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Home / Events / 2026 @Philly AI in Biopharma Executive Summit

EXECUTIVE SUMMIT · AI IN BIOPHARMA

2026 @Philly AI in Biopharma Executive Summit

Dates

Oct 16, 2026

Venue

Science History Institute, 315 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

Format

1 day · keynote + 3 themed panels

Focus

AI · Drug discovery · Clinical development · Investment

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About this event

From drug discovery and clinical development to data science, corporate strategy, and investment, artificial intelligence is becoming a defining force in the next wave of life science innovation. For leaders working at the front line of the industry, the question is no longer whether AI matters, but how its potential can be translated into real breakthroughs for biopharma.

On 16 October 2026, SAPA-GP will convene the 2026 @Philly AI in Biopharma Executive Summit at the Science History Institute in Philadelphia — an invitation-scale gathering of roughly 100–150 industry leaders, decision-makers, and investment professionals from pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, AI and data companies, and academic research, built for candid, peer-to-peer exchange rather than passive presentations. The keynote, full panel line-up, and confirmed speakers appear in the agenda and speaker sections below.

DATE

Friday, October 16, 2026

8:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET

VENUE

Science History Institute

315 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

FORMAT

Keynote + 3 themed panels

Executive roundtable discussion

SCALE

100–150 invited leaders

Pharma · Biotech · AI · Investment

Who should attend

✓ You drive AI adoption in drug discovery or clinical development at a pharmaceutical company

✓ You set AI strategy at a biotechnology firm or an AI/ML company

✓ You invest in computational biology, data science, or AI-enabled biotech

✓ You lead new-direction research in an academic AI or life science laboratory

✓ You are seeking partners, investment, or new business opportunities across AI and biopharma

If you are currently making, or preparing to make, decisions of this kind, this is a day of peer-to-peer exchange built for you.

Schedule

Agenda

Keynote Talk Panel Break

8:00 am 5:00 pm

Break Science History Institute

Registration Open

9:00 am 9:40 am

Keynote Science History Institute

Keynote 1: Ronald Y. Kim, M.B.A.

Details

Founder, AI & Tech Advisor, Ron Kim Advisory; former CTO and Senior Vice President, Merck & Co.

9:40 am 10:40 am

Talk Science History Institute

Track 1 — AI drug discovery: where will the first real breakthrough come from?

Details

Session A: Are today's data sufficient for AI to truly “learn” biology, chemistry, and antibody engineering? Panel B: Who makes the decision — what does an effective operating model look like?

10:40 am 11:10 am

Break

Coffee Break

11:10 am 12:10 pm

Panel

Panel 1 - Session (B) Who Decides — and What Operating Model Wins?

Details

Panel

12:10 pm 1:10 pm

Break

Lunch Break

1:10 pm 1:40 pm

Keynote

Keynote 2

1:40 pm 2:40 pm

Talk Clinical & Reg Science History Institute

Track 2 — The bottleneck that shapes returns: clinical development

Details

Session A: AI-enabled clinical development — real cases and the practical challenges they exposed. Panel B: AI talent and organizational readiness.

Talk

Track 3 - The Capital shaping life science AI

2:40 pm 3:10 pm

Break

Coffee Break

3:10 pm 4:10 pm

Panel Clinical & Reg

Panel 2 - Session (B). AI readiness for clinical development: Talent & Organizational Readiness

Details

Panel

4:10 pm 4:50 pm

Keynote

Keynote 3

4:50 pm 5:00 pm

Talk

Closing Remarks by Conference Planning Lead - Lixia & Networking Transition

5:00 pm 6:30 pm

Break

Reception

Who is speaking

Speakers

Ronald Y. Kim, M.B.A., B.S.

Ronald Y. Kim, M.B.A., B.S.

Founder, AI & Tech Advisor, Ron Kim Advisory

Dimitris Agrafiotis, Ph.D.

Dimitris Agrafiotis, Ph.D.

Director, Digital, Analytics, and AI, Arsenal Capital Partners

Christos Davatzikos, Ph.D.

Christos Davatzikos, Ph.D.

Professor, University of Pennsylvania

David Henderson, Ph.D.

David Henderson, Ph.D.

Research Solutions Lead and Customer Engineer, Health Care and Life Sciences, Google

Shivanjali Kumar, M.B.A., M.S., P.M.P.

Shivanjali Kumar, M.B.A., M.S., P.M.P.

Associate Director, Core Data Platform (Merck Research Laboratories), Merck

Li Shen, Ph.D., FAIMBE, FACMI, FAMIA

Li Shen, Ph.D., FAIMBE, FACMI, FAMIA

Professor, University of Pennsylvania

Jessica Striker, M.B.A., B.A.

Jessica Striker, M.B.A., B.A.

Sr. Director, Clinical Operations, Merck

Fei Wang, Ph.D.

Fei Wang, Ph.D.

Professor, Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine

Long Wang, M.D., Ph.D.

Long Wang, M.D., Ph.D.

SVP, Head of Regulatory, Mineralys Therapeutics

Huafeng Xu, Ph.D.

Huafeng Xu, Ph.D.

Chief Executive Officer, Fathom Therapeutics

Sponsors

Register

The summit is open to industry leaders, decision-makers, and investment professionals working at the intersection of AI and biopharma. Register through the official summit page.

Register now Become a sponsor Speaker registration Become a member & save

ABOUT SAPA-GP

Founded in 2002, SAPA-GP (Sino-American Pharmaceutical Professionals Association – Greater Philadelphia) advances pharmaceutical science and biotechnology, fosters collaboration between science and industry, and supports the professional development of life science professionals. With more than 4,000 members, SAPA-GP plays an active role in the biopharmaceutical research and development community of the Greater Philadelphia region.

2002

Founded

4,000+

Members

Greater Philadelphia

Biopharma R&D hub

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIESbd@sapa-gp.org VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIESsapagp@sapa-gp.org