AI in Drug Discovery – Finding Signal Amidst the Noise

Day 2 | 16:15 – 16:45 | Main Hall

Photo. Portrait of Pat Walters.

Dr. Pat Walters

Relay Therapeutics

Abstract

Recently, there has been a surge of interest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its potential role in drug discovery. While AI holds immense promise, it’s important to approach the claims surrounding it critically. Many have asserted that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will revolutionize drug discovery and development. In contrast, others have argued that we are reaching the zenith of a hype cycle that will lead to a period of disillusionment. As is often the case, the truth lies somewhere between these extremes. This presentation will focus on areas where AI impacts drug discovery and highlight factors necessary to increase its utility.

Dr. Pat Walters

As Chief Data Officer, Pat Walters oversees the development and application of the computational components of Relay Therapeutics’ DynamoTM platform. Prior to joining Relay Therapeutics, he spent more than 20 years at Vertex Pharmaceuticals where he was global head of modeling and informatics. Pat is co-author of the book “Deep Learning for the Life Sciences,” published by O’Reilly and Associates. He is a member of the editorial board for Artificial Intelligence in the Life Sciences and is on the editorial advisory boards of The Journal of Medicinal Chemistry and The Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling.

Pat received his B.S. in chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara and his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Arizona, where he studied the application of Artificial Intelligence in conformational analysis. Prior to obtaining his Ph.D., he worked at Varian Instruments as both a chemist and a software developer.