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Karthik Adapa

World Health Organization Regional Office for South-East Asia, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Government of Punjab

ORCID iD 0000-0002-3970-588X
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About

Dr. Karthik Adapa’s research focuses on human–computer interaction and human factors of artificial intelligence in healthcare, with a particular emphasis on oncology, population-level screening, and clinical decision support systems. His work examines how clinicians interact with AI tools in real-world care settings and how these interactions influence patient safety, care quality, clinician workload, trust, and health outcomes.

His research is focused on the development and evaluation of explainable, interpretable AI systems for high-stakes clinical environments. Through applications in breast cancer screening, radiation oncology quality assurance, diabetic retinopathy screening, and ambient AI for oncology nursing, Dr. Adapa demonstrates that AI effectiveness depends not only on predictive accuracy but also on transparency, usability, workflow integration, and ethical deployment. His scholarship makes significant contributions to human-centered AI design, particularly by leveraging explainable machine learning and feature engineering approaches that allow clinicians to understand, interrogate, and appropriately act on AI recommendations. This is closely linked to his work on clinician burnout, cognitive workload, and performance prediction, where AI is used to both analyze human factors and design systems that reduce cognitive burden and reclaim clinical time. Dr. Adapa also addresses trustworthiness and governance of clinical AI, including issues of transparency, consent, privacy, and accountability. His work emphasizes the use of real-world evidence to evaluate AI tools beyond controlled research environments, ensuring they are safe, equitable, and effective across diverse health system contexts.

Overall, his research advances a human-centered, safety-driven AI paradigm, positioning AI as a collaborative partner that augments clinical expertise. By integrating human factors engineering, explainable AI, and real-world validation, Dr. Adapa’s work contributes to the design of trustworthy AI systems that improve patient outcomes while supporting clinician well-being across oncology and other medical specialties.

Employment

  • World Health Organization Regional Office for South-East Asia Regional Adviser, Digital Health
    2024 - Present
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adjunct Faculty
    2022 - Present
  • Government of Punjab Secretary to Government of Punjab
    2022 - 2024

Education

  • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill PhD
    2018 - 2022
  • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Graduate School Certificate in Business Fundamentals
    2018 - 2021
  • University of North Carolina System MPH
    2016 - 2017
  • Indira Gandhi National Open University Master of Arts (Public Policy)
    2008 - 2010
  • Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University MBBS (Credentialed equivalent to US MD degree by US Educational Credential Evaluators)
    1997 - 2003

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (106)