“Effort Never Betrays Anyone” The Journey of Team JIxSAW Health to National Success

I recently stumbled upon a captivating story on the University of Phayao website. It’s a story of immense pride, featuring students who took their vision to the national stage and returned as champions. To put it simply, it’s the story of an underdog team from a regional university traveling to Bangkok, armed with a project they deeply believed in, standing on a national stage as the "13th team out of 15" from across the country.

Born Outside the Classroom

Reading through their journey, many questions came to mind. One stood out: Why "Bladder Cancer"? It’s not exactly the first topic you’d expect IT students to tackle. It sounded almost random, or perhaps chosen for its technical complexity. But the real answer is far simpler and far more moving.

It all started at the University of Phayao Hospital. Specialist doctors were struggling with a recurring bottleneck: an overwhelming workload and delays in diagnosing MRI scans.

Naphasorn Jaisue, a third-year Data Science and Applications student at the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), explained that their advisor opened this door. They worked alongside specialists who weren't just looking for "research" they needed a "solution."

"We chose this disease because we had doctors who could validate our results, and more importantly, we had the data in our hands," Naphasorn added. For a data scientist, "having data" is everything. But for Naphasorn and her team, being assigned this project felt like more than just a task; it was an honor.

"We felt that by helping the doctors, we were essentially helping the patients too," she said. This short sentence speaks volumes. They didn't see this as just an academic requirement; they saw it as a chance to help people get diagnosed faster.

AI Diagnosis in 10 Seconds

Before we talk about the competition, let’s pause. To many, "AI Platform for Cancer Diagnosis" sounds intimidating and technical. But Naphasorn explains it perfectly.

Imagine you or a loved one undergoing an X-ray and having to wait for the results. The anxiety is palpable. Doctors have to read every single film, one by one, while the patient queue never ends.

JIxSAW Health (the team’s name) steps in right there. Their AI assists doctors by reading MRI images to diagnose and stage bladder cancer. While a doctor might take tens of minutes per case, their AI does it in seconds.

"The doctor isn't going anywhere," they explained. "They just have an assistant that never gets tired, never feels fatigued, and can read scans 24/7."

A Team of Different Generations, One Vision

JIxSAW Health is a blend of perspectives. It includes Naphasorn Jaisue and Atittaya Booncham, third-year ICT students, and the youngest member, Kittipat Yodphet, a student from the Demonstration School of the University of Phayao.

Having a high schooler on the team might make some think he was just a "backup." But Naphasorn admits that while she was initially unsure how to navigate the age gap, the reality was quite different.

"Working with people is hard because everyone has their own ideas. We argued, sure, but it was always to make the work better." The high school perspective brought a fresh enthusiasm and ideas unconstrained by academic boxes. Eventually, everyone found their rhythm: the student from the Demonstration School handled marketing, the tech team worked behind the scenes, and Naphasorn managed the big picture.

Lessons Not Found in a Syllabus

At the UBI-Alpha: Business Contest 2026, the judges didn’t just ask about AI accuracy. They asked: "How are you going to sell this?"

This was a wake-up call. Coding skills don't answer questions about costs, profits, or break-even points. "In science and tech, we think in steps: 1, 2, 3. But business starts with a Pain Point," Naphasorn noted. "Selling this isn't like selling a 10-baht snack. Finding the break-even point was something we were completely unfamiliar with."

Fortunately, they weren't alone. The Innovation and Technology Transfer Institute (UP-ITI) at the University of Phayao provided mentorship, reminding the team that success isn't just about the individuals, but the ecosystem supporting them.

The Pressure of Being 'Number 13'

There is power in numbers, and for this team, the number "13" was nerve-wracking. As they watched other teams present, the pressure mounted. Every other team seemed flawless. This kind of pressure is something no classroom can prepare you for.

The night before the competition, they practiced relentlessly. Yet, Naphasorn emphasized the importance of rest—a discipline often overlooked. On the day of the event, the atmosphere was tense. "We barely spoke to each other; we were all just trying to stay focused because we all have short attention spans," she recalled with a laugh.

Then, the 13th team took the stage. They walked away with the National 1st Runner-Up award.

A Dream Beyond the Trophy

If you think they’re stopping here, think again. Naphasorn envisions this platform helping every hospital in Thailand, covering not just bladder cancer but any disease requiring scan analysis. Her dream includes LINE chatbots for hospitals, appointment reminders, and a full-scale health platform.

It might sound like a massive dream for a junior student and a high schooler. But considering they started with a real-world problem that doctors and patients face every day, that dream feels well within reach.

A Message to Fellow Dreamers

Before we ended our conversation, Naphasorn left a simple but powerful piece of advice born from experience, not a motivational poster:

"Whether you lose a competition or get a grade you didn't expect, don't give up. One day, your time will come. Effort never betrays anyone."

Coming from someone who just conquered a national stage, those words carry a lot of weight. And that is perhaps the best way to summarize the journey of Team JIxSAW Health.

Support Team:

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Watcharaporn Cholamjiak
Dr. Kanokwat Seiangjen (Faculty of ICT) (Faculty of Science)
Dr. Krittin Narawhetsakul (University of Phayao Hospital)

Interviewee: Naphasorn Jaisue, Team JIxSAW Health representative. Written/Edited by: Bunjerd Hongchak, Public Relations Officer, Corporate Communications, University of Phayao.