Dr. Jason Hipp Joins Cura Labs to Lead Healthcare AI Research
Cura Labs today announced that Dr. Jason Hipp, MD, PhD, is leading its healthcare AI research program. Dr. Hipp is a board-certified anatomic pathologist with leadership experience at Mayo Clinic and AstraZeneca, and was the first pathologist hired by Alphabet (Google/Verily). At Cura Labs, he will direct the clinical research agenda, shaping how the team applies machine learning to pathology and translational medicine. He concurrently serves as consulting Chief Medical Officer at Coa Solutions, a federal AI partner.
His appointment addresses a gap that has slowed progress in applied healthcare AI: the absence of deep clinical expertise embedded directly into small, engineering-forward research teams. Dr. Hipp’s blend of frontline medical practice, academic leadership, and executive roles across biopharma and technology positions Cura Labs to produce AI research that is both technically robust and clinically validated.
“AI in healthcare isn’t just about algorithms — it’s about trust, validation, and clinical impact,” said Dr. Jason Hipp. “As a physician who trained at the NIH and Walter Reed, and later founded the Division of Computational Pathology & AI at Mayo Clinic, I’ve seen how technology only succeeds when it is grounded in medicine. My later work at AstraZeneca and as the first pathologist hired by Alphabet (Google/Verily) gave me a front-row seat to how AI can scale in both biopharma and tech. At Cura Labs, I’m committed to bringing that blend of clinical credibility and innovation to computational pathology and the broader research questions where AI can change patient outcomes.”
A Mission Rooted in Service to Veterans
Dr. Hipp’s commitment to patients is personal as well as professional. During his residency from 2008 to 2010, he completed multiple rotations at the National Naval Medical Center (now Walter Reed National Military Medical Center), the NIH Clinical Center, and the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. There, he witnessed the resilience of young service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with life-changing injuries.
“One image that has stayed with me is a Veteran I saw in the gym, pushing through his recovery with extraordinary grit and determination,” Dr. Hipp recalled. “That quiet display of resilience left a lasting impression on me, deepening my respect and reinforcing my belief that we owe our Veterans the best possible support. That perspective continues to guide me today. Through my work, I see an opportunity to bring the best of technology and AI to improve healthcare for those who serve our country and for patients everywhere.”
Clinical Leadership Credentials
- Board Certification: Anatomic Pathology
- Academic Excellence: MD/PhD from Wake Forest University, Phi Beta Kappa
- Federal Experience: NIH Clinical Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
- Research Publications: 20+ peer-reviewed papers in pathology informatics
- Leadership Roles: Founder of the Division of Computational Pathology & AI at Mayo Clinic; Executive Director of Pathology Data Science at AstraZeneca
- Innovation Firsts: First pathologist hired by Alphabet (Google/Verily) to lead clinical AI initiatives
“Jason’s clinical credibility is exactly what computational pathology research needs more of,” said Ari Perez, founder of Cura Labs. “The gap between a model that works on a validation set and a finding that changes what happens to a patient is enormous, and closing it requires a partner who can ask the right questions from the bedside. Having Jason lead our research means every project starts with a question a pathologist would actually ask.”
About Cura Labs
Cura Labs is a medical AI research organization focused on accelerating discovery from hypothesis to insight. The team publishes research, surfaces clinical insights, and partners with leading hospitals and medical organizations to apply machine learning to computational pathology and translational medicine.