Rosanna Culver

As our Business Development Associate for the CHAI Hub, Rosanna focuses on leveraging AI in healthcare through strategic partnerships. Her diverse background includes roles in pharmaceutical forecasting and classical music performances, and she is an active Officer in the British Army Reserves. Rosanna certainly knows how to think on her feet and solve problems, which comes in handy when trying to explain what CHAI stands for!

How would you explain your job to an alien?

Research without application is like a tool left sitting on a shelf—it holds potential but creates no change. As a Business Development Associate, my role is to take that tool—AI in healthcare—and help put it to work. I do this by creating strategic partnerships with healthcare organisations that can transform research into real-world solutions that improve lives.

What did you do before working at Edinburgh Innovations (EI)?

Pharmaceutical forecasting business development and classical music performances with cello and voice.

What’s the best thing about working here?

The warmth and variety. My colleagues have all been hugely welcoming in my onboarding and there are so many projects to get involved in.

What does innovation mean to you?  

Creation with the potential for real-world impact.

What is the best piece of advice someone has given you?

‘This too shall pass’. The phrase relaxes me into appreciating the bigger picture. When life can feel chaotic and overwhelming, it is grounding to know that nothing is permanent.

If you had one more hour in the day, how would you spend it?

Swimming in a loch on a warm summer day.

Do you ever imagine yourself in another occupation? If so, which one and why? 

If I weren’t in the business of AI, I would be a henna artist, spending my days hearing people’s life stories while decorating them in beautiful patterns.

What might people be surprised to learn about you? 

I am an Officer in the British Army Reserves, specialising in radio communications and cyber security. This is spare time work alongside all my other hobbies and involves running around in mud, pressing buttons, and travelling abroad to explain to our NATO allies how much better than them we are.

What would you really like to work on at EI or the University of Edinburgh? 

I want to embed the CHAI (Causality in Healthcare AI) Hub further into the UoE by collaborating with our sister Hub APRIL, the E-Zone, and the Bayes Centre.

Is there anything people don’t understand about your job that you wish they did?  

What CHAI stands for! Causality in Healthcare AI. Causal AI explains why one event leads to another. This differs from traditional AI, which simply identifies patterns. Digging deeper into the why allows us to untangle the complexity of healthcare and improve our mechanisms for saving lives.

What drew you to this field, and how did you get started?  

Richard Dawkins’ book ‘The Selfish Gene’. I finally got some clarity on how the world around me works from a micro to a macro level. This inspired me to pursue my BSc in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Edinburgh. 

Lab work turned out to be less sociable than I wanted, so I pursued a career direction in the business of biomedicine with an MSc in Bioscience Innovation and Enterprise, an internship in corporate strategy with a clinical trials startup, and pharmaceutical industry experience in business development.

What is your typical approach to problem-solving?  

Gather broad information, discuss creative ideas with colleagues, refine options, and finally present best idea.

What is your most effective strategy for dealing with stress and unwinding?  

Nature and music. Get away from the screens and schedule and get into a forest or dip toes into a river. And if I’m not near nature, switch on some Elgar classical music and breathe.

How do you achieve a balance between work and your personal life?  

Contrast. I can be working hard in the office and be able to work hard at a hike because of the contrast of activity. Having a variety of activities for my mind, body, and soul keeps me sane!