Amazon Hires Famed Cardiologist for Health Care Push

Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) has recruited a world-famous cardiologist, the latest in a string of hires designed to strengthen the online retailer’s grip on the $3 trillion health care sector.

Maulik Majmudar announced that he will be joining Amazon in a tweet on Monday. The associate director at Massachusetts General Hospital and lecturer at Harvard University described his new role as "exciting and challenging,” but did not reveal what his main responsibilities will be.

“The one and only reason I am taking on this opportunity, is the possibility of making a truly meaningful impact on the health and wellbeing of hundreds of millions of individuals throughout the world,” Majmudar, who has previously advised technology companies such as Quanttus Inc., added.

1/ Very emotional day: After decade of medical training (@NorthwesternMed @HopkinsMedicine @BrighamWomens), five years on the faculty @MGHMedicine and @harvardmed, leading #digitalhealth @mgh_htl, I have decided to leave academia to take on an exciting & challenging role @amazon
— Maulik Majmudar, MD (@mdmajmudar) August 20, 2018

Amazon’s Healthcare Ambitions

The hiring of Majmudar represents the latest step in Amazon’s healthcare recruitment drive. The online retailer has brought in a number of medical experts since the start of 2018, including Taha Kass-Hout, the former U.S. Food and Drug Administration chief health informatics officer, and Martin Levine, a geriatrician that specializes in treating elderly patients with complex conditions.

The Seattle, Washington-based company currently serves the mushrooming healthcare market in several different ways, developing voice applications, medical records and telemedicine software, as well as advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence for the sector. Amazon, which in June acquired online pharmacy PillPack, is also keen to start selling medical supplies directly to hospitals and clinics. (See also: Amazon Wades Into Healthcare Data With PillPack.)

CNBC reported that cardiologists have become a key focal point for tech companies eager to move into health care, noting that both Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) and Facebook Inc. (FB) also recruited medical professionals with a background in heart health.

Google’s parent company appointed Jessica Mega as chief medical officer of its life sciences arm Verily, while Facebook hired Freddy Abnousi as part of its drive to convince hospitals to share patient data. The social network’s top secret project was eventually placed on hold, following the Cambridge Analytica data leak scandal. (See also: How Much Can Facebook Potentially Make from Selling Your Data?)