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Amy Abernethy, M.D., Ph.D., is cofounder of Highlander Health, an investment firm dedicated to advancing evidence generation and personalized healthcare for a new era of medical innovation. As an oncologist, entrepreneur, and leader in clinical research and health data science, Dr. Abernethy is passionate about breaking down barriers between clinical trials and real-world evidence, seeing both as essential parts of a unified ecosystem that delivers safer, more effective treatments to patients faster. At Highlander, she is bringing together providers, regulators, researchers, tech innovators, and life sciences companies to tackle fragmented health data, build practical solutions for next-generation evidence, and shape a future where data and evidence truly serve patients.
Previously, Dr. Abernethy served as principal deputy commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, where she led initiatives to modernize clinical evidence generation and advance personalized healthcare, while also serving as the agency's acting chief information officer. This regulatory experience directly informs Highlander Health’s work in responsible AI and building modern evidence infrastructures.
More recently, Dr. Abernethy served as chief medical officer and president of product development at Verily, Alphabet’s precision health business, overseeing efforts to better connect clinical research and care. Prior to that, she was the first chief medical officer and chief scientific officer at Flatiron Health, and held key academic roles at Duke University, including; professor of medicine at Duke University School of Medicine, director of the Center for Learning Health Care at the Duke Clinical Research Institute, and, director of the Duke Cancer Care Research Program at the Duke Cancer Institute. A practicing hematologist/oncologist and palliative medicine physician, Dr. Abernethy is also an active scholar with more than 500 publications and remains a committed learner and teacher, dedicated to making healthcare work better for all.
Elected to the Board of Trustees of Duke University in 2024, Dr. Abernethy serves on the Graduate and Professional Education and Research Committee.
July 2025