Nate Verhagen is a resident in Otolaryngology–Head & Neck Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and an aspiring surgeon-innovator passionate about AI, surgical data science, and healthcare innovation. As a first-year medical student at the Medical College of Wisconsin, he joined the AN.AI Lab, where he began applying quantitative methods to complex surgical challenges.

Nate has conducted influential research on surgical outcomes, including work that informed national and international guidelines on perioperative risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is also the co-founder of ChatClinic, an AI-powered medical education platform that uses large language models to simulate realistic patient interactions—now used in medical school curricula.

Outside of the lab and operating room, Nate thrives on endurance challenges as a former collegiate rower and Ironman triathlete. He’s driven by curiosity, collaboration, and a commitment to using technology to improve patient care and clinical decision-making.