Amil
Khanzada

Professor, University of Fukui
Founder & CEO, Virufy

I develop real-world AI applications across healthcare, tourism, data analytics, behavioral science and cybersecurity, while building bridges between people and ideas across Japan, the US and the Middle East.

Virufy Google Scholar LinkedIn
Amil Khanzada

About

Between Japan
and Silicon Valley.

I’m a Specially Appointed Assistant Professor at the University of Fukui’s Regional Revitalization Headquarters, where I teach entrepreneurship and AI and work with local governments across Hokuriku on regional innovation.

Since 2020, I’ve been Founder and CEO of virufy.org, a nonprofit applying AI to real-world health challenges.

I have more than 15 years of experience in tech and AI. I’ve led engineering teams in Silicon Valley and Tokyo at VMware Pivotal Greenplum and HP Enterprise, and served as Technical Lead at MIT Sandbox.

Fluent in Japanese and Urdu/Hindi. One Young World Japan Ambassador and Eiheiji Town Evolution Ambassador.

Education

Expertise

  • Medical AI

    Researching whether cough sounds recorded on a phone can help screen for respiratory conditions.

  • Tourism and data analytics

    Forecasting visitor demand across Fukui with local governments.

    Live dashboard

  • Behavioral nudges

    Getting people to share data at scale, without paying them.

  • Information security

    Security analytics for Fortune 500 clients and Japanese megabanks at HP Enterprise.

  • Bridging Japan and the world

    Connecting universities, governments and companies across Japan, Silicon Valley, the Gulf and South Asia.

    JST Sakura Science · LEAP 2025 · One Young World

Virufy

A global health
AI nonprofit.

As CEO, I lead a 501(c)(3) that more than 1,300 volunteers have joined since 2020, with 60+ partner universities. Our work spans clinical studies in five countries and two patents in the US and Japan.

virufy.org

Teaching

The city is the classroom.

At the University of Fukui, I teach entrepreneurship, AI-powered social informatics and management of technology. Students work in the field with mayors and tourism boards. In 2026, I hosted young researchers from four countries through the JST Sakura Science Program.

  • Nudges and data
  • Medical AI
  • AI for regions
  • Global teams

Moments

  • Amil Khanzada showing the Fukui tourism dashboard to Governor Ishida
    Oct 2026Showing our tourism dashboard to Fukui Governor Ishida at the Fukui Industrial AI/AX Consortium kickoff
  • Amil Khanzada with Sabae Mayor Katsuhisa Sasaki and visiting researchers
    Sep 2026In Sabae with Mayor Katsuhisa Sasaki and researchers from the JST Sakura Science Exchange Program
  • Amil Khanzada at the University of Fukui degree ceremony
    2026Doctor of Engineering, University of Fukui
  • Amil Khanzada leading an AI workshop for industry in Fukui
    Jul 2026Leading an AI workshop for a Fukui manufacturer
  • Amil Khanzada lecturing at the University of Fukui
    2026Teaching a data-driven decision workshop, University of Fukui

Selected
publications

Full list on Google Scholar, University of Fukui and ORCID.

Milestones