Jim Karkanias, MS

Biography

Jim Karkanias is a seasoned technology executive with over 40 years of experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and software engineering fields. Currently serving as the CEO of IOTA Engineering and CTO of Cogitech.ai, Jim has a proven track record of leadership in various high-impact roles.

Jim’s career began with a Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology and Behavior from Rutgers University in 1986, followed by graduate studies in neuroscience and bioengineering at Drexel University, Temple University, and the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering in 1993.

Throughout his career, Jim has held key positions in renowned organizations. At Merck, he served in various capacities, including Director and Executive Director of Operations for the Human Health division, where he led significant projects in clinical research and information systems. He was instrumental in developing one of the first mobile applications for remote data collection from physicians. Jim’s innovative drive continued at Microsoft, where he spent a decade as a Partner, leading program management for information management and machine learning in the Cloud + Enterprise Division. His work at Microsoft included the development of HealthVault, a pioneering platform for secure sharing of personal health information, and contributions to business intelligence and advanced analytics products. From 2017 to 2022, Jim was the CTO and VP of the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, where he led the computation effort in data science, computational biology, and machine learning, driving advancements in bioinformatics and next-generation analytics.

In addition to his corporate roles, Jim has been actively involved in various advisory and board positions. He is the chairman of Canary Medical, a company revolutionizing health care through smart medical devices, and has contributed to numerous organizations in the intersection of technology and healthcare. He is also an external advisory board member at the Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics at the University of Pennsylvania.  

Jim’s extensive publication record includes contributions to leading journals such as Science and Nature, and he holds over 100 patents worldwide, primarily in data systems and analytics and healthcare. For more details, visit his LinkedIn profile.