Karen Hegarty

Karen Hegarty, PhD, currently serves as the VP of Artificial Intelligence and Innovation at Novant Health, a position held since October 2015, where responsibilities include establishing and managing the cognitive computing capability, focusing on AI/ML initiatives that enhance patient care. Previous roles at Novant Health include Senior Director and Director of Insights and Analytics, emphasizing the transition to a federated analytics model and leading projects that integrate predictive models into clinical workflows. Prior to Novant Health, Karen Hegarty was the Lead Data Scientist at Starling Insights, innovating methodologies for healthcare data analysis, and gained foundational experience as a Graduate Student at Wake Forest University, where research involved agent-based models and genetic algorithms. Academic qualifications include a PhD in Biomedical/Medical Engineering from Wake Forest University and a BS from Western New England University.