Ryan Najafi
AI Engineer, Visionary & Strategist | Ex-Google, Ex-Amazon
Hello and welcome to my personal website!
With over two decades of experience as an engineer, researcher, and ML software engineer, I have not only contributed to startups and leading companies like Amazon and Google but also carved a niche in translating complex technical challenges into innovative AI solutions.
My work has always been driven by a passion for harnessing the power of technology to improve lives, a vision I continue to pursue through my leadership and technical expertise in shaping the future of technology.
My Background
Beginning my career in 2004 as a junior hardware engineer, I rapidly progressed to lead pivotal robotics projects by 2008. My journey led me to earn a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of British Columbia (UBC), focusing on enhancing ultrasound-guided interventions with classical machine learning techniques.
My research at Stanford University as a fellow sought to revolutionize patient outcomes for prostate cancer through pioneering ultrasound guidance for precise beam delivery, signal processing for treatment response measurement, and AI-driven automatic ultrasound image registration.
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I have spearheaded the development of groundbreaking AI systems across a spectrum of applications, including computer vision, NLP, ranking, retrieval systems, and recommendation engines.
My experience significantly evolved during my time at Amazon Music and especially at Google, where I solidified my expertise in machine learning. At Amazon, I was pivotal in developing and integrating sophisticated ML ranking algorithms. My role at Google took center stage, leading the orchestration of end-to-end AI-based systems for the detection of lung cancer, showcasing my ability to lead complex AI initiatives and cross-functional collaboration. This period marked a major advancement in my career, demonstrating a deepened expertise in AI and its applications in critical healthcare technologies. Earlier, at Think Surgical, I had embarked on algorithm design for autonomous surgical robots, which laid the groundwork for my subsequent achievements in AI and machine learning.