Who should I follow to learn about Medical AI?

If you want to **actually understand Medical AI**, rather than just follow generic AI influencers, I’d build a feed around clinicians, researchers, and people evaluating whether AI *works in real healthcare*. ## My top 10 1. **Eric Topol** - Probably my #1 recommendation. Excellent on AI in clinical medicine, evidence, genomics, cardiology, and where the hype exceeds the data. His *Ground Truths* newsletter/podcast is especially good. [Ground Truths | Eric Topol | Substack](https://erictopol.substack.com/newsletters?utm_source=chatgpt.com) 2. **Andrew Beam** - Follow if you want the **methodology** behind medical AI: validation, bias, clinical prediction, machine learning, and whether a model actually improves outcomes. He's also a host of *NEJM AI Grand Rounds*. [NEJM AI Grand Rounds Podcast](https://store.nejm.org/signup/ai/podcasts?utm_source=chatgpt.com) 3. **Nigam Shah** - One of the people I'd follow most closely for **real-world clinical AI and evidence**. His work focuses heavily on applying data science and AI to actual healthcare problems. [JAMA+ AI Conversations - Podcast - Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jama-ai-conversations/id1772163310?utm_source=chatgpt.com) 4. **Isaac Kohane** - Particularly valuable for understanding **LLMs, genomics, biomedical informatics, and the future of AI-enabled medicine**. He is editor-in-chief of *NEJM AI*. [New journal, podcast take a closer look at artificial intelligence in medicine | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health](https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/new-journal-podcast-take-a-closer-look-at-artificial-intelligence-in-medicine/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) 5. **Arjun Manrai** - Great intersection of epidemiology, statistics, AI and medicine. He's also a host of *NEJM AI Grand Rounds*. [NEJM AI Grand Rounds Podcast](https://store.nejm.org/signup/ai/podcasts?utm_source=chatgpt.com) 6. **James Zou** - Follow for the more technical side: generative AI, biology, genomics and foundation models applied to healthcare. Stanford's AI for Health group is particularly worth watching. [AI Health](https://aihealth.stanford.edu/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) 7. **Curtis Langlotz** - A must-follow if you're interested in **medical imaging/radiology AI**. Stanford's AIMI center is also an excellent source of talks and research. [Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine & Imaging](https://aimi.stanford.edu/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) 8. **Alan Karthikesalingam** - Follow for cutting-edge work on **AI clinicians, multimodal medical AI and clinical reasoning**. Google DeepMind's current "AI co-clinician" research is particularly interesting. [AI co-clinician: researching the path toward AI-augmented care - Google DeepMind](https://deepmind.google/blog/ai-co-clinician/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) 9. **Vivek Natarajan** - Worth following alongside Karthikesalingam for Google's work on medical foundation models and AI-assisted clinical care. [AI co-clinician: researching the path toward AI-augmented care - Google DeepMind](https://deepmind.google/blog/ai-co-clinician/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) 10. **Andrew Ng** - Not specifically a medical-AI researcher, but extremely useful for understanding the **underlying AI/LLM ecosystem**. His general AI material complements the medical specialists. ## If you only follow 5 I'd choose: - **Eric Topol** → big-picture medicine + AI - **Andrew Beam** → rigorous evaluation - **Nigam Shah** → clinical implementation - **James Zou** → technical/biomedical AI - **Alan Karthikesalingam** → frontier medical AI And I'd add **NEJM AI Grand Rounds** to your podcast rotation. It specifically brings AI/ML researchers and clinicians together and is unusually good at separating interesting technology from clinically meaningful evidence. [NEJM AI Grand Rounds Podcast](https://store.nejm.org/signup/ai/podcasts?utm_source=chatgpt.com) For a more **daily/weekly information diet**, I'd use: - **Ground Truths** - broad medical AI + biomedical developments [Ground Truths | Eric Topol | Substack](https://erictopol.substack.com/newsletters?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - **NEJM AI** - rigorous clinical AI research - **JAMA+ AI Conversations** - practical discussions with clinicians/researchers; its current episodes include people such as Nigam Shah. [Podcast | JAMA+ AI | JAMA Network](https://jamanetwork.com/channels/ai/pages/podcast?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - **Stanford AIMI** - imaging + clinical AI research and talks [Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine & Imaging](https://aimi.stanford.edu/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - **Google Health / DeepMind Health** - frontier models and applications [AI co-clinician: researching the path toward AI-augmented care - Google DeepMind](https://deepmind.google/blog/ai-co-clinician/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) **One important caveat:** I'd avoid building your Medical AI feed primarily around generic "AI influencers." Medical AI is unusually susceptible to benchmark hype. The people worth following tend to ask the harder question: **"Did this improve patient care?"** rather than merely **"Did the model score higher?"** Stanford's 2026 work and the current NEJM/JAMA AI coverage both emphasize this distinction. [Healthcare AI Applied Research Team | Healthcare AI Applied Research Team | Stanford Medicine](https://med.stanford.edu/healthcare-ai?utm_source=chatgpt.com) If you tell me whether you're approaching Medical AI as a **doctor/clinician, researcher, software engineer, founder, investor, or complete beginner**, I can give you a much tighter **10-person + 10-resource follow list** tailored to that path.

**If you want to learn about Medical AI, start by following Eric Topol, Bertalan Meskó, and Shiv Rao - they are among the most influential voices shaping how AI is responsibly integrated into healthcare.** ## 🌟 Key Experts to Follow in Medical AI Expert| Role & Focus| Why Follow Them ---|---|--- **Eric Topol**| Cardiologist, Director of Scripps Research Translational Institute| Author of _Deep Medicine_, prolific researcher (1,300+ papers). He frames AI as a tool to restore humanity in medicine, focusing on patient outcomes and evidence-based adoption. Active on Substack and X.[Top AI Healthcare Voices in 2026: The People Actually Shaping AI in Medicine](https://www.offcall.com/learn/articles/top-ai-healthcare-voices-in-2026)[The 10 People to Follow in AI and Health](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10-people-follow-ai-health-group-pharmamkt-rbagf) **Shiv Rao**| CEO of Abridge| Builds generative AI tools that convert doctor-patient conversations into structured notes, reducing burnout and improving documentation accuracy. Shares insights on LinkedIn.[Top AI Healthcare Voices in 2026: The People Actually Shaping AI in Medicine](https://www.offcall.com/learn/articles/top-ai-healthcare-voices-in-2026) **Bertalan Meskó**| Director of The Medical Futurist Institute| Physician and futurist analyzing digital health and AI trends. Known for accessible insights on how emerging tech reshapes healthcare. Active on medicalfuturist.com.[The 10 People to Follow in AI and Health](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10-people-follow-ai-health-group-pharmamkt-rbagf) **Andrew Ng**| AI pioneer, Co-founder of Coursera, DeepLearning.AI| While not a physician, Ng’s work in AI education and healthcare applications makes him a key voice for understanding technical foundations and practical adoption.[The 10 People to Follow in AI and Health](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10-people-follow-ai-health-group-pharmamkt-rbagf) **Chris Mansi**| Neurosurgeon, CEO of Viz.ai| Leads AI-driven stroke detection and care coordination platform used in 1,700+ hospitals. Focuses on real-world clinical deployment.[The Top 25 Healthcare AI Executives of 2025 | The Healthcare Technology Report.](https://thehealthcaretechnologyreport.com/the-top-25-healthcare-ai-executives-of-2025/) **Alice Zhang**| CEO of Verge Genomics| Applies machine learning to genomics for drug discovery in neurodegenerative diseases.[The Top 25 Healthcare AI Executives of 2025 | The Healthcare Technology Report.](https://thehealthcaretechnologyreport.com/the-top-25-healthcare-ai-executives-of-2025/) **Brendan Frey**| Founder of Deep Genomics| Pioneering AI foundation models for RNA biology, advancing precision medicine.[The Top 25 Healthcare AI Executives of 2025 | The Healthcare Technology Report.](https://thehealthcaretechnologyreport.com/the-top-25-healthcare-ai-executives-of-2025/) ## 📌 Why These Voices Matter * **Balance of clinical and technical expertise**: Topol and Meskó bring physician perspectives, while Ng and Frey provide AI research depth. * **Practical deployment**: Leaders like Rao and Mansi focus on workflow integration and reducing physician burden. * **Drug discovery & genomics**: Zhang and Frey highlight how AI is transforming research beyond clinical practice. ## ⚠️ Risks & Challenges to Watch * **Hype vs. evidence**: Many AI tools are adopted quickly without rigorous validation. Topol warns about this gap between imaging AI (well-studied but underused) and generative AI (rapidly adopted with little evidence).[The 10 People to Follow in AI and Health](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/10-people-follow-ai-health-group-pharmamkt-rbagf) * **Bias & equity**: AI systems risk amplifying disparities if not carefully designed. Following diverse voices helps you stay aware of ethical debates. * **Integration hurdles**: Even proven AI tools often struggle to move from pilot projects to routine clinical use.[20 People Who are Transforming the Health Ecosystem Through Practical Paths to Apply AI - 2025 Roster - Medika Life](https://medika.life/the-top-20-voices-in-ai-transforming-the-health-ecosystem/) 👉 If you’re just starting, I’d recommend subscribing to **Eric Topol’s Substack** for evidence-based updates, following **Bertalan Meskó’s Medical Futurist newsletter** for trend analysis, and keeping an eye on **Shiv Rao’s work at Abridge** for practical clinical applications. Would you like me to curate a **Twitter/X and LinkedIn follow list** of these experts so you can plug directly into their updates?

Learning about Medical AI requires following a mix of pioneering researchers, clinicians, data scientists, and organizations bridging healthcare and technology. ### Key Thought Leaders & Experts to Follow * **Dr. Eric Topol:** Executive Director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute. He is one of the most prominent voices in digital medicine and AI, frequently writing and speaking on how algorithms impact clinical practice and patient care. * **Dr. Andrew Ng:** Founder of DeepLearning.AI and creator of the widely popular _AI for Medicine Specialization_ on Coursera. While broadly known for AI, his work heavily targets practical medical applications and machine learning in healthcare. * **Dr. Anthony Chang:** Founder and Chair of the American Board of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (ABAIM), and a pediatric cardiologist who champions medical AI education globally. [The American Board of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine: ABAIM](https://abaim.org/#:~:text=What%20Our%20Attendees%20Say.%20%22The%20birth%20of,artificial%20intelligence%20topic.%22%20V.%20Gooty.%20Prior%20Attendee.) * **Dr. Regina Barzilay:** MIT professor and researcher focusing on machine learning approaches to drug discovery, oncology, and early diagnosis. ### Authoritative Organizations & Programs * **The American Board of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (ABAIM):** Offers structured courses, certifications, and free weekly office hours with leading medical AI professionals. [The American Board of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine: ABAIM](https://abaim.org/#:~:text=The%20ABAIM%20offers%20a%20100%25%20virtual%20educational,topics%20on%20medical%20AI.%20Join%20Office%20Hours.) * **Top Academic Medical Centers:** Following institutions like **Stanford Medicine** , **Harvard Medical School (HMX)** , and **Johns Hopkins University (JHU)** will give you access to cutting-edge research updates, webinars, and specialized certificate programs. [JHU AI Certificate Program for Healthcare Professionals](https://online.lifelonglearning.jhu.edu/jhu-ai-in-healthcare-certificate-program#:~:text=Learn%20from%20Johns%20Hopkins%20University%20faculty%2C%20and,and%20innovation.%20\(%202026%20Rankings\)%20PROGRAM%20OUTCOMES.) What specific aspect of Medical AI are you most interested in focusing on (e.g., clinical practice, technical machine learning, or health administration)?

To learn about Medical AI, you should follow leading clinical informaticists, academic research groups, and authoritative educational bodies specializing in the intersection of artificial intelligence and healthcare. Watch this expert breakdown from Stanford Medicine clinicians on how large language models and generative AI work in healthcare settings: [58:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLAq8yzvu8Q) Generative AI for Healthcare (Part 1): Demystifying Large ... 42K views · 1 year ago YouTube · Stanford Online Top Organizations and Academic Centers * * **Stanford Medicine (Clinical Informatics):** Faculty and researchers like _Dr. Shivam Vedak_ and Dr. Dong-han Yao publish exceptional practical guides and educational series bridging frontline medicine and AI. * **The American Board of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (ABAIM):** An authoritative body providing certification, virtual courses, and free weekly office hours with leading clinical data scientists. [The American Board of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine: ABAIM](https://abaim.org/) * **Johns Hopkins AI in Healthcare:** Offers comprehensive programs focusing on rigorous science, clinical decision support, and ethical implementation. [Introducing the AI in Healthcare Program by Johns Hopkins](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itr1TBGTEzY) * **Harvard Medical School Professional Education:** Offers focused online programs like [AI in Clinical Medicine](https://learn.hms.harvard.edu/programs/ai-clinical-medicine) covering diagnostic and prognostic applications. [AI in Clinical Medicine](https://learn.hms.harvard.edu/programs/ai-clinical-medicine) * Key Experts and Researchers to Follow * * ** _Dr. Eric Topol_ :** A cardiologist and author who frequently shares deep, critical analyses of digital health and AI in medicine via his substack and social channels. * **_Dr. Cornelius James_ :** University of Michigan Medical School researcher focusing on integrating digital health tools and evidence-based AI curricula into medical training. * **Andrew Ng / DeepLearning.AI:** Offers foundational courses like the _AI in Medicine Specialization_ which break down diagnostics, prognostics, and treatment algorithms for learners. [Courses for AI in Clinical Medicine : r/datascience - Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/datascience/comments/1dpjav0/courses_for_ai_in_clinical_medicine/) * Would you prefer recommendations for **academic research papers** , **hands-on coding courses** , or **clinical practice podcasts** to start your learning journey?