100 Most Influential People in Healthcare - 2024

DeSalvo, who has been Google’s chief health officer since 2019, leads a team that aims to create transformative healthcare tools. She has pointed to the major role artificial intelligence can play in the sector. Google Health is exploring the potential of AI to shift the entire healthcare paradigm into models of earlier detection and enhanced research. For example, Google Health is researching ways to use AI not only to detect lung cancer earlier, but also to predict who may be most at risk for getting the disease. It also announced this year plans to build a generative AI model focused on personal health for consumers. Before her current role, DeSalvo previously served as National Coordinator for Health Information Technology from 2014 to 2016 and New Orleans health commissioner from 2011 until 2014.