Asher Informatics Co-Founder John F. Kalafut, PhD Named to The Imaging Wire's Top 10 AI & Imaging IT Voices for 2026

A recognition of thought leadership and a testament to the value of staying informed in one of healthcare's fastest-moving fields.

The Imaging Wire names top Medical Imaging Experts each year,

A Moment Worth Celebrating

The Asher Informatics team is proud to announce that our Co-Founder and CTO, John F. Kalafut, PhD, has been recognized by The Imaging Wire as one of the Top 10 AI & Imaging IT Voices for 2026. This recognition places John among a curated group of clinicians, researchers, and industry leaders who are shaping how the medical imaging community thinks about artificial intelligence; its promise, its risks, and its governance. For those of us building Asher Informatics from the ground up, this recognition is a meaningful validation of the deep technical expertise that has driven our product and market solution fit. It is significantly supportive as we launch first product commercially and look to begin our first funding round. "John brings a rare combination of deep technical expertise, clinical insight, and an unapologetically opinionated perspective on what responsible AI in healthcare actually looks like."

Who Is John F. Kalafut, PhD?

John's career spans some of the most consequential chapters in medical imaging informatics. As Chief Scientist of Informatics Research at GE Healthcare, he led the development of an AI-enabled diagnostic pathway solution that earned the FDA's first Breakthrough Designation in its category. He co-architected learning platforms in partnership with Mass General Brigham and Boston Children's Hospital, and was instrumental in founding the UK's National Consortium of Intelligent Medical Imaging (NCIMI).

With over 44 patents in medical device software, nine co-developed clinical AI pathway solutions with leading academic medical centers across the U.S. and UK, and twelve healthcare enterprise solutions now in active global use, John brings a depth of experience that few in this field can match.

Today, as Co-Founder and CTO of Asher Informatics, John channels that experience into building the health AI governance solutions that healthcare organizations need for independent, local, and responsible oversight of clinical AI. And solutions that will meet healthcare systems were they are, can scale and keep up with the pace of change.

Why The Imaging Wire Matters

This recognition means something in large part because of where it comes from.

The Imaging Wire, led by Jake Fishman and Brian Casey, has become the indispensable weekly briefing for anyone working in medical imaging AI. In a space where regulatory landscapes shift, new FDA clearances land weekly, startup deals close quietly, and enterprise platforms evolve faster than most newsletters can track, Jake and Brian hustle to stay on top of every meaningful development. They surface the signal through the noise with consistency and craft that is genuinely rare in trade media.

Their commitment to covering the full landscape from medical imaging AI startups to OEM product launches to enterprise imaging IT strategy, gives practitioners and executives the clarity they need to make informed decisions. In healthcare AI, that kind of trusted, current intelligence isn't a nice-to-have. It's a competitive necessity.

We're grateful for the recognition, and even more grateful to have The Imaging Wire as a resource we rely on every week.