UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training in Biomedical Innovation (AI4BI)

Cross-sector Forum 2026

From Research to Real-World Impact in Healthcare AI

Charting the Roadmap for 2026–2030

Join us for a day of high-impact discussion, collaboration and networking; bringing together leaders from industry, healthcare, academia and public health to explore how AI can transform patient care, streamline systems, and unlock next-generation biomedical innovation.

Agenda

• 09:30 Coffee & Arrival - Student posters will be on display
• 10:00 Welcome & Opening Remarks

• 10:15 Twin Talks: From Research to Impact

Paired talks from leading voices across the AI in heath sector, exploring how AI is transforming the full life cycle of biomedical innovation, from discovery to delivery. 

• AI in Drug Discovery & Development - Harnessing generative and multimodal AI to speed compound discovery and de-risk development.
  • Professor Neil Carragher, Professor of Drug Discovery and Head of Innovation, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh
  • Dr Danielle Belgrave, VP of Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning at GSK
• AI in Advanced Therapeutics - From Biological Discovery to Scalable Patient Impact.
  • Professor Ian Duguid, Professor of Cellular & Systems Neuroscience, Deputy Director for Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh
  • Professor Stuart Cobb, Chief Science Officer at Neurogene Inc.
• AI in Healthcare Delivery - Embedding responsible AI into clinical workflows, and population health systems to improve care quality and operational efficiency.
  • Dr Beatrice Alex, Director of The Edinburgh Language Technology Group, University of Edinburgh
  • Professor David Lowe, Clinical Director for Health Innovation for Scottish Government

• 11:45 Speed Networking: Connect, Collaborate, Create

Fast-paced, structured conversations designed to connect potential collaborators. Match with AI researchers, industry partners, and healthcare innovators to explore shared challenges, identify synergies, and spark ideas.

• 12:15 Lunch

• 13:15 Focused Discussion Sessions: Turning Insight into Action

• AI in Drug Discovery - What are the most effective ways to validate and de-risk AI predictions in preclinical and early clinical stages?
• AI in Advanced therapeutics - How can we design AI-enabled advanced therapeutics to meet regulatory expectations from the outset?
• AI in Healthcare Delivery - What does successful adoption of AI in clinical settings look like by 2030, and how do we get there?

• 14.15 Student Poster Session and Coffee

• 15:00 Plenary Panel Discussion: From Innovation to Implementation: Charting the Roadmap for AI in Health (2026–2030)

Industry leaders, clinicians, policy experts, and academic researchers come together to synthesise insights from the day, identifying the steps needed to translate AI research into scalable, responsible healthcare impact.

• Professor Douglas Armstrong, Chief Science Officer, Actual Analytics Ltd.
• Dr Katriona Brooksbank, Regional Head of Innovation, West of Scotland Innovation Hub, NHS Scotland
• Dr Arlene Casey, Vivensa Foundation Senior Research Fellow and DataLoch NLP Programme Lead
• Professor David Lowe, Clinical Director for Health Innovation for Scottish Government
• Dr Danielle Belgrave, VP of Artificial Intelligence/ Machine Learning at GSK
• Chair: Professor Ian Simpson, University of Edinburgh

• 15.45 Main Session Close

• 16:00 Partner Roundtable (Invitation Only) 1 hour

A closed strategic discussion bringing together invited industry partners to co-create our evolving partnership strategy. The roundtable will focus on aligning CDT research and training with sector priorities, exploring new partnership models, and identifying practical routes to accelerate translation and real-world impact.

• 17.15 Roundtable Close

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Join Us and Help Shape What’s Next

Whether you’re exploring collaborations, seeking strategic insight, or looking for innovative talent, this event is your opportunity. Be part of a community shaping how AI transforms healthcare over the next 5–10 years.

Learn more about our Centre for Doctorial Training: https://ai4bi-cdt.ed.ac.uk/

Register now to attend & connect with leaders in biomedical AI innovation. Deadline is 18th March.

To book, "Register as a Guest" or "Login" if you have a University of Edinburgh UUN. Successful registration will be confirmed via email. For registration assistance, please contact us on eievents@ei.ed.ac.uk.