markel comments, "Anything we can do to improve traceability and individual animal identification back as far as we can go in the production cycle to try to prevent these things is a net benefit for the industry." The new tool has already provided proof of concept for a novel approach to identifying economically relevant risk factors in individual animals.
Future Developments and Applications
Markel is currently developing a similar model to evaluate liver images for the presence and severity of liver abscesses, another common affliction in feedlot cattle. While his current models are best suited for application in processing plants, he hopes that future iterations will benefit Wyoming producers more directly. As he notes, "As researchers, we need to start incorporating these tools into our research and…build that technology so producers and people out in the industry can actually utilize those tools and help improve their bottom line." Markel submitted a provisional patent application to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) through UW in 2025 and hopes to obtain full patent protection in 2026.
Conclusion and Impact
Chase Markel’s research exemplifies the University of Wyoming’s commitment to conducting Wyoming-relevant research, which integrates emerging technologies, producer experiences, and UW faculty expertise to address some of Wyoming agriculture’s most vexing challenges. As Kelly Crane, Farm Credit Services of America dean in the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, comments, "Chase Markel’s research exemplifies our college’s commitment to conducting Wyoming-relevant research, which integrates emerging technologies, producer experiences and UW faculty expertise to address some of Wyoming agriculture’s most vexing challenges." Markel’s work has the potential to revolutionize the field of animal science and help alleviate financial losses associated with congestive heart failure in cattle.
UW Student Develops Artificial Intelligence Model to Study Heart Failure in Cattle