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Tuesday, 18 Nov, 2025Pre-Event WorkshopParticipation is limited to invited or approved attendees only.
Trusted Data, Deeper Insights: QIAGEN’s Blueprint for Drug Discovery Success
Kickstart your AIDDD experience with our pre-event workshop, designed to provide in-depth insights and hands-on learning in key areas of the industry.
Sponsor(s):QiagenSummary:This is an exclusive workshop session. Participation is limited to invited or approved attendees only.Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Blueprint for Drug Discovery Continuum Success
Time:2:30 – 2:50 PMSession Type:KeynoteCausal Intelligence for AI-Powered Drug Discovery
Time:2:50 – 3:20 PMSession Type:General Session (Presentation)Drug Discovery – Success story
Time:3:20 – 3:50 PMSession Type:General Session (Presentation)Expert Panel Discussion
Time:3:50 – 4:30 PMSession Type:PanelDrinks Reception
Time:4:30 – 5:30 PMSession Type:General Session (Presentation) -
Wednesday, 19 Nov, 2025RegistrationMorning Panels
Recent Advances and Future Perspectives for AI in the Drug Discovery and Development Value Chain
Sponsor(s):MilliporeSigmaSpeaker(s):Moderator
David Champagne
Senior PartnerMcKinsey & Company
Melissa Landon
Head, Commercial & Business Development, AI & AutomationMilliporeSigma
David Hallett
Chief Scientific OfficerRecursion
Morten Sogaard
Senior Vice President & Head, Astellas Innovation LabAstellas Pharma
Peter Clark
Vice President, Digital Chemistry & DesignNovo Nordisk RDUSTime:8:30 AM - 9:15 AMSession Type:General Session (Presentation)Closing the Knowledge Loop in AI-Powered R&D
Next-generation AI is transforming research and development by enabling:
- Scalable insights from multi-modal datasets
- In silico experimentation powered by machine learning and foundation models
- Generative AI for novel molecule design
- Automated workflows through agentic systems and robotics
These innovations are already accelerating speed and reducing cost in R&D. But beyond efficiency, AI presents a deeper opportunity: advancing scientific understanding of diseases and drugs. By keeping human scientists actively in the loop, AI can provide oversight, foster discovery, and open entirely new therapeutic avenues.
In this session, we will explore how modern AI tools can “close the knowledge loop”—moving from automation and efficiency toward true scientific insight and discovery.
Sponsor(s):McKinsey & CompanySpeaker(s):
Chris Anagnostopoulos
Tech Fellow PartnerMcKinsey & CompanyTime:9:15am - 9:45amSession Type:KeynoteInvestment Trends in AI Across the Drug Discovery and Development Landscape
Speaker(s):
Mark Adams
Venture Capital PartnerTwo Bear CapitalTime:9:45 AM - 10:15 AMSession Type:General Session (Presentation)Morning BreakTechnical Insights Session 1: Human-in-the-Loop Agent Workflows
AI agents look magical in demos and messy in production. This talk distills how we operationalize AI agents for day-to-day analytics. We cover schema discovery for stable interfaces, structured outputs for evaluation, human-in-the-loop gates for quality, and intentional context hooks for reproducibility. In 10 minutes I will show the shapes that work, the failure modes that recur, and the smallest set of practices that make agents dependable for data science.
Sponsor(s):Bullfrog AITime:10:50AM - 11:00AMSession Type:General Session (Presentation)Technical Insights Session 2: Adding dynamics to structural drug design
Drug-target interactions occur on second-to-minute timescales, but computational methods only reach microseconds. AI is still grappling with static protein structures. This gap hides the transition states that control drug kinetics, forcing trial-and-error optimization. Enhanced sampling methods for atomistic simulations can bridge this timescale gap, achieving 10,000-fold acceleration while maintaining physical accuracy. Applied to multiple drug discovery programs, we reveal previously invisible transition states that enabled rational optimization of drug residence time and selectivity.
Sponsor(s):Examol CorporationSpeaker(s):
Dennis Nenno
Chief Executive OfficerExamolDennis Nenno is a founder and the Chief Executive Officer of Examol, an operating system for computational drug discovery focused on small molecules. He led project teams at BASF, developing software solutions to automate chemical plants worldwide. As a research fellow, he simulated the properties of advanced and unrealized materials at Harvard University and the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids. He holds a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics. Dennis is an advisor on quantum technologies for venture capital.
Time:11:05AM - 11:15AMSession Type:General Session (Presentation)Morning SessionsAI-Driven Insights: Unlocking New Therapeutic Concepts and Decoding Complex Disease Biology
Discuss how AI is used to identify pathological features, discover drug targets, and decode complex disease biology at a systems level.
Speaker(s):
Ari Allyn-Feuer
Director, AI Intelligence ProductGSK
Arvind Rao
Associate Professor, Computational Medicine & BioinformaticsUniversity of MichiganTime:11:45 AM - 12:15 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 1Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Integrating GenAI for Small Molecule Generation and Optimization
Learn how GenAI is transforming early drug discovery by designing novel, drug-like small molecules with improved potency, selectivity, and ADME properties.
Explore how GenAI integrates with synthesis planning and automation tools to prioritize viable candidates and accelerate iterative drug development.Sponsor(s):QC WareSpeaker(s):Moderator
Jason Shields
Associate Principal ScientistAstraZeneca
Christopher D. Taylor
Director of Applied SciencesPromethium (QC Ware Corp.)Christopher D. Taylor is Director of Applied Sciences at Promethium (QC Ware Corp.), bringing over 25 years of expertise in density functional theory (DFT). He works with drug discovery teams to bridge AI and quantum chemistry, guiding the deployment of DFT-based rational drug design and descriptor-driven frameworks for drug discovery. Throughout his career, Christopher has used DFT to solve problems once considered unsolvable, and he now highlights how high-quality quantum mechanical data, when used to train AI models, delivers significant gains in accuracy and insight. By translating complex scientific challenges into scalable workflows, he helps accelerate both small molecule and macromolecule design with quantum-level precision.
Philip Tagari
Chief Scientific OfficerInsitro
Yue-Wang Webster
Vice President, Model Driven Drug Discovery PlatformsEli LillyTime:11:45 AM - 12:15 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 2Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Improving Data Quality and Tackling Model Bias with Robust, Well-Curated Data
Explore practical strategies for building high-quality, diverse datasets that reduce bias and improve model performance across drug discovery pipelines.
Speaker(s):
Nevin Gerek Ince
Director, Data & Solutions EngineeringNovo NordiskTime:11:45 AM - 12:15 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 3Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Innovation Trends in AI Enabled Clinical Trials
Learn how predictive simulations, generative AI and differentiating clinical biomarkers are forecasted to cut prototyping timelines by weeks and reduce per‑trial costs.
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Speaker(s):
Gregory Goldmacher
Assistant Vice President, Clinical Research, Head, ImagingMerck
Hitesh Seth
Chief Architect, Financial Services and InsuranceSalesforceAt Salesforce, Hitesh is responsible for the end-to-end architecture of platforms delivered to financial services and insurance clients globally. His focus is on working with key strategic customers to align Salesforce implementations with their business goals, particularly around the conjunction of Data+AI and CRM. This involves collaborating with retail and commercial banking, payments, wealth management, investment banking, insurance, and capital markets to influence product roadmaps and shape the future of technology in these industries. A significant part of Hitesh's role includes facilitating discussions with CTOs, CIOs, CDOs, and Chief Architects to: • Analyze current architectures and design target states. • Optimize Salesforce technologies for customer needs. • Integrate and Interoperate with Salesforce platforms within broader ecosystems. Being the executive sponsors for the customers, I play a key role in influencing product development within Salesforce by advocating for customer-driven innovations.
Hitesh oversees end-to-end platform and solution architecture for global financial services and insurance clients. He specializes in aligning Salesforce solutions with strategic business objectives, particularly at the intersection of Data+AI and CRM. By collaborating with retail and commercial banking, payments, wealth management, investment banking, insurance, and capital markets, Hitesh helps influence product roadmaps and shape the future of technology in these industries.
A key part of his role involves engaging CTOs, CIOs, CDOs, and Chief Architects to analyze current architectures, design target states, and optimize Salesforce within broader ecosystems. As an executive sponsor, Hitesh champions customer-driven innovation, ensuring product development meets evolving industry needs.
Sandeep Menon
Chief Development OfficerAlnylamTime:11:45 AM - 12:15 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 4Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Unlocking Process Intelligence with Real-Time Monitoring and Control
Explore how ML-enabled real-time control systems and continuous process verification improve yield predictability, reduce rework, and enable faster release - offering a direct line of sight to cost savings and product quality gains
Speaker(s):
Veera Padmanabhan
Head, Manufacturing Science & TechnologyAstraZenecaVeera is currently managing a team of 40+ scientists, establishing robotics, lab automation predictive analytics and advanced chemometrics in next generation biologics manufacturing at AstraZeneca. He has 25+ years of experience, with expertise crossing R&D, manufacturing operations and supply chain.
Time:11:45 AM - 12:15 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 5Session Type:General Session (Presentation)What if Drug Discovery Didn’t Have to Fail so Often? Moving Towards Breakthroughs that Come Sooner, Smarter, and with Fewer Dead Ends
Today, we present JarvisAI, a novel AI-powered discovery engine that integrates generative chemistry, multi-omics insights, and predictive analytics into one unified platform.Acting as an agentic experiment designer, JarvisAI combines hundreds of tools and datasets, rapidly generating, prioritizing, and optimizing workflows from target ID to IND. With adaptive learning and scientist-in-the-loop control, it helps R&D organizations accelerating discovery timelines from years to weeks while facilitating the discovery of novel therapeutic candidates across modalities.JarvisAI represents an inflection point in how AI can drive value in R&D programs.Join us to learn more about how it is changing drug discovery research for the better.
Sponsor(s):Helix AISpeaker(s):
Marcos Camara Donoso
Director, AI SolutionsHelixAITime:12:15 PM - 12:45 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 1Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Navigating the Frontier of Advanced Computing
Advanced computing is a strategic imperative for pharmaceutical innovation. The industry is at a point where traditional computational methods are no longer sufficient to solve the increasingly complex problems in R&D and operations. Embracing technologies like quantum computing and HPC is critical for maintaining a competitive edge and driving breakthroughs.
A hybrid approach is essential for a complete solution. No single technology is the silver bullet. The most effective solutions come from using the right tools—be it classical, quantum, or quantum-inspired—and combining them into a single, powerful workflow to maximize efficiency and impact. This approach allows companies to apply the best technology to a wide range of problems across the business, not just in drug discovery.
Strategic partnerships are key to capability building. For a large enterprise like J&J, the path to adopting these advanced technologies is best navigated through collaboration. Working with a specialist like Strangeworks bridges the knowledge gap, provides access to powerful platforms, and helps overcome organizational hurdles. The ultimate goal of this collaborations like these is to be able to empower J&J's internal teams to become self-sufficient pioneers of innovation.
Sponsor(s):StrangeworksSpeaker(s):
Steve Gibson
Chief Commercial OfficerStrangeworksSteve has held a range of C-Suite positions in technology companies ranging from financial technology services, to data science consulting. Currently he serves as Chief Commercial Officer at Strangeworks; an advanced compute platform as a service (PaaS) company based in Austin, Texas. Prior to Strangeworks, Steve helped build several startups from the ground up, the most successful being Honest Dollar which was the first startup acquired by Goldman Sachs in their 147 year history. Prior to Honest Dollar, Steve worked for a number of large multinational corporations in the European aerospace sector delivering platforms for military, civil and space applications. Steve holds a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Systems Engineering from the University of Coventry in the UK.
Selene Sass
Technology Product ManagerJohnson and JohnsonSelene is a technology product manager at Johnson & Johnson with nearly five years supporting the Advanced Computing and Analytics team. Her primary focus is to empower R&D scientists with emerging and innovative technologies in the advanced computing space, including the integration of quantum computing within J&J. Currently, she supports groups working in AI/ML and is exploring how quantum computing techniques can further enhance these capabilities.
Time:12:15 PM - 12:45 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 2Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Infra Session
Sponsor(s):BluenoteTime:12:15 PM - 12:45 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 3Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Transforming Clinical Trials: How AI is Accelerating the Journey from Molecule to Medicine
Sponsor(s):FacultySpeaker(s):
Andrew Brooked
Chief Technical Officer & Co-FounderFacultyAndrew leads Faculty’s technical teams and developed the backbone of Faculty’s AI operating system, Frontier. His accomplishments span building the NHS Covid Early Warning System and mission critical projects for the UK Ministry of Defence. Before Faculty, Andrew led an engineering team at investment management firm BlackRock. He holds a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Warwick.
Time:12:15 PM - 12:45 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 4Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Breaking the boundaries: unlocking the full potential of digital process development
Data powers the engine of artificial intelligence (AI), but not all data is created equal. While software capabilities are rapidly accelerating, the biopharma industry still largely lacks the intelligent hardware needed to generate clean, contextualized, and high-quality data that AI and machine learning (ML) models require to deliver on their promise.
Explore how today’s in silico process development tools for bioreactor scaling and mechanistic modeling of chromatography can help you get it right the first time now, and why the next generation of intelligent hardware will be critical to unlocking the full potential of AI/ML in biopharma.
Sponsor(s):CytivaSpeaker(s):
Tobias Hahn, PhD
R&D Director, GoSilicoCytivaTobias Hahn is R&D Director of chromatography mechanistic modeling activities at Cytiva. As former co-founder and CEO of GoSilico, now part of Cytiva, Tobias is responsible for delivering simulation software and workflows for in silico process development. He received his undergraduate education in computational mathematics and technical physics in Karlsruhe and Stockholm, earning his PhD in chemical engineering from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). During his doctoral studies, he utilized his background in mathematics and software engineering to create the simulation software now known as GoSilico™ chromatography modeling software.
Cilon Li
Sr. Director of Engineering, Digital Products DevelopmentCytivaCilon Li is a digital and IT executive with over 15 years of experience in healthcare and biopharma. He is a strategic leader with a proven track record in driving digital transformation across supply chain management, product management, and R&D. At Cytiva, Cilon drives the company’s digital strategy and expanding product portfolio, encompassing Internet of Things (IoT), data analytics, AI/ML, software as a service (SaaS) and enterprise applications to help customers progress their digital biomanufacturing journeys.
Time:12:15 PM - 12:45 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 5Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Afternoon SessionsAI and Multiomics Integration for Enhanced Target Identification and Validation
Learn how AI-driven approaches integrate multiomics data, including genomics, proteomics, and transcriptomics, to identify potential drug targets and disease biomarkers for complex diseases.
Explore how AI models synthesize cross-omic data and real-time multiomic information to uncover novel biological mechanisms, identify potential biomarkers and enable precision medicine.Speaker(s):Moderator
Eva Fast
Senior Principal Computational BiologistPfizer
Kiran Nistala
Head, Functional GenomicsAlkermes
Harris Bell-Temin
Director, ProteomicsJohnson & Johnson Innovative MedicineTime:12:45 PM - 1:15 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 1Session Type:General Session (Presentation)AI-Driven Protein Structure Prediction: Machine Learning Approaches for Protein Folding and Interaction Modelling
Explore h ow AI models predict protein 3D structures from sequences, enabling insights into folding pathways and functional conformations
Examine emerging co-folding models that reveal protein–protein interactions and guide multimeric complex design.Speaker(s):
Miles Congreve
Chief Scientific OfficerIsomorphic LabsTime:12:45 PM - 1:15 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 2Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Building an Integrated AI Platform for Accelerating Drug Discovery
Speaker(s):
Max Liu
Senior Software Engineer - Early ScienceAstraZenecaTime:12:45 PM - 1:15 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 3Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Adoption of AI in Clinical Trials Across the Pharmaceutical Industry
Explore practical strategies for scaling AI implementation across clinical development pipelines, enabling faster trial execution, smarter protocol design, and improved patient recruitment while aligning with evolving regulatory expectations.
Speaker(s):
Maria Florez
Senior ConsultantTuftsTime:12:45 PM - 1:15 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 4Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Building and Managing Compliant Models for Life Sciences
Examine how AI models are being developed, validated, and governed to meet regulatory expectations, with practical insights into documentation, auditability, and lifecycle management to ensure safe, transparent, and compliant deployment in GxP environments.
Speaker(s):
Benjamin Stevens
Director, CMC PolicyGSKTime:12:45 PM - 1:15 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 5Session Type:General Session (Presentation)LunchAfternoon SessionsAI-Enhanced Biomarker Discovery: Integrating Lab and Digital Insights for Precision Medicine
Explore how AI enhances biomarker discovery by analyzing large datasets to uncover novel biomarkers for disease diagnosis and therapeutic efficacy.
Learn how integrating digital biomarkers with AI improves the interpretation of data from wearable devices and traditional lab-based biomarkers for better patient stratification and treatment personalization.Sponsor(s):MatterworksSpeaker(s):
Satarupa Mukherjee
R&D Leader, AI/ML (Digital Pathology)Roche
Jack Geremia
CEOMatterworks
Virginia Savova
Senior Director, Head Cell-Targeted Precision MedicineAstraZenecaTime:2:30 PM - 3:00 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 1Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Harnessing AI for Hit Identification in the Ultra-Large Chemical Space
Discover how ML and active learning techniques are revolutionizing the search for promising drug candidates in vast chemical libraries, accelerating hit identification.
Learn how AI models navigate ultra-large chemical spaces, prioritize bioactive compounds, and streamline the discovery of potential hits for further development.Speaker(s):
Justin Scheer
Vice President, In Silico DiscoveryJohnson & Johnson Innovative MedicineTime:2:30 PM - 3:00 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 2Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Edge AI in Biotech: Deploying Intelligence in Manufacturing and Smart Labs
Discover how edge computing enables real-time data processing, monitoring, and decision-making at the point of operation in biotech labs and manufacturing environments.
Speaker(s):Time:2:30 PM - 3:00 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 3Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Advancing decision science in clinical trials and design
- Integrating AI and decision science to design faster, smarter, lower-risk trials
- Using adaptive methods to boost efficiency and responsiveness in trial design
- Turning complex data into insights that accelerate timelines and improve outcomes
Sponsor(s):FacultySpeaker(s):
Tom Oliver
Head of ProductFaculty AITom Oliver is Head of Product at Faculty, where he leads the strategy and roadmap for Faculty Frontier™, the company’s decision-intelligence platform that helps enterprises operationalize AI in day-to-day decisions. Tom partners with executives and cross functional teams, including product managers, engineers, data scientists, and designers, to discover, build, and scale products that solve real problems for technical and business users. He collaborates closely with Faculty’s leadership and with key stakeholders and clients across pharma, retail, consumer goods, and healthcare, turning complex challenges into measurable outcomes. Before joining Faculty, Tom held leadership positions at PwC, focusing on technology enabled transformation, operating model change, and enterprise technology selection and deployment. His public writing explores the future of work, AI ethics, and human centric design, asking how powerful systems can advance human flourishing, not only efficiency. He holds a degree from the University of Oxford.
Tarun Walia
Senior Director, Decision ScienceNovo Nordisk
Stephanie Vakaljan
Director of Trial Analytics and Decision SupportGSKTime:2:30 PM - 3:00 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 4Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Operationalizing Digital Twins and Model-Driven Optimization
Highlight how digital twins and hybrid ML models (e.g., Bayesian, predictive) enable virtual experimentation and proactive troubleshooting, reducing scale-up failures and supporting more reliable process performance at commercial scale.
Speaker(s):
Shruti Vij
Associate Director, Data Analytics & ModelingTakedaTime:2:30 PM - 3:00 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 5Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Scalable Clinical Inference and Predictive Modeling for Precision Medicine Using Multi-Modal Real-World Data
- Learn how real-world data is transformed into structured, usable intelligence through PRISM (Patient Record Inference & Structuring Module), an AI-enabled engine that converts fragmented, multi-modal patient data into inference-ready patient journeys supporting scalable clinical insights and model validation.
- Explore how Zephyr’s AI-enabled multi-modal models (AIM Suite) predict drug response and reconstruct gene expression from clinically available inputs, such as NGS data from commercial LDTs and whole-slide images, enabling retrospective and prospective evaluation of treatment predictions across oncologic therapeutic classes.
- Discover how Zephyr’s AI-driven software accelerates co-development and clinical integration, enabling fine-tuned foundation models to embed directly into R&D workflows while supporting rapid clinical intelligence queries, cohorting, and data-driven decision-making.
Sponsor(s):Zephyr AISpeaker(s):
Anshu Jain, MD
Chief Business and Clinical OfficerZephyr AIDr. Anshu Jain is Zephyr AI’s Chief Business and Clinical Officer. A double board-certified radiation oncologist and clinical informatician, he leads business development, clinical strategy, medical affairs, and partner collaborations—translating Zephyr’s AI and large-scale real-world data into solutions that help biopharma and diagnostic partners advance precision medicine for patients. Prior to Zephyr, Dr. Jain served as Chief Medical Officer at Aster Insights.
Dr. Jain has authored peer-reviewed publications in Nature Communications, Journal of Clinical Oncology (JCO), and JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics, and has served as a principal investigator for early- and late-phase oncology trials. He has advised the FDA Office of the Commissioner and the Oncology Center of Excellence, and provided clinical leadership to large-scale data initiatives including the NCI SEER program.
He serves on the Board of Directors of the Community Oncology Alliance, the Board of Advisors for the Duke Cancer Institute, and is an Assistant Professor at the Yale School of Medicine.
Dr. Jain trained in internal medicine and radiation oncology at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Columbia New York Presbyterian Hospital. He earned his M.D. with Highest Distinction from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and a degree in Economics from Duke University.
Time:3:00 PM - 3:30 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 1Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Coupling AI with Physics-Based Methods for Accurate and Efficient Drug Discovery
- Learn how AI models enhance physics-based simulations to predict molecular interactions and optimize drug design.
- Discover the synergy between machine learning and classical methods to accelerate screening and improve the accuracy of drug discovery.
Speaker(s):
Sreyoshi Sur
Former Scientist, Molecular Engineering & ModelingModernaTime:3:00 PM - 3:30 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 2Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Turning Scientific Data into Predictive Power
The promise of AI in science depends not only on powerful models, but on the ability to connect fragmented systems and harmonize diverse data sources. Today’s laboratories face significant challenges: siloed infrastructures, inconsistent data formats, and AI tools that cannot easily work together. This presentation examines how interoperability—across data, platforms, and AI agents—is the key to unlocking scale. We will explore strategies such as adopting open standards, building modular architectures, and enabling AI-to-AI collaboration to ensure data and tools flow seamlessly across disciplines. By creating FAIR, AI-ready data environments and fostering connected ecosystems, we can transform scientific workflows into integrated, predictive, and collaborative systems. The result: smarter labs, faster science, and breakthroughs that accelerate discovery.
Sponsor(s):ZONTALSpeaker(s):
Wolfgang Colsman
Founder & CEOZONTALWith nearly 30 years of visionary leadership, Wolfgang Colsman serves as the Chief Executive Officer of ZONTAL, a pioneering enterprise platform transforming the way organizations manage and preserve their digital information. Under his leadership, ZONTAL has become a catalyst for change across industries, redefining how data is captured, connected, and safeguarded for long-term value.
Before founding ZONTAL, Wolfgang spent over two decades at OSTHUS as Chief Innovation Officer and Chief Technology Officer, where he guided large-scale digital transformation initiatives. His ability to bridge cutting-edge technology with real-world business needs helped establish OSTHUS as a trusted, vendor-agnostic partner driving innovation for global enterprises.
Beyond his corporate achievements, Wolfgang has left a lasting mark on the life sciences and technology ecosystems through his leadership at the Allotrope Foundation and the Pistoia Alliance Methods Hub project. By championing data standards, interoperability, and collaborative infrastructures, he has empowered industries to break down silos, accelerate discovery, and unlock new opportunities for digital transformation. These efforts continue to shape how organizations think about data as a strategic asset rather than a byproduct.
Recognized for his ability to anticipate technological shifts and inspire collaborative progress, Wolfgang has become a respected voice in the digital landscape—bringing together vision, strategy, and execution to create sustainable impact.
Time:3:00 PM - 3:30 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 3Session Type:General Session (Presentation)How Regulatory Work Flows: Accelerating Clinical Documentation with the Weave Platform
Sponsor(s):Weave BioTime:3:00 PM - 3:30 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 4Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Process Development Session
Time:3:00 PM - 3:30 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 5Session Type:General Session (Presentation)AI-Driven Antibody Discovery and Optimization: Unlocking New Therapeutics
Explore how AI accelerates antibody discovery by enabling de novo design, epitope prediction, and in silico affinity maturation for highly specific, developable therapeutics.
Learn how deep learning and structure-based models optimize antibody stability, immunogenicity and target binding to advance precision biologics.Sponsor(s):Cradle Bio B.V.Speaker(s):
Eli Bixby
CoFounder & Head of MLCradle Bio B.V.Eli makes sure Cradle's models and algorithms are doing what we think they are doing, and he keeps an eye out for the latest and greatest techniques in the literature. He was previously at Google (Brain, Accelerated Science, Cloud) working on biological sequence design, AutoML, and natural language understanding. He studied mathematics, computer science, and biochemistry
Claudette Fuller
Vice President, Non Clinical Safety & ToxicologyGenmab
Gevorg Grigoryan
Co-Founder & CTOGenerate BiomedicinesTime:3:30 PM - 4:00 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 1Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Innovative Biologic Design: AI Tools for Optimizing ADCs, CAR-T, and Next-Gen Therapeutics
Explore how AI accelerates the design of complex biologics, including ADCs and engineered cell therapies.
Learn how predictive models improve developability by forecasting linker stability, payload efficacy, and manufacturability.Speaker(s):
Monica Wang
Head, Biologics & Novel Modality Discovery Capabilities & Products, Scientific InformaticsTakedaTime:3:30 PM - 4:00 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 2Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Infra Session
Time:3:30 PM - 4:00 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 3Session Type:General Session (Presentation)How Quantum Innovation is Set to Unlock The Future of Drug Development
Uncover how quantum technologies could reshape clinical trial design and optimization, from accelerating molecule-to-protocol timelines to improving patient stratification and adaptive trial modelling.
Speaker(s):
Michael Dandrea
Principal Data ScientistGenentech
Zoran Krunic
Principal Product ManagerAmgenSince joining Amgen R&D in 2018, Zoran Krunic has been at the forefront of applying Machine Learning to enhance patient outcomes and streamline clinical trial enrollment processes, utilizing comprehensive Electronic Health Records and clinical datasets. His pioneering work in the Quantum Machine Learning space, in collaboration with IBM's Quantum team, has been instrumental in integrating machine learning with quantum computing through IBM’s Qiskit platform.
Prior to his tenure at Amgen, Zoran developed Machine Learning algorithms at Optum to predict hardware and software failures within complex enterprise architectures. He has a strong background in data engineering and systems development, having contributed significantly to large-scale projects at renowned organizations such as Capital Group and ARCO Petroleum.
In his current full and part-time endeavors, Zoran is leading the efforts in embracing generative AI technologies, with a particular focus on OpenAI's GPT and Anthropic's Claude-2 models. His work is focused on prompt engineering and its application to code generation, advanced document analysis, and process management, with a commitment to ethical AI practices and data privacy.
A recognized voice in quantum computing circles, Zoran is a regular presenter at industry conferences and has served on numerous panels discussing the integration of quantum computing and generative AI within the Health Sciences sector.
With a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Zoran continues to explore and contribute to the evolving relationship between quantum computing and artificial intelligence, fostering groundbreaking advancements in healthcare technology.
Time:3:30 PM - 4:00 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 4Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Accelerating R&D to Manufacturing Handover
Equip teams with AI tools that capture process knowledge and simulate scale-up scenarios, reducing tech transfer timelines and improving first-batch success rates - critical for aligning R&D, MSAT, and manufacturing expectations early
Speaker(s):
Irfan Ali Mohammed
Director, CMCAlexion PharmaceuticalsTime:3:30 PM - 4:00 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 5Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Afternoon Break -
Thursday, 20 Nov, 2025Innovation Forum
Inverse Pitching
Speaker(s):
Uli Stilz
Corporate Vice President, R&ED External Innovation Partners, External & Exploratory InnovationNovo Nordisk
Ester Caffarel-Salvador
Director, Strategic InnovationChiesi USA
Michaela Tolman
Commercial Development Lead for Inflammation & ImmunologyPfizerTime:8:30 AM - 9:00 AMSession Type:General Session (Presentation)Innovation Incubator
This session provides the unique opportunity to listen to, and engage with, some of the most innovative AI Drug Discovery and Development start-ups globally. Focusing exclusively on early-stage funding, six startups picked by our esteemed selection committee will take to the stage in front of 100+ potential partners. Through a series of rapid-fire presentations, these pioneers will demonstrate their vision of the future of drug discovery, and how their product, technology, or service fits into it.
Speaker(s):Judges
Parthiban Rajasekaran
Innovation LeadSanofiUli Stilz
Corporate Vice President, R&ED External Innovation Partners, External & Exploratory InnovationNovo Nordisk
John Mayfield
SVP BD & StrategyFlagship PioneeringMichaela Tolman
Commercial Development Lead for Inflammation & ImmunologyPfizerTime:9:00 AM - 9:45 AMSession Type:General Session (Presentation)Morning BreakMorning SessionsAI and Lab in the Loop for Unprecedented Scale in the Generation of Fit-for-Purpose Data Generation for Drug Development
Discuss how Lab in the Loop is revolutionizing drug discovery by integrating AI with experimental workflows, enhancing speed and accuracy in data collection and analysis.
Sponsor(s):Anima BiotechSpeaker(s):
Yochi Slonim
Co-Founder and CEOAnima BiotechA serial entrepreneur in software and biotech, Yochi Slonim has built multiple companies as a founder and CEO through all phases of growth all the way to IPOs and large M&A exits. As a Co-founder and CEO of Anima Biotech, he is driving the company’s strategy and business development at the intersection of mRNA biology and AI.
Prior to Anima, Yochi was a co-founder of Mercury Interactive. As CTO and VP R&D from the company's early days, he created product vision and strategy and led a multi-product organization of 200 developers. After going public and reaching revenues of over $1B annually, Mercury was acquired by HP for $4.5B.
As Senior VP of products and marketing for Tecnomatix, a public NASDAQ company, he led a 500 people organization of 4 divisions that generated revenues of $100m until the company was acquired by UGS for $230m.
In 2000, Yochi was founder and CEO of Identify. The company reached revenues of $50m in less than 5 years and was acquired by BMC in 2006 for $150m in cash.
Yochi founded ffwd.me, a unique startup acceleration program where he led a team that worked with over 25 startups in diverse areas and technologies, developing strategy, products and go to market operations while raising multiple rounds of financing from VCs and private investors.
As one of Israel's leading speakers on the subject of startup positioning and company building, several of Yochi's approachable and amusing lectures can be found on Yochi Slonim's Youtube.
Shane Lewin
Vice President, AI & MLGSKTime:11:45 AM - 12:15 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 1Session Type:General Session (Presentation)AI-Guided High-Throughput Screening with DEL and DNA-Encoded Technologies
Explore how AI-driven approaches enhance high-throughput screening by optimizing DNA-encoded libraries (DEL) for rapid identification of potential drug candidates.
Learn how AI algorithms accelerate the analysis of complex screening data, enabling more efficient lead discovery and targeting of molecular interactions.Speaker(s):
Hans Bitter
Head, Computational SciencesTakedaTime:11:45 AM - 12:15 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 2Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Laying the Tracks for AI in Pharma: Building Digital Foundations and Driving Change Readiness
Speaker(s):
Alexander Horspool
Associate Director, Innovation, Biotherapeutics DiscoveryBoehringer IngelheimTime:11:45 AM - 12:15 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 3Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Integrating Gen AI & LLMs into Early-Stage Clinical Trials
Gain actionable strategies for embedding generative AI and large language models into early-phase trial design and execution, from protocol drafting and site selection to patient engagement, accelerating timelines while ensuring data quality and compliance
Speaker(s):
Yi Hong
Associate DirectorGileadTime:11:45 AM - 12:15 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 4Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Embedding AI in Process Development
Hear cross-functional perspectives on successfully implementing AI across process development teams, from aligning with quality, IT, and manufacturing to overcoming cultural and technical barriers, with a focus on driving operational efficiency and long-term value
Sponsor(s):Axio BioPharmaSpeaker(s):
Justin Byers
Founder and Chief Executive OfficerAxio BioPharmaJustin Byers is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Axio BioPharma, an AI biomanufacturing company revolutionizing how monoclonal antibodies are developed and produced. Based in Madison, Wisconsin, Axio launched in 2024 with a mission to accelerate and de-risk the development of recombinant proteins and monoclonal antibodies through AI-driven process design and U.S.-based manufacturing.
Under Justin’s leadership, Axio has pioneered a data-rich, machine learning–powered approach that reduces process development timelines from years to days unlocking faster, more cost-efficient pathways for biotech partners. He has steered the company’s rapid growth, from establishing its state-of-the-art facilities to securing strategic partnerships, including collaborations to advance next-generation drug delivery technologies.
With a background at the intersection of biomanufacturing, technology, and entrepreneurship, Justin brings a vision of scaling biologics development with speed, reliability, and accessibility. He is committed to building Axio into a trusted partner for innovators worldwide, combining scientific rigor with cutting-edge AI to bring life-changing therapies to patients faster.Shruti Vij
Associate Director, Data Analytics & ModelingTakedaTime:11:45 AM - 12:15 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 5Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Afternoon SessionsWhen Biology Starts to Compute Itself
At AIDDD 25, Dirk Van Hyfte and Holly Soutter will share insights on reprogramming the entire drug discovery process, presenting the HYFT® breakthrough that enables biology to "compute itself"—making complex biological connections explainable, accessible, and actionable for the first time. This session will explore:
- Reprogramming Discovery: How AI-native platforms are reshaping how scientists interact with biological data and design new therapies.
- The HYFT® Breakthrough: Unveiling a novel computational approach that decodes universal biosphere patterns, unlocking unprecedented discovery potential.
- The Frontier of Explainable AI in Biology: Transcending black-box models to deliver clarity, transparency, and trust in AI-powered biological research.
Sponsor(s):MindWalkSpeaker(s):
Dirk Van Hyfte MD, PhD
Chief Technology Officer,MindWalkDirk Van Hyfte stands at the forefront of innovation where artificial intelligence and biology intersect. As Chief Technology Officer of MindWalk, a Bio-Native AI company, Dirk leads transformative research powered by patented HYFT® technology and the LensAI™ platform—cutting-edge tools that unify biological data for accelerated drug discovery and development.
With a degree in Medicine and specialization as a Psychiatrist from the prestigious University of Leuven in Belgium and a PhD in medical artificial intelligence from Nijmegen University, Dirk combines deep clinical knowledge with pioneering expertise in computational science. Dirk’s expertise extends beyond the realms of technology and business. His entrepreneurial vision is reflected in the creation of iKnow, a natural language processing platform acquired by InterSystems, a global data technology leader, in 2010.
Dirk’s leadership has positioned MindWalk as a driving force in explainable and scalable biological AI, moving the field toward an era where biology itself computes, learns, and reveals new therapeutic frontiers.
At AIDDD 25, Dirk Van Hyfte and Holly Soutter will share insights on reprogramming the entire drug discovery process, presenting the HYFT® breakthrough that enables biology to "compute itself"—making complex biological connections explainable, accessible, and actionable for the first time. This session will explore:
- Reprogramming Discovery: How AI-native platforms are reshaping how scientists interact with biological data and design new therapies.
- The HYFT® Breakthrough: Unveiling a novel computational approach that decodes universal biosphere patterns, unlocking unprecedented discovery potential.
- The Frontier of Explainable AI in Biology: Transcending black-box models to deliver clarity, transparency, and trust in AI-powered biological research.
Holly Soutter
Director, Lead Discovery and ProfilingBroad Institute of MIT and HarvardFormer Director, Lead Discovery and Profiling, Center for the Development of Therapeutics, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
Dr. Holly Soutter is a visionary leader and driving force in the convergence of biotech, pharma, and artificial intelligence, leveraging over two decades of drug discovery expertise. Holly's innovation lies in her ability to strategically unify structural biology, biochemistry, and biophysics with cutting-edge high-throughput screening to generate the high-quality data essential for fueling next-generation machine learning models.
She possesses a clear-eyed vision: that the future of drug discovery is AI-powered, but that success hinges on a "biology-first," hypothesis-driven approach to ML integration. This deep commitment ensures that the technology serves the science, accelerating the path to novel therapies.
While at the Broad Institute, Holly built a legacy of collaboration, working directly with machine learning experts to seamlessly integrate AI tools into hit finding workflows. These pioneering, integrated systems have democratized small molecule discovery, making it accessible to academic researchers worldwide. As the founding co-chair of the Machine Learning in Drug Discovery Symposium, she acts as a crucial nexus, fostering vital connections between experimentalists and ML scientists and attracting luminaries who are defining the next era of medicine.
At AIDDD 25, Dirk Van Hyfte and Holly Soutter will share insights on reprogramming the entire drug discovery process, presenting the HYFT® breakthrough that enables biology to "compute itself"—making complex biological connections explainable, accessible, and actionable for the first time. This session will explore:
- Reprogramming Discovery: How AI-native platforms are reshaping how scientists interact with biological data and design new therapies.
- The HYFT® Breakthrough: Unveiling a novel computational approach that decodes universal biosphere patterns, unlocking unprecedented discovery potential.
- The Frontier of Explainable AI in Biology: Transcending black-box models to deliver clarity, transparency, and trust in AI-powered biological research.
Time:12:15 PM - 12:45 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 1Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Chemistry Session
Sponsor(s):SPOC ProteomicsTime:12:15 PM - 12:45 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 2Session Type:General Session (Presentation)From Connected Lab to Smart Factory: Architecting a Hybrid AI Platform for Pharma
The promise of AI in pharma is hindered by fragmented R&D data silos and the infrastructure gap between cloud-native research and on-premise manufacturing. This session presents an architectural blueprint for a unified, hybrid data platform designed to bridge these divides, creating a seamless R&D-to-manufacturing continuum.
We will explore how to first connect R&D data into a powerful knowledge graph. Next, we detail how to compute on this unified data by securely deploying NVIDIA's advanced AI models as microservices within a sovereign cloud environment. Finally, we demonstrate how a true hybrid architecture can bridge the cloud-native lab to the factory floor, unifying CMC and manufacturing data for end-to-end optimization.
Sponsor(s):ClouderaSpeaker(s):
Rameez Chatni
Global Director, AI Solutions, Pharmaceutical & Life SciencesClouderaTime:12:15 PM - 12:45 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 3Session Type:General Session (Presentation)AI and Untapped Operational Data: How Insights from IRB Drive Optimized Trials Across the Full Lifecycle
AI is redefining how clinical trials are designed and executed. A major obstacle to complete transformation is tapping into the data that offers novel, well-governed insights. Drawing on the industry’s largest trial operations dataset: schedules of assessment, amendment drivers, trial benchmarks, and site performance trends, Advarra offers a unique, ethically grounded data foundation. Building on this vantage point, the session will share a vision for how AI can transform the drug development lifecycle from end to end, along with real-world applications already shaping the future of trials.
Sponsor(s):AdvarraSpeaker(s):
Mike Eckrote
Senior Vice President of Strategic Solutions & TechnologyAdvarraMike Eckrote is Senior Vice President of Strategic Solutions & Technology at Advarra, where he leads efforts to advance innovative approaches to clinical research and development. He brings more than a decade of experience in real-world data, technology solutions, and clinical trial optimization, with leadership roles spanning HealthVerity, Medable, and Medidata Solutions. Throughout his career, Mike has specialized in applying AI/ML, real-world evidence, and data-driven strategies to improve trial design, site selection, and patient outcomes.
Time:12:15 PM - 12:45 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 4Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Process Development Session
Time:12:15 PM - 12:45 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 5Session Type:General Session (Presentation)AI-Powered Microbiome Intelligence for Drug Response Prediction
- Unlock the 99.9% Unknown: Our proprietary AI decodes unmapped microbial DNA that traditional methods miss, discovering novel biomarkers beyond the reach of reference-based approaches
- Improve Drug Response Rates: Stratify patients to double efficacy while reducing side effects for non-responders
- Ready-to-License Assets: Validated biomarkers already developed for major biologics
- Over 100,000 novel biomarkers already discovered: demonstrated efficacy prediction in large-scale animal study as well as human Crohn’s and Colitis trial.
Sponsor(s):Alphabiome AISpeaker(s):
Dr. Yaniv Altshuler
CEO & FounderAlphabiomeDr. Altshuler is an MIT researcher and an experienced entrepreneur, renowned for his expertise in designing and implementing scalable AI systems. Dr. Altshuler is the author of three books on the theory of Artificial Intelligence, as well as over 80 scientific papers, and 18 patents in this field. His novel work has gained global recognition, including the prestigious title of Technological Pioneer awarded by the World Economic Forum.
Time:12:45 PM - 1:15 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 1Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Creativity at Our Fingertips: Real-time, Exhaustive Enumeration of Hyper-scalable Chemical Space with AI
Key Takeaways:
- We have developed technology that efficiently applies predictive ML models to combinatorial synthesis libraries (CSLs) at a rate of ~500 B compounds per second, per GPU, allowing us to exhaustively evaluate otherwise enumerable chemical space to identify diverse compounds that best fit multi-parameter optimization criteria.
- In practice, this gives chemists the opportunity to flexibly and iteratively explore enormous chemical space while receiving results, in the form of enumerated chemical structures, within seconds of their inquiry, fostering a genuine creative process that leads to higher chemical diversity and developability.
- We use this approach in conjunction with our next-generation extrapolative ML models, which has allowed us to discover high-quality, diverse, structurally-distinct binders for targets of interest; however, this approach can be extended to any advanced predictive model in order to exhaustively evaluate any CSL.
Sponsor(s):AtomwiseSpeaker(s):
Steve Worland
CEOAtomwiseSteve Worland, Ph.D. serves as the CEO of Atomwise and has over 30 years of experience in corporate leadership and pharmaceutical R&D. He was previously President, CEO, and Board Member of eFFECTOR Therapeutics, which he co-founded in 2012. Prior to that, he was CEO of Anadys Pharmaceuticals, where he led the company through its acquisition by Roche in 2011. Before becoming CEO, he served as Chief Scientific Officer and President of Pharmaceuticals at Anadys.
Earlier in his career, he held senior positions at Agouron Pharmaceuticals, Warner-Lambert, and Pfizer, where his scientific research contributed to the discovery and development of Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir), Inlyta (axitinib), zotatifin, tomivosertib, and other clinical-stage candidates. At Agouron, he was Vice President and Director of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, remaining at the company through its acquisitions.
Dr. Worland earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Molecular Biology at Harvard University as an NIH fellow. He earned a B.S. with Highest Honors in Biological Chemistry from the University of Michigan. He serves on the Board of Directors at Blacksmith Medicines and has previously served on the boards of Tracon Pharmaceuticals, Forge Therapeutics, and GenMark Diagnostics.
Time:12:45 PM - 1:15 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 2Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Infra Session
Time:12:45 PM - 1:15 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 3Session Type:General Session (Presentation)AI-Enabled Measurements for Drug Development Insights and Efficiency
Gain actionable strategies for embedding AI and large language models into portfolio decision making, accelerating timelines while ensuring data quality and compliance
Speaker(s):Gregory Goldmacher
Assistant Vice President, Clinical Research, Head, ImagingMerckTime:12:45 PM - 1:15 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 4Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Model Based Optimization of Fed Batch In Vivo Transcription
Developing a mechanistic model of IVT to include nucleation and growth of magnesium pyrophosphate crystals and subsequent agglomeration of crystals and DNA
Speaker(s):
Nathan Stover
PhD Student, Chemical EngineeringMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyTime:12:45 PM - 1:15 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 5Session Type:General Session (Presentation)LunchWomen in AI Lunch
An empowering session featuring inspirational speakers championing women’s leadership across tech, data, and pharma.
Speaker(s):
Petrina Kamya
President & Global Head, AI PlatformsInsilico MedicineMelissa Landon
Head, Commercial & Business Development, AI & AutomationMilliporeSigmaTime:1:15 PM - 2:30 PMSession Type:General Session (Presentation)Afternoon SessionsNormalizing Complex Datasets: Ensuring AI-Ready Data for Biological Research
Explore how knowledge graphs integrate multi-source biological data, such as genetic, proteomic, and clinical information, into unified models that accelerate target discovery and disease understanding, with AI enhancing the extraction of actionable insights.
Learn how data normalization and the latest curation strategies ensure that biological datasets are clean, standardized, and AI-ready, enabling accurate analysis and improved model performance for drug development.Sponsor(s):GenomenonSpeaker(s):
Daniyal Hussain
Executive Director, Technology Business DevelopmentGSK
Mark Kiel
Chief Science OfficerGenomenonTime:2:30 PM - 3:00 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 1Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Lead Optimisation: Enhancing ADME, Target Specificity, Early Off-Target Detection, and Adverse Effect Prediction
Explore how machine learning techniques, such as supervised learning and deep learning, predict critical ADME properties like solubility, permeability, and DDI risk.
Discover how computational methods, including molecular docking and quantum chemistry simulations, optimize high-affinity drug-target interactions for enhanced efficacy.Sponsor(s):CytocastSpeaker(s):
Attila Csikász-Nagy
CEOCytocastAttila is a visionary leader with a strong background in computational and systems biology. As a professor and researcher, he has made significant contributions to the field, with an impressive publication record and expertise in bioinformatics. With experience at renowned institutions like Microsoft Research and King's College London, Attila brings a unique blend of scientific knowledge and business management skills to his role as CEO. In addition to his professional pursuits, Attila enjoys playing basketball competitively with his old high school friends.
David Kombo
Principal ScientistSanofi
Jacob Berlin
CEOTerray TherapeuticsTime:2:30 PM - 3:00 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 2Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Closing the Loop: Accelerating Lab Infrastructure for Real-Time AI in Pharma
Speaker(s):
Yves Fomekong Nanfack
PhD, Executive Director, Head, End to End AI Foundations, Large Molecules ResearchSanofiTime:2:30 PM - 3:00 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 3Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Harnessing Generative AI and RWD for Next-Gen Post-Market Surveillance
Explore how generative AI is being used to analyze real-world data at scale, enabling earlier signal detection, automated safety reporting, and more dynamic risk-benefit monitoring, driving smarter, faster post-market decision-making across the product lifecycle.
Speaker(s):Time:2:30 PM - 3:00 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 4Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Transfer of PAT Methods From The Process Development Space to The GMP Space
Discover practical strategies for scaling Process Analytical Technology (PAT) from R&D into regulated GMP environments , including method validation, data integrity, and cross-functional alignment to ensure continuity, compliance, and control at commercial scale.
Speaker(s):Time:2:30 PM - 3:00 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 5Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Navigating Intellectual Property in AI-Driven Biologics Discovery: Patents, Biosimilars, and Innovation Challenges
Sponsor(s):Fish & RichardsonSpeaker(s):
Christina V. McDonough
PrincipalFish & Richardson P.C.Christina McDonough helps clients with patent prosecution, portfolio management, reexamination, counseling, and due diligence for clients ranging from small start-ups to large companies and academic institutions. She co-leads the firm’s standard essential patent (SEP) practice.
Christina has particular expertise in the areas of artificial intelligence, digital therapeutics, bioinformatics and medical systems (e.g., telehealth, medical registries, readmission reductions, modeling and predictive analysis of biological data, genetic codes, and immunotherapy response), computational fluid dynamics (e.g., simulation of acoustic and fluid flow properties), complex data processing (e.g., big data and complex events), and financial algorithms (e.g., predictive modeling and forecasting of real-time security trades).
Crystal Culhane Ph.D.
PrincipalFish & Richardson P.C.Crystal Culhane, Ph.D., applies her extensive academic background in organic chemistry to help life sciences organization protect their products and innovations through U.S. and foreign patent prosecution, client counseling, due diligence, patentability and freedom to operate opinions, patent opinions, and post-grant proceedings.
Known as a responsive communicator with a strong depth of knowledge, Crystal works with clients ranging from universities to start-ups and growing companies to multinational organizations to prepare intellectual property strategies that suit their business goals.
In recent years, Crystal has worked with a number of pharmaceutical clients in high-impact patent prosecution. Her clients include a large pharmaceutical company for which she has helped develop and manage a portfolio of several hundred patent families and another which in 2021 received its first-ever FDA approval for a new drug that treats a rare liver disease.
Crystal earned her doctorate in chemistry at Johns Hopkins University, where her research focused on the design, synthesis, and evaluation of novel optical and radioactive small molecule prostate cancer imaging agents. She has significant experience in various scientific disciplines, including synthetic organic chemistry, radiochemistry, biology, radiobiology, and small animal imaging.
Time:3:00 PM - 3:30 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 1Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Accelerating Drug Optimization: AI-Driven Insights from R&D and Patent Data
- Learn how AI analyzes patent and R&D data to identify chemical trends, aiding in compound optimization.
- Discover how integrating diverse data sources streamlines the optimization of drug candidates, enhancing decision-making.
Sponsor(s):PatsnapSpeaker(s):
Sam Winters
Account DirectorPatsnapSam is the lead representative for the healthcare and life sciences team at Patsnap. One of the organization’s longest serving employees, Sam works closely with our leading customers and the Patsnap product development team to ensure that our customers’ needs our met and that Patsnap continues to rapidly expand the technical frontier within the evolving drug discovery space.
Time:3:00 PM - 3:30 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 2Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Vultr Customer Case Study: Leveraging the AI Cloud for Drug Discovery
Learn how scalable, cloud-based AI infrastructure accelerates model training, data integration, and collaborative research across global drug discovery teams.
Sponsor(s):VultrSpeaker(s):
Kevin Cochrane
Chief Marketing OfficerVultrKevin is a 25+ year pioneer of the digital experience space. Now at Vultr, Kevin is now working to build Vultr's global brand presence as a leader in the independent Cloud platform market.
Time:3:00 PM - 3:30 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 3Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Clinical Trials Session
Time:3:00 PM - 3:30 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 4Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Process Development Session
Time:3:00 PM - 3:30 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 5Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Decoding Disease with AI: The Cutting Edge of Single-Cell and Spatial Biology for Target Discovery and Precision Medicine
Explore how AI-powered single-cell and spatial biology technologies reveal cellular heterogeneity, tissue organization, and microenvironmental interactions to uncover disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets.
Learn how AI models analyze high-dimensional cellular and spatial data to define pathogenic cell states, map dysregulated pathways, and prioritize targets for early-stage therapeutic discovery.Speaker(s):Time:3:30 PM - 4:00 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 1Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Designing Developable Molecules: AI-Powered Prediction of Synthetic Feasibility and Drug-Like Properties
Explore how AI and large language models are revolutionizing reaction prediction, retrosynthesis planning, and synthetic accessibility scoring.
Learn how to evaluate and optimize AI-generated leads for real-world developability, including solubility, stability, and synthetic tractability.Speaker(s):
Ethan Pickering
Head, Data Science & ML ResearchBayerTime:3:30 PM - 4:00 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 2Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Optimizing AI and Data Systems Through External Partnerships
Speaker(s):
Ilknur Icke
Director, Digital ScienceNovo NordiskTime:3:30 PM - 4:00 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 3Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Demonstrating ROI Through Productivity Metrics and Cost Saving Frameworks
Equip yourself with KPI dashboards and financial models to quantify time‑to‑value, optimize resource allocation, and build a compelling business case for AI investment.
Time:3:30 PM - 4:00 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 4Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Translating AI Investment into Operational ROI
Demonstrate how AI-driven initiatives - like predictive modelling and automated inspection -translate into measurable outcomes (e.g., defect reduction, shorter batch release cycles) that justify capital investment and cross-functional prioritization
Time:3:30 PM - 4:00 PMAgenda Track No.:Track 5Session Type:General Session (Presentation)Afternoon BreakTech Test Lab Presentation
The Tech Test Lab features promising startups at Series A and earlier stages, offering a first look at bold, experimental technologies shaping the future of drug discovery
Time:4:00 PM - 4:30 PMSession Type:General Session (Presentation)Academic Poster Display
Get inspired by the latest research from academic institutions. Explore posters covering cutting-edge investigations and methodologies at the intersection of AI and life sciences.
Time:4:00 PM - 4:30 PMSession Type:General Session (Presentation)Closing Keynote
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