Starting with Questions, Not Answers

When Andrew Cannestra MD PhD was growing up, he was the kid who wanted to know how everything worked. “I was always asking questions,” he says. “Not just about science, but about systems. About why things were done a certain way.” That same mindset — curiosity, precision, and follow-through — would later shape his career as both a physician and a scientist.

Today, Dr. Cannestra is known for bringing big ideas into real-world application, blending clinical experience with research insight to push the boundaries of medicine and health innovation. His path hasn’t been linear. But it has been intentional.

The Dual Degree That Changed His Perspective

Pursuing both an MD and PhD wasn’t part of some plan to collect titles. It was about solving problems from multiple angles. “Medical school gave me the clinical foundation, but the PhD taught me how to think differently. How to question everything,” he explains.

His research training wasn’t just about publishing papers. It was about learning to see failure as data. “You run an experiment. It doesn’t work. That doesn’t mean you stop. It means you refine your question.”

That mindset helped him move through the complex environments of academic medicine and biotech. It also made him more adaptable.

“Most people want a playbook. But the real breakthroughs happen when you’re willing to throw out the playbook and build a new one.”

Finding the Gaps — and Filling Them

Throughout his career, Andrew Cannestra has focused on finding what’s missing — and doing something about it. Whether it’s a gap in clinical workflow, data infrastructure, or product strategy, he has a habit of spotting disconnects others overlook.

Early in his career, he saw that many healthcare systems were slow to adopt even simple data tools. “There was too much friction,” he says. “Doctors didn’t want dashboards. They wanted answers.” That insight led him to explore how technology could better support frontline clinicians.

But instead of building tech in a vacuum, he used his background in both medicine and research to bridge communication between engineers and physicians. “You have to speak both languages,” he says. “Otherwise nothing gets built — or worse, the wrong thing gets built.”

The Value of Clear Thinking Under Pressure

Colleagues often describe Andrew as steady, focused, and solutions-driven — especially when things get messy. He credits this to his research background. “When you’ve spent years troubleshooting failed experiments, you learn not to panic. You just keep adjusting.”

This approach carried over into his leadership roles, where he’s guided teams through high-stakes decisions, rapid pivots, and complex builds. One former colleague shared that “he could walk into a room full of disagreement, ask the right two questions, and get everyone aligned.”

Andrew says it’s not magic. It’s just about slowing down to think clearly. “You don’t solve problems by shouting. You solve them by listening, getting to the root of the issue, and cutting out the noise.”

Big Ideas That Actually Work

One thing that sets Cannestra apart is his ability to move between vision and execution. He’s worked across clinical medicine, biotech, and healthcare startups, helping teams turn complex challenges into scalable solutions.

Whether advising on data strategy or helping build clinical tools from scratch, he keeps one rule in mind: make it usable. “Innovation doesn’t matter if no one wants to use it. It has to work in the real world.”

He once helped redesign a clinical decision support system that had been ignored by most staff. The fix? Strip it down. Rebuild it with clinician input. Then test it in actual workflows. Adoption shot up — not because it was fancier, but because it was simpler.

“If the person using it doesn’t see value in the first 10 seconds, they’ll ignore it. That’s true in medicine and in tech.”

Mentorship, Legacy, and What Comes Next

Now further into his career, Andrew spends more time mentoring others — especially those trying to work at the intersection of science and product. He’s honest about how hard that space can be.

“There’s a lot of pressure to be both fast and right. And that’s not always possible,” he says. “But if you keep showing up with clear thinking and a willingness to learn, people notice. They’ll want to build with you.”

He’s also excited about the future of medical tools — especially those that make complex systems feel more human. That includes AI, but with careful guardrails. “AI isn’t the solution,” he says. “It’s just a tool. The real solution is knowing how to ask the right question.”

Final Thoughts: Strategy, Science, and Staying Grounded

Andrew Cannestra’s career has always been about more than credentials. It’s about building things that work, staying calm under pressure, and helping others grow.

He doesn’t call himself a visionary. He just knows how to take big ideas and actually get them done.

“The smartest people I’ve met aren’t the loudest. They’re the ones still learning, still refining, still asking better questions.”

That’s what’s made Andrew Cannestra a quiet force — and someone people trust when it’s time to build something that matters.