Courage, purpose and persistence in healthtech

Dr Zara Ghazoui, Director of Digital Innovation at AstraZeneca, has built her career at the intersection of science, big data, AI and healthcare. With over two decades of experience in data, AI, oncology and digital transformation, she is also a mentor and judge for healthtech startups. Her story is a testament to courage, purpose and persistence, the pillars she believes every woman in tech should stand on.

Unleashing purpose-driven leadership in healthtech

In the rapidly evolving world of healthtech, women are not just participants, but they are trailblazers, shaping the future of medicine through courage, vision and relentless strategic drive. 

Dr Ghazoui’s journey from a wet lab scientist to master’s in computing from Imperial College London, coupled with a PhD on decoding genomes in silico all the way to leading data and AI strategy across global pharmaceuticals, has taught her that true innovation demands more than technical expertise; it requires passion, resilience and a commitment to real impact. 

She says: “Leading in a tech-driven, male-dominated space demands unwavering courage and bold conviction”. For her, courage is driven by purpose: harnessing AI not just for breakthroughs in science, but for the greater good of society.

Mindset as a catalyst to break barriers

Success in technology is not just about skills; it is about mindset. Women, she argues, must own their expertise and recognise the power of their perspective. “No question is trivial. Speak up and ask boldly, your voice unlocks insight,” she advises. For her, persistence is about curiosity because staying curious opens doors and helps overcome barriers. 

She stresses that young girls should be encouraged early to pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), since many are still unaware of the opportunities and possibilities waiting for them in these fields.

Your first attempt is a launchpad. If you can do it once, you are equipped to do it again stronger and inspire others.” Dr Zara Ghazoui, Director of Digital Innovation at AstraZeneca

Dr Ghazoui highlights a powerful example why women’s voices are vital in healthtech. “We need to have women building and leading initiatives to unlock data and AI to improve breast cancer treatments, because we are in the best position to understand not only the physical, but also the psychological aspect of it.” This perspective, she believes, strengthens innovation and ensures solutions are truly human-centred.

Guiding startups towards impact

As a judge and mentor for healthtech startups, Dr Ghazoui looks for clear market fit, scalability and innovation. She assesses whether solutions address unmet needs, are clinically validated and whether teams show resilience and adaptability. Soft skills matter as much as technical expertise. “In the world of early-stage ventures, agility is not optional, but it is imperative. I look for founders who pivot with confidence and speed,” she explains.

She also guides startups on ethics and governance. For her, governance is not a burden but an enabler. She encourages founders to embed ethics and governance by design, treat compliance as a strategic advantage and collaborate across disciplines. Startups win when innovation and regulation move in sync. By embracing a transparent, inclusive and adaptive framework aligned with evolving ethical standards, they turn compliance into a competitive advantage. Her guiding principle says it all: “Innovation and regulation must go hand in hand for a lasting success.”

AI transforming cancer care and beyond

Dr Ghazoui is passionate about the tangible impact of AI in healthcare and particularly in her main field of expertise, oncology. She points to clinical and multi-omics data integration, where different and complex datasets are combined to create a 360-degree view of a patient. This enables precision oncology where one could truly tailor therapy to individual cancer biology in real time. “This is revolutionary when it comes to treating the right patients with the right treatment at the right time,” she says.

While oncology provides clear illustrations, she stresses that AI is making an impact across healthtech more broadly, from early diagnostics to patient monitoring and digital therapeutics. The future of AI in healthcare, she adds, depends on trustworthy AI and collaboration. By engaging clinicians and patients in its development, we can create solutions that amplify human expertise and compassion, ensuring technology becomes a trusted partner, not a replacement.