Zana Welcomes Renowned Voice AI Pioneer Dr. Rupal Patel to Its Advisory Board
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Zana is thrilled to announce that Dr. Rupal Patel, internationally recognized expert in speech neuroscience and voice technology, has joined its Advisory Board.
Her unique blend of clinical expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, and deep research experience aligns perfectly with our mission to transform healthcare through intelligent, human-centered technology. Her insight into voice-first AI, patient-centred design, and scalable innovation will be incredibly valuable as we continue to grow.
Dr. Patel brings decades of experience spanning clinical practice, academic research, and deep-tech entrepreneurship. She is a tenured professor at Northeastern University with interdisciplinary appointments in health sciences and computer science, and has made groundbreaking contributions at the intersection of speech science, artificial intelligence, and human-computer interaction.
As the founder and CEO of VOCALiD, Dr. Patel revolutionized voice synthesis by creating personalized digital voices for individuals with speech impairment. Under her leadership, the company advanced assistive communication and later expanded into branded voice AI, ultimately leading to its acquisition by Veritone.
Dr. Patel authored over 80 scientific publications and book chapters and garnered over $10M in research funding. She is the founder and director of the VOxx laboratory and the Applied Speech Technology Research and Innovation Commercialization Center at Northeastern University. She holds advanced degrees in speech-language pathology from the University of Toronto, completed postdoctoral training in speech acoustics at MIT, and previously served as a faculty member at Columbia University.
Dr. Patel has also been recognized as one of the Top Voice Visionaries and named one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business. Her work has received global attention, including features in leading international media outlets and a widely acclaimed TED Talk titled "Synthetic Voices, as Unique as Fingerprints."
Dr. Patel’s long-standing dedication to meaningful innovation and real-world impact aligns strongly with the mission and values driving our team. She will support Zana’s journey in advancing AI-enabled healthcare solutions that empower patients and providers.
With Dr. Patel’s contribution, Zana further strengthens its position at the forefront of digital health innovation, bringing together technology, science, and empathy to shape the future of care.
