In May Apple hired robotics expert Yoky Matsuoka to work on health projects. However, she’s already left the company, according to Bloomberg, quoting unnamed “people familiar with the matter.” No reason was given for her departure.
Matsuoka was hired to lead teams involved with the company’s HealthKit tracking software, the CareKit tool for managing patient medical care, the ResearchKit framework for conducting medical studies via Apple devices, and related machine learning algorithms. Matsuoka reported to Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer.
In 2007, Matsuoka won a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant for her work in neurorobotics, using technology to help disabled people and stroke victims regain the use of their limbs. She was one of the co-founders of Google’s X lab and former head of technology at Nest. Google X is a semi-secret research and development facility created by Google and operated as a subsidiary of Alphabet since October 2015.
