Multimodal Deep Learning with Attention-Based Fusion for Skin Cancer Diagnosis Wiem Abdelbaki, Hend Alshaya, Inzamam Mashood Nasir, Sara Tehsin, Wided Bouchelligua Bioengineering, 2026 The diagnosis of skin cancer remains a growing challenge because of its high variability as a result of the varying imaging conditions in clinical settings. This paper proposes a multimodal deep learning framework to address these challenges by combining the auxiliary clinical information with dermoscopic image features. This proposed architecture uses an attention-based feature encoder with a structured multimodal fusion approach to utilize the integrated feature representation across all channels. Evaluations of the proposed architecture were conducted across a range of benchmark datasets, including ISIC 2019, ISIC 2020, and HAM10000, using a unified experimental approach. This proposed model achieved accuracies of 90.5%, 88.7%, and 91.8% and AUCs of 95.8%, 94.6%, and 96.3%, respectively, on the selected datasets. For the baseline models, ResNet50 and EfficientNet-B4, our approach increased the AUC by 6.5% and the F1 score by 8.0%. Furthermore, across various datasets, the model achieved an AUC of 90.9%, proposing strong generalization. From the ablation analysis results, the attention and multimodal fusion mechanisms showed a 4.1% decrease in AUC when key components were removed, confirming their effectiveness. With 34.7 million parameters and an average of 19.3 Ms., the model has adequate intensity to deploy in a real clinical setting without affecting its performance. Additionally, the improvements to the model were statistically significant across all evaluation metrics (p = 0.01). The proposed multimodal framework demonstrates strong performance and robustness across multiple benchmark datasets.
Transformer-Based Deep Learning for Population-Scale Retinal Image Screening of Ophthalmic Disorders Wiem Abdelbaki, Wided Bouchelligua, Inzamam Mashood Nasir, Sara Tehsin, Hend Alshaya Bioengineering, 2026 To perform screening of the retina on a population scale, an automated procedure is required that incorporates accurate, reproducible, interpretable, and computationally costeffective models. Existing approaches using convolutional or transformer architectures typically do not adequately represent both fine-grained pathology and large-scale retinal context simultaneously, which could adversely affect their reliability if used for large-scale applications in clinical practice. In this paper, we propose a hierarchical transformer-based screening framework for retinal fundus images that incorporates patch-based tokenization, global transformer encoding, and hierarchical aggregation of contextual information. We also developed a lightweight prediction head that supports screening for both single and multiple diseases. The framework has been evaluated using standard screening metrics, robustness, and cross-dataset generalization analyses on two eye retinopathy image databases: EyePACS and RFMiD. With regard to screening for a binary outcome of diabetic retinopathy, our method provided an accuracy of 89.4% and an area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve of 93.6% on EyePACS and attained an accuracy of 95.2% and a macro-averaged F1 score of 82.7% on RFMiD. Our hierarchical transformer achieved improved robustness to degraded images and increased generalizability across datasets compared with all current state-of-the-art models. The proposed hierarchical transformer demonstrates strong potential for large-scale retinal screening and provides a promising foundation for future clinically validated deployment.
Transformer-Based Foundation Learning for Robust and Data-Efficient Skin Disease Imaging Inzamam Mashood Nasir, Hend Alshaya, Sara Tehsin, Wided Bouchelligua Diagnostics, 2026 Background/Objectives: Accurate and reliable automated dermoscopic lesion classification remains challenging. This is due to pronounced dataset bias, limited expert-annotated data, and poor cross-dataset generalization of conventional supervised deep learning models. In clinical dermatology, these limitations restrict the deployment of data-driven diagnostic systems across diverse acquisition settings and patient populations. Methods: Motivated by these challenges, this study proposes a transformer-based, dermatology-specific foundation model. The model learns transferable visual representations from large collections of unlabeled dermoscopic images via self-supervised pretraining. It integrates large-scale dermatology-oriented self-supervised learning with a hierarchical vision transformer backbone. This enables effective capture of both fine-grained lesion textures and global morphological patterns. The evaluation is conducted across three publicly available dermoscopic datasets: ISIC 2018, HAM10000, and PH2. The study assesses in-dataset, cross-dataset, limited-label, ablation, and computational-efficiency settings. Results: The proposed approach achieves in-dataset classification accuracies of 94.87%, 97.32%, and 98.17% on ISIC 2018, HAM10000, and PH2, respectively. It outperforms strong transformer and hybrid baselines. Cross-dataset transfer experiments show consistent performance gains of 3.5–5.8% over supervised counterparts. This indicates improved robustness to domain shift. Furthermore, when fine-tuned with only 10% of the labeled training data, the model achieves performance comparable to fully supervised baselines. Conclusions: This highlights strong data efficiency. These results demonstrate that dermatology-specific foundation learning offers a principled and practical solution for robust dermoscopic lesion classification under realistic clinical constraints.
Domain-Adaptive MRI Learning Model for Precision Diagnosis of CNS Tumors Wiem Abdelbaki, Hend Alshaya, Inzamam Mashood Nasir, Sara Tehsin, Salwa Said, et al. Biomedicines, 2026 Background: Diagnosing CNS tumors through MRI is limited by significant variability in scanner hardware, acquisition protocols, and intensity characteristics at clinical centers, resulting in substantial domain shifts that lead to diminished reliability for automated models. Methods: We present a Domain-Adaptive MRI Learning Model (DA-MLM) consisting of an adversarially aligned hybrid 3D CNN–transformer encoder with contrastive regularization and covariance-based feature harmonization. Varying sequence MRI inputs (T1, T1ce, T2, and FLAIR) were inputted to multi-scale convolutional layers followed by global self-attention to effectively capture localized tumor structure and long-range spatial context, with domain adaptation that harmonizes feature distribution across datasets. Results: On the BraTS 2020 dataset, we found DA-MLM achieved 94.8% accuracy, 93.6% macro-F1, and 96.2% AUC, improving upon previously established benchmarks by 2–4%. DA-MLM also attained Dice score segmentation of 93.1% (WT), 91.4% (TC), and 89.5% (ET), improving upon 2–3.5% for CNN and transformer methods. On the REMBRANDT dataset, DA-MLM achieved 92.3% accuracy with segmentation improvements of 3–7% over existing U-Net and expert annotations. Robustness testing indicated 40–60% less degradation under noise, contrast shift, and motion artifacts, and synthetic shifts in scanner location showed negligible performance impairment (<0.06). Cross-domain evaluation also demonstrated 5–11% less degradation than existing methods. Conclusions: In summary, DA-MLM demonstrates improved accuracy, segmentation fidelity, and robustness to perturbations, as well as strong cross-domain generalization indicating the suitability for deployment in multicenter MRI applications where variation in imaging performance is unavoidable.
Transformer-Driven Explainable Deep Learning with Quantitative Attribution Validation for Liver Tumor Detection IM Nasir, H Alshaya, S Tehsin, W Bouchelligua Bioengineering , 2026 2026
Multimodal Deep Learning with Attention-Based Fusion for Skin Cancer Diagnosis W Abdelbaki, H Alshaya, IM Nasir, S Tehsin, W Bouchelligua Bioengineering , 2026 2026
Explainable brain tumor segmentation via attention-guided hybrid CNN–Transformer–Mamba network S Tehsin, IM Nasir, R Damaševičius Knowledge-Based Systems, 116000 , 2026 2026
Transformer-Based Deep Learning for Population-Scale Retinal Image Screening of Ophthalmic Disorders W Abdelbaki, W Bouchelligua, IM Nasir, S Tehsin, H Alshaya Bioengineering 13 (4), 377 , 2026 2026
A hybrid deep learning approach integrating CNN and transformer for lung cancer classification using CT scans SN Yousafzai, IM Nasir, S Mansour, N Negm, AA Alhashmi, MA Alharbi, ... Scientific Reports , 2026 2026 Citations: 3
Explainable skin cancer diagnosis with parallel attention mechanism for segmentation and classification A Thaljaoui, SN Yousafzai, IM Nasir, O Saidani, E Fadhal, T Saidani Biomedical Signal Processing and Control 113, 109159 , 2026 2026 Citations: 3
Hybrid Metaheuristic Contrast Stretching for Enhanced Segmentation of Skin Cancer Lesions K Rana, MAA Khan, T Akram, IM Nasir, S Tehsin 2026
Transformer-Based Foundation Learning for Robust and Data-Efficient Skin Disease Imaging IM Nasir, H Alshaya, S Tehsin, W Bouchelligua Diagnostics 16 (3), 440 , 2026 2026 Citations: 4
CausaOne-sign: Causal explainable one-shot signature verification with lightweight cross-modality fusion S Tehsin, IM Nasir, A Hassan, F Riaz Ain Shams Engineering Journal 17 (2), 104002 , 2026 2026
Domain-Adaptive MRI Learning Model for Precision Diagnosis of CNS Tumors W Abdelbaki, H Alshaya, IM Nasir, S Tehsin, S Said, W Bouchelligua Biomedicines 14 (1), 235 , 2026 2026 Citations: 2
ECSA-Net: a lightweight attention-based deep learning model for eye disease detection S Tehsin, MJ Abbas, IM Nasir, F Alrowais, R Abualhamayel, AE Yahya, ... Computers, materials and continua. 87 (2), 1-34 , 2026 2026
Q-ALIGNer: a quantum entanglement-driven multimodal framework for robust fake news detection S Tehsin, IM Nasir, W Abdelbaki, F Alrowais, R Abualhamayel, AE Yahya, ... Computers, materials and continua. 87 (22), 1-31 , 2026 2026
Mamba-RSI: a state-space deep learning framework for efficient land-use and land-cover classification in remote sensing imagery W Abdelbaki, W Bouchelligua, IM Nasir, S Tehsin, H Alshaya AIMS Mathematics. 11 (3), 5600-5647 , 2026 2026 Citations: 1
HMA-DER: a hierarchical attention and expert routing framework for accurate gastrointestinal disease diagnosis S Tehsin, IM Nasir, W Abdelbaki, F Alrowais, KA Alattas, S Almutairi, ... Computers, materials and continua. 87 (1), 1-36 , 2026 2026
Cross-view remote sensing and street-level data fusion for intelligent traffic congestion analysis IM Nasir, H Alshaya, S Tehsin, W Bouchelligua AIMS Mathematics 11 (1), 1547-1589 , 2026 2026
Heuristic-Inspired Percentage Attribution Index: A Novel Measure for Explainability in Skin Cancer Classification IM Nasir, S Tehsin, R Damaševičius, N Hussain, MA Bilal, R Maskeliūnas 2025 International Conference on Computational Intelligence, Security, and … , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
NeuroMamba: Efficient State-Space Model for Explainable Brain Tumor Segmentation S Tehsin, IM Nasir, R Damaševičius, N Hussain, MA Bilal, R Maskeliūnas 2025 International Conference on Computational Intelligence, Security, and … , 2025 2025
Efficient hybrid CNN-transformer model for accurate blood cancer detection W Abdelbaki, MJ Abbas, IM Nasir, DM Alsekait, A Thaljaoui, ... PeerJ Computer Science 11, e3335 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Adaptive Vision–Language Transformer for Multimodal CNS Tumor Diagnosis IM Nasir, H Alshaya, S Tehsin, W Bouchelligua Biomedicines 13 (12), 2864 , 2025 2025
A systematic literature review on advances in brain tumor detection using deep learning and explainable AI methods S Tehsin, IM Nasir, R Damaševičius Network Modeling Analysis in Health Informatics and Bioinformatics 14 (1), 154 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Pearson Correlation Based Feature Selection for Document Classification using Balanced Training IM Nasir, MA Khan, M Yasmin, JH Shah, M Gabryel, R Scherer, ... Sensors , 2020 2020 Citations: 183
Deep learning-based classification of fruit diseases: An application for precision agriculture IM Nasir, A Bibi, JH Shah, MA Khan, M Sharif, K Iqbal, Y Nam, S Kadry Computers, Materials, & Continua 66 (2), 1949 , 2021 2021 Citations: 139
HAREDNet: A deep learning based architecture for autonomous video surveillance by recognizing human actions IM Nasir, M Raza, JH Shah, SH Wang, U Tariq, MA Khan Computers and Electrical Engineering 99, 1-17 , 2022 2022 Citations: 67
Human action recognition using machine learning in uncontrolled environment IM Nasir, M Raza, JH Shah, MA Khan, A Rehman 2021 1st International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Data … , 2021 2021 Citations: 62
A Hybrid Deep Learning Architecture for the Classification of Superhero Fashion Products: An Application for Medical-Tech Classification IM Nasir, MA Khan, M Alhaisoni, T Saba, A Rehman, T Iqbal Computer Modeling in Engineering and Sciences 124 (3), 1017-1033 , 2020 2020 Citations: 54
DaSAM: Disease and spatial attention module-based explainable model for brain tumor detection S Tehsin, IM Nasir, R Damaševičius, R Maskeliūnas Big Data and Cognitive Computing 8 (9), 97 , 2024 2024 Citations: 45
A Blockchain based Framework for Stomach Abnormalities Recognition MA Khan, IM Nasir*, M Sharif, M Alhaisoni, S Kadry, SAC Bukhari, Y Nam CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, 1-15 , 2020 2020 Citations: 39
ENGA: Elastic net-based genetic algorithm for human action recognition IM Nasir, M Raza, SM Ulyah, JH Shah, NL Fitriyani, M Syafrudin Expert Systems with Applications 227, 120311 , 2023 2023 Citations: 37
An optimized approach for breast cancer classification for histopathological images based on hybrid feature set IM Nasir, M Rashid, JH Shah, M Sharif, MYH Awan, MH Alkinani Current Medical Imaging 17 (1), 136-147 , 2021 2021 Citations: 34
Improved shark smell optimization algorithm for human action recognition I Nasir, M Raza, J Shah, M Khan, YC Nam, Y Nam Computers, Materials, & Continua 76 (3), 2667 , 2023 2023 Citations: 32
SCNN: A Secure Convolutional Neural Network using Blockchain IM Nasir, MA Khan, A Armghan, MY Javed 2020 International Conference on Computer and Information Sciences (ICCIS), 1-6 , 2020 2020 Citations: 31
Gatransformer: A graph attention network-based transformer model to generate explainable attentions for brain tumor detection S Tehsin, IM Nasir, R Damaševičius Algorithms 18 (2), 89 , 2025 2025 Citations: 26
Integrating explanations into CNNs by adopting spiking attention block for skin cancer detection IM Nasir, S Tehsin, R Damaševičius, R Maskeliūnas Algorithms 17 (12), 557 , 2024 2024 Citations: 25
MFAN: Multi-Feature Attention Network for Breast Cancer Classification IM Nasir, MA Alrasheedi, NA Alreshidi Mathematics 12 (23), 1-19 , 2024 2024 Citations: 25
Customer Prioritization for Medical Supply Chain During COVID-19 Pandemic I Mushtaq, M Umer, M Imran, IM Nasir, G Muhammad, M Shorfuzzaman CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua 70 (1), 59-72 , 2021 2021 Citations: 25
Block cipher nonlinear component generation via hybrid pseudo-random binary sequence for image encryption DS Malik, T Shah, S Tehsin, IM Nasir, NL Fitriyani, M Syafrudin Mathematics 12 (15), 2302 , 2024 2024 Citations: 24
Enhancing Signature Verification Using Triplet Siamese Similarity Networks in Digital Documents S Tehsin, A Hassan, F Riaz, IM Nasir, NL Fitriyani, M Syafrudin Mathematics 12 (17), 27-57 , 2024 2024 Citations: 23
Fast intra mode selection in HEVC using statistical model J Tariq, A Alfalou, A Ijaz, A Hashim, I Ashraf, H Rahman, A Armghan, ... Computers, Materials, & Continua 70 (2), 3903 , 2022 2022 Citations: 23
FLTrans-Net: Transformer-based feature learning network for wheat head detection SN Yousafzai, IM Nasir, S Tehsin, NL Fitriyani, M Syafrudin Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 229, 109706 , 2025 2025 Citations: 22
X-News Dataset for Online News Categorization SN Yousafzai, H Shahbaz, A Ali, A Qamar, IM Nasir, S Tehsin, ... International Journal of Intelligent Computing and Cybernetics 1 (1), 1-53 , 2024 2024 Citations: 22