After earning dual degrees in Computer Science and Neurobiology from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2022, Karan Lingineni moved to Seattle and worked at Amazon’s Alexa AI division, then later at Kyndryl (formerly IBM Cloud Consulting), where he served as a Cloud Architect while completing his graduate studies at Mount Sinai.
In the following Q&A, Mr. Lingineni reveals how he merged his interests in technology, computer science, and precision medicine to launch a most unique academic and career path.
What is your background?
My career has centered on the intersection of Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) and cloud infrastructure with medical research, spanning domains such as oncology, cardiology, and behavioral neuroscience. I’ve previously held positions at NVIDIA and Roche Pharmaceuticals, where I contributed to non-small cell lung cancer tumor classification pipelines and time-series anomaly detection for medical IoT (Internet of Things) devices.
What first attracted you to this field?
In high school, I discovered a deep passion for technology and computer science, but I often encountered advice to “pick one.” Even then, I believed computer science could become a powerful tool to transform patient care.
It wasn’t until internships at NVIDIA, Roche, and Dell Technologies that I saw how fields such as bioinformatics, predictive analytics, and precision medicine were already reshaping health care. These experiences helped me visualize a career where I could integrate both disciplines meaningfully. After spending time in industry sharpening my engineering skills, I sought a program that could help me develop research fluency while staying true to my interdisciplinary background—and Mount Sinai was the perfect fit.
Who were your mentors and what are some of your research highlights?
I started two research collaborations: with Michelle Mendiolaza, a student who received her PhD in May and was in the Laurie Keefer, PhD, lab, focusing on inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and resilience, and Muhammad Parvaz, PhD, at the Motivational and Affective Psychopathology (MAP) Lab, which investigates cognitive-affective processes in substance use disorders.With Dr. Mendiolaza’s mentorship, I assisted in the development and validation of a disease-specific resilience measure for IBD patients—RISE-IBD—which we recently published in BMC Gastroenterology. At the MAP Lab, under the guidance of Dr. Parvaz and Riaz Shaik, MBBS, PhD, I was able to merge my technical background with research in addiction neuroscience. My thesis project explored the development of a generative AI-powered companion platform designed to support craving regulation in patients with cocaine-use disorder—a novel approach integrating cognitive-behavioral therapy with real-time ecological momentary assessment (ProQuest).
Why Mount Sinai—what, specifically, are the strong points of the program?
As someone with a nontraditional background, I was looking for a program that would challenge me academically while embracing my interdisciplinary identity. Mount Sinai stands out not just for its leadership in AI and translational medicine, but for its breadth across health policy, entrepreneurship, and bioethics.
The curriculum is incredibly well-rounded. Dr. Ostertag’s [Gary Ostertag, PhD] bioethics seminar is essential for understanding the evolving societal responsibilities of modern medicine. Dr. Sacks [Henry Sacks, MD, PhD] and Dr. Gabrilove’s [Janice L. Gabrilove, MD] clinical research methods course offers an excellent foundation for designing impactful studies. Dr. Doucette’s [John Doucette, PhD] biostatistics lectures are rigorous yet approachable, and Dr. Swan’s [Judith Swan, PhD] workshops in scientific writing and grant strategy helped elevate the quality and clarity of my own proposals. I also appreciated how accessible opportunities were—from joining labs to getting involved in new initiatives—and I always felt supported in exploring ideas and connecting with mentors.
Also, how did you excel at Mount Sinai?
I pursued my passion for innovation and entrepreneurship through the THRIVE Fellowship, (Mount Sinai’s Targeted Healthcare Innovation Fellowship). This program provided a unique platform to collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, combining clinical insights with technological solutions to address pressing health care challenges. During the fellowship, I co-founded EveHealth.AI with MD student Ryan Afreen and PhD student Nancy Zhang, an initiative aimed at enhancing the diagnosis of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) using AI-driven digital biomarkers. Our team developed a prototype that leverages patient health data to improve early detection and diagnosis of PCOS. Our efforts were recognized when EveHealth.AI was selected as a winner at the Mount Sinai Innovation Awards, highlighting the potential impact of our solution in women’s health.
These opportunities allowed me to apply my interdisciplinary background in computer science and medicine to real-world problems, fostering a deeper understanding of the innovation process from concept to potential commercialization. This experience honed my skills in health care technology development and reinforced my commitment to leveraging technology for improved patient outcomes.
What’s Next?
This fall, I’ll be attending UT Southwestern in Dallas as a medical student. I plan to continue collaborating with Dr. Parvaz and the MAP Lab remotely while I explore career paths in either cardiology or psychiatry. No matter the specialty, I’m committed to bringing an engineering mindset and research-driven approach to clinical care.