This webinar focused on the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in drug development, particularly within the realms of precision medicine. Hosted by Charlotte Guzzo, COO of Sano, the session featured insights from top industry experts who discussed their personal journeys at the intersection of technology and healthcare, the challenges of integrating AI into drug development, and the cutting-edge innovations their companies are pioneering.
The link to the full webinar is here; a brief summary is below for easy reference.
Charlotte Guzzo
As Co-founder and COO of Sano Genetics, Charlotte Guzzo is driving the company’s mission towards personalised medicine. Her work focuses on enhancing patient experience in medical research through digital solutions and at-home testing. Before joining Sano, she researched childhood cancer origins at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and worked in risk management at JPMorgan Chase.
Parker Moss
As the Executive Vice President of Corporate Development at Exscientia, Parker Moss spearheads strategies in precision medicine with a focus on oncology. His past roles include Chief Partnerships Officer at Genomics England and leadership positions in healthcare technology. His work at Exscientia supports AI-driven development of targeted medicines.
Margo Georgiadis
Margo Georgiadis is the CEO of Montai Health, where she leverages AI to create medicines for chronic diseases. A former leader at Ancestry and Google, Margo is known for her role in tech and genomics transformation. She promotes women in STEM and serves on several boards, driving forward innovations in healthcare technology.
Guillermo Del Angel
Guillermo Del Angel, the Executive Director and Rare Disease Therapy Area Head at AstraZeneca's Center for Genomics Research, utilises his expertise in computational biology and data science to improve genomics-based treatments. With experience at Alexion Pharmaceuticals and the Broad Institute, he focuses on integrating advanced data analysis and genomics into patient care.
Personal journeys to the intersection of technology and healthcare
The webinar emphasised the significant role of AI in reshaping the landscape of precision medicine and drug development. Panellists shared personal narratives, highlighting a shift from traditional careers to biotechnology and precision medicine due to personal experiences with diseases affecting their loved ones. This transition underlined a common theme of leveraging technological expertise to innovate and improve outcomes in healthcare. For instance, Parker spoke about his transition from telecommunications to precision medicine after his daughter's cancer diagnosis. His story underscored the motivation to use AI for developing targeted therapies in oncology. Similarly, Margo detailed her journey from the technology sector, including time at Google, to healthcare, driven by the desire to apply AI in designing clinical trials and developing treatments for chronic diseases.
Challenges and innovations in AI-driven drug discovery
The group extensively discussed the challenges and innovations associated with AI-driven drug discovery, specifically focusing on the integration of AI into various stages of the drug development pipeline and how it can mitigate the traditional challenges of this sector.
Challenges discussed include:
Innovations discussed include:
The webinar explored the potential of AI in medicine, particularly focusing on precision medicine and drug discovery. Speakers shared their personal motivations and professional journeys, illustrating a convergence of technology and healthcare aimed at significantly improving patient outcomes. The challenges of AI integration into existing systems and the innovative approaches being developed to overcome these hurdles were also discussed. The overarching theme was a strong optimism about AI's role in future medical breakthroughs, underscoring the necessity of continuous innovation and collaboration in the field.