Explore the Agenda

8:00 am Check In & Light Breakfast

8:50 am Chair’s Opening Remarks

Director - Digital Pathology & Image Analysis Group, Pfizer

Advancing Translation with Cutting-Edge Cell Segmentation & Imaging Strategies to Drive Translational Development & Single Cell Insights

9:00 am Quantifying the H&E Picture That is Worth 1,000 Words: Pathology Scoring in the Digital Era

Director - Digital Pathology & Image Analysis Group, Pfizer
  • Discussing unique challenges in deploying AI based strategies in nonclinical safety studies such as diverse animals models, heterogenous and sparse data
  • Presenting case studies to illustrate algorithm development and deployment and show real-world evidence of algorithm performance
  • Examining implementation issues, scalability, and life-cycle management

9:30 am Exploring the Application of Digital Pathology in Translational Pipelines to Guide Progression of Preclinical Candidates

Principal Investigator, Arcus Biosciences
  • Utilizing unique digital pathology insights to inform PKPD studies and understand therapeutic response
  • Integrating digital pathology early into trial design to safeguard clinical success downstream
  • Data to show the unique benefit of utilizing digital pathology in translational workflows

10:00 am Round Table Discussion: Elucidating Cellular Mechanisms & Illuminating the Tumor Microenvironment with Accurate Cell Segmentation

Senior Scientist, BioMarin Pharmaceutical
  • Selecting appropriate algorithms to predict cell boundaries across a variety of cell types
  • Introducing cell boundary and surface markers to support accurate cell segmentation
  • Exploring emerging cell segmentation methodologies, from staining to AI and evaluating their usefulness and accuracy across cell types

10:45 am Morning Break & Networking

Effectively Implementing Spatial Biology Across Drug Discovery Pipelines with Advanced Technologies to Generate Deeper Understanding of Disease Mechanisms

11:30 am Applying Spatial Transcriptomics to Illuminate the Tumor Microenvironment

Principal Scientist - Computational Biology & Bioinformatics, Abbvie
  • Evaluating appropriate spatial transcriptomics methodologies and technologies to facilitate efficient analysis
  • Data to show the unique advantage of employing spatial transcriptomics for TME analysis

12:00 pm Overcoming Non-Specific Signals in Spatial Transcriptomics

Professor & Director, Center for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Bioinformatics, Sanford Burnham Prebys
  • Presenting a largely overlooked issue of spatial transcriptomics data that causes prevalent detection of non-specific signals
  • Showcasing a new computational algorithm corrects the data and improves downstream analysis tasks
  • Demonstrating applications of our analysis methods in studying age-related conditions

12:30 pm Leveraging Spatial Transcriptomics to Chart the Transcriptome & Guide Target Selection

Head of Computational Biology, Arda Therapeutics
  • Exploring novel approaches for generating and sourcing research-grade tissue samples
  • Assessing the right spatial transcriptomics platforms and methodologies to support target discovery
  • Presenting data that highlights the unique value of spatial transcriptomics in drug discovery and target selection

1:00 pm Single-Cell Transcriptomics & Proteomics Identify Tumor & Microenvironment Niches Leading to Resistance to TKI & ICI in EGFRSensitive Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

Professor, Pathology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
  • Elucidate the complex interplay between tumor, stromal and immune milieu in real-world patients leading to resistance to TKI and ICI using single cell spatial tumor genomic expression and TME proteomics
  • Identify cold tumor regions as core spatial niches of TKI and ICI resistance, where tumor cells exhibit upregulated expression of AREG, MUC1, MET, ACE2, and ASCL1, driving tumor proliferation and immune evasion
  • Pave the way for AI-enabled discovery of novel predictive biomarkers and targeted therapeutic strategies to overcome TKI and ICI resistance 

1:30 pm Lunch Break & Networking

Adopting AI & Machine Learning Capabilities to Advance Spatial Omics Insights & Maximize Efficiency of Digital Pathology

2:30 pm Harnessing Spatial Transcriptomics & AI-Driven Digital Pathology to Elucidate Immune & Regenerative Mechanisms in Diabetic Ulcers

Assistant Professor, University of Texas, San Antonio
  • Mapped cell populations and transcriptional programs driving inflammation, fibrosis, and poor healing in diabetic foot ulcers using single-cell and spatial transcriptomics
  • Integrated molecular data with AI-driven digital pathology to identify patients at high risk for impaired wound repair
  • Uncovered immune-stromal interactions through combined molecular and computational analysis, accelerating biomarker discovery and guiding precision interventions

3:00 pm Developing Foundation Models for Spatial Biology

Assistant Professor & Scientific Founder, California Institute of Technology & Alzen Therapeutics
  • Generating diverse, high-quality datasets to train robust AI models and overcome challenges in data access, annotation, and standardisation
  • Improving interpretability and clinical validation of deep learning models to build trust, reproducibility, and regulatory readiness
  • Leveraging foundational and multimodal AI tools to streamline image analysis, and enhance spatial data interpretation

3:30 pm Panel Discussion: Exploring the Untapped Potential of AI in Spatial Omics & Digital Pathology to Advance Highly Accurate, Time & Cost Effective Analysis

Executive Director, Amgen
Principal Scientist - Bioinformatics, Abbvie
Assistant Professor & Scientific Founder, California Institute of Technology & Alzen Therapeutics
Director - Pathobiology, Gilead
  • Strategizing the applications of AI for cell phenotyping, scoring biomarkers, evaluating protein interactions
  • Evaluating available technologies and selecting appropriate tools based on research aims and project priorities
  • Training algorithms sufficiently and shedding light on the ‘black box’to increase implementation of AI across workflows

4:15 pm Chair’s Closing Remarks

Director - Digital Pathology & Image Analysis Group, Pfizer

4:30 pm End of 4th AI-Enabled Spatial Biology & Digital Pathology Summit