Shailja Somani

About Shailja Somani

GenAI data science manager currently leading a team to develop custom generative AI solutions for the Dept of Defense and deploy them within a secure gov cloud. Own full project lifecycles from scoping out teams and environments needed to leading data science work to ensuring requirements met for deployment at scale. Past experience includes building and deploying models, working in startup environments, & healthcare domain knowledge. Previously developed ML models at Cohere Health to automatically approve clinically-appropriate prior authorizations, allowing patients to get the care they need in a timely manner. Prior to that, worked on data-driven personalized medicine initiatives at Highmark Health by extracting features & creating predictive ML models combining genomics, clinical, social determinants of health, etc data to identify the unique needs of patients/members and customize their care accordingly. I’ve hired and managed full-time employees across a large range of career levels, worked in a variety of organization structures, from federal consulting to a large Blue Cross Blue Shield company to being 1 of 5 data scientists hired to build the data science team and culture at Cohere Health from scratch. Additionally, I hold 2 patents in the use of ML/AI in ambulances for emergency medicine: USPTO No. 11••••49: “Computer-Based Tools and Techniques for Optimizing Emergency Medical Treatment\" and USPTO No. 12••••51: “Computer-Based Tools and Techniques for Optimizing Emergency Medical Treatment Part 2.” My academic background is in cognitive and computational neuroscience, including theories such as Bayesian inference, connectionist networks and machine learning to create computational models of medicine. My tech stack includes, but is not limited to: Python, R, PySpark, SQL, Power BI, Tableau, AWS, Git, Unix and MATLAB and my unique academic and research background allows me to approach problems creatively. I also served as a Lieutenant & EMT on the Johns Hopkins Emergency Response Organization, giving me hands-on experience delivering healthcare while centering patient needs. My current focus is on growing my leadership/management skills while, of course, constantly continuing to improve upon my technical skills. My goals are to make tech more accessible, secure, and user-friendly across domains. My Top 5 Clifton Strengths are: Futuristic, Communication, Strategic, Analytical & Arranger. If you have any questions or opportunities for me, feel free to connect!

Experience

1. Manager, Full Stack Llm Development

   Accenture Federal Services

   Dec 2025 — Present · Washington, DC, US

   Lead a team of 11 to develop custom Generative AI tools/applications for federal government use cases. Building custom backend & frontend to create multiple GenAI modules, optimizing for a UX requiring minimal end user training or prompt engineering. Deploying work within secure IL5 clouds. Own full project lifecycle from hiring the rest of the team to identifying use cases to deployment and feedback-based iteration. Implement guardrails, model and output metrics, and model explainability tools, both to ensure trust in the GenAI tools we build and allow for continuous monitoring of performance metrics. Won multiple contract extensions/renewals with additional funding for our team.

Education

• Lynbrook High School

  High School Diploma

• University of San Diego

  Master of Science - MS, Applied Data Science

• The Johns Hopkins University

  Bachelor of Science - BS, Neuroscience

Skills

• Microsoft Excel
• Science
• Microbiology
• Java
• Research
• Victim Advocacy
• Molecular Biology
• Team Leadership
• Communication
• Life Sciences
• Public Speaking
• Environmental Microbiology
• Teaching