Dr. Cían Hughes
Dr. Cían Hughes is a physician scientist who began his career as an academic surgeon and has been working at the forefront of health AI research for over a decade. In 2015 he joined Google DeepMind as their first Clinical Research Scientist starting the DeepMind Health team. Prior to DeepMind Cían was a National Institute of Health Research Academic Clinical Fellow in Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose & Throat surgery) at University College London working across the UCL Ear Institute and the Farr Institute of health informatics alongside clinical practice.In 2025 Cían joined Counsel Health as Chief Scientific Officer helping to launch its next-generation AI care platform, built to serve as the responsible front door to healthcare. Backed by a $25 million Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) and Google Ventures (GV). Counsel combines the immediacy of AI with the oversight of licensed physicians to deliver care that is faster, safer, and more cost-effective at scale.