Computer science graduate Parmida Khashayar. (Photo courtesy of Parmida Khashayar/University of Windsor)
By Sara Elliott
For many people with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), receiving a diagnosis is only the beginning.
Managing the condition can involve navigating symptoms, treatment options and changing health information with few clear tools to guide day-to-day decisions.
Parmida Khashayar (BSc ’26) understands those knowledge gaps first-hand.
As a recent computer science graduate who specialized in the artificial intelligence (AI) stream, she used her fourth-year capstone project to help develop a digital condition-management tool designed to support people living with PMOS.
Working with supervisor Dr. Shafaq Khan, Khashayar helped design a computational model that analyzes a user’s medical history and provides personalized insights into syndrome diagnosis and treatment.
PMOS affects hormonal regulation, metabolic health and ovarian function. The disorder is estimated to affect more people than are formally diagnosed, and there is currently no cure.
Khashayar says even after receiving a diagnosis, many patients are left uncertain about how to manage their condition.
In May 2026, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) was renamed polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), with the new terminology expected to be adopted gradually.
“The name change from PCOS to PMOS is a very significant step toward making the syndrome more inclusive, which could help people get diagnosed more easily and hopefully lead to more treatment options in the future,” she says.
“This is not a product yet, but patients, physicians, nurses and other health-care providers could use this,” she says.
“It would give patients insight into clear steps they can take to help their condition because right now there is no cure for PMOS and there are so many changing factors that can affect it.”
Khan has been developing this model with different teams of students for the past several years.
Khashayar contributed to the ongoing project by conducting literature reviews and researching the latest available technologies.
“I updated the model scheme so it can take real-time data,” she says.
“I also designed a user-friendly interface so the tool is more appealing, and people can see how it could be used in daily life.”
For Khashayar, the project shows how computer science can be used not only to build new technologies, but to respond to real gaps in health care and patient understanding.
“I’m really happy I got to work on this topic,” she says. “It is something I’m personally passionate about and have been researching for years as I deal with this syndrome myself.”