Zahra Heidary

Visionary leader with over 20 years of experience driving data-centric strategies across Commercial and R&D functions in the pharmaceutical industry. Proven ability to define and lead enterprise-wide AI and ML strategies that align with business priorities, accelerate transformation, and deliver measurable impact.

• Enterprise AI Strategy: Led large-scale AI initiatives across global organizations, integrating data science with business strategy to drive innovation and operational excellence.
• Generative AI & LLMs: Spearheaded deployment of GenAI and Large Language Models (LLMs) at scale, advancing omnichannel engagement, field force effectiveness, and customer intelligence.
• AI Governance & Ethics: Champion of responsible AI, ensuring regulatory alignment, model risk management, and ethical frameworks in highly regulated environments.
• Data & Platform Strategy: Directed the design and scale-up of enterprise AI platforms and data ecosystems to support full ML lifecycles, governance, and cross-functional use.
• Cross-Functional Influence: Trusted partner to senior leaders across Medical, Legal, Market Access, and Digital, embedding AI capabilities and driving enterprise-wide readiness.
• Innovation Acceleration: Built and led high-performing teams, Centers of Excellence, and innovation councils to scale emerging technologies and drive cultural transformation.

BIZ X Award winners: A special award that recognizes individual associates who stepped up and took big, bold, actions outside of their normal job responsibilities to achieve extraordinary results for customers, patients and our business (2021), Above & Beyond Award for taken a leadership role and delivered in an uncertain environment (2015), UIC Chancellor’s Graduate Research Fellowship for interdisciplinary research (2013-2014), UIC Research Forum Competition Award under Life Sciences/Engineering Category (2013), Graduate Student Fellowship for NSF CMMI Engineering Research Conference (2012), Ranked among top 0.01 % of national entry college exam in Iran (2000), Selected as one of the national students Mathematics Olympiad test (1997)

• Z. Heidary, J. Cochran, T. Strickland, J. Knights “A Rest Quality Metric Using a Cluster-Based Analysis of Accelerometer Data and Correlation With Digital Medicine Ingestion Data: Algorithm Development” JMIR Form Res 2021;5(3):e17993,doi: 10.2196/17993
• J. Cochran, Z. Heidary, J. Knights “ Characterization of activity behavior using a digital medicine system and comparison to medication ingestion in patients with serious mental illness,” npj Digital Medicine volume 4, Article number: 63 (2021)
• J. Knights, Z. Heidary, T. Strickland, M. Ramanathan “Evaluating digital medicine ingestion data from seriously mentally ill patients with a Bayesian Hybrid Model,” npj Digital Medicine 2, Article number: 20 (2019)
• Z. Heidary, D. Ozevin “On the Influence of Boundary Reflections to the Characteristics of Elastic Waves for Pattern Recognition Methods,” Journal of NDT&E international, DOI: 10.1007/s10921-014-0271-7.
• Z. Heidary, D. Ozevin “The Selection of Polynomial Order and Element Size for the Spectral Element Formulation of High Frequency Elastic Wave Equation” Journal of Sound and Vibration, submitted.
• Z. Heidary, D. Ozevin “Efficient computation of wave propagation along axisymmetric pipes under non-axisymmetric loading,” Journal of Finite Elements in Analysis and Design, Vol. 86, pp.81-88, 2014.
• D. Ozevin, Z. Heidary “Acoustic Emission Source Orientation Based on Time Scale,” Journal of Acoustic Emission, Vol. 29, pp. 123-132, 2011.
• Z. Heidary, T. Strickland, J. Knights “Quality of Rest and Treatment Adherence in Seriously Mentally Ill Patients Receiving Treatment With a Digital Medicine System,” ASCP 2019 Annual meeting.
• Z. Heidary, D. Ozevin “High Frequency Elastic Wave Propagation in Large Structures using Spectral Elements and Perfectly Matched Layers” SPIE NDE/Smart Structures International, March 2014.
• Z. Heidary, D. Ozevin “Damage Quantification using Wave Propagation Data with Integrated Numerical and Experimental Approach,” ASME 2013 International Mechanical Engineering Congress, November 2013.
• Z. Heidary, D. Ozevin “The Effectiveness of Spectral Element Method for High Frequency Wave Propagation” SPIE NDE/Smart Structures International, March 2013.
• Z. Heidary, D. Ozevin, H.Yalçınkaya “2D Numerical Modeling of Pipeline Structures with Non-Axisymmetric Loads and Spectral Elements for Identifying Reliable Sensor Spacing ,“International Workshop on Structural Health Monitoring, IWSHM 2013 Stanford, CA., September 2013.

• Z. Heidary and J. Knights ”SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENERATING AN ADHERENCEVOLATILITY METRIC”, filed on July 1, 2019 as application 62/869,525.
• Z. Heidary and J. Knights ”A DYNAMICALLY DISTORTED TIME WARPING DISTANCE MEASURE BETWEEN CONTINUOUS BOUNDED DISCRETE-TIME”, filed on June17, 2019 as application 62/862,644.
• Z. Heidary and J. Knights ”SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR BEHAVIORAL ANOMALY DETECTION BASED ON AN ADHERENCE VOLATILITY METRIC”, filed on February 4, 2019 as application 62/970,095.