Chief bioinformatics officer Jake Chen, Ph.D. served as the program co-chair of the Bridge2AI Fall 2023 Face-to-Face Leadership Meeting, held November 6-7 on the campus of UCLA.

Throughout the two-day session, multiple presentations centered around discovering ways to potentially propel biomedical research forward through the adoption and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI).

Along with co-chair Alex Bui, Ph.D., the Bridge2AI Leadership Meeting highlighted some of the major accomplishments in year one of the Data Generation Project (DGP) and allowed participants to foster collaboration, share insights, and explore the latest advancements reshaping industries worldwide.

The keynote speaker was Keith Norris, MD, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine at the UCLA Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research. Dr. Norris’ presentation highlighted some of the distinctions between AI and Machine Learning (ML) that will help to advance health equity throughout communities.

Updates from representatives of the National Institute of Health (NIH) provided a crucial insight into the future directions of Bridge2AI, which sought to define tangible outcomes and develop collaborative discussions among NIH representatives, DGPs, and Bridge Centers.

The Data Acquisition/Sharing Working Group session focused on the intricacies of data management within the Bridge2AI consortium providing a platform for open discussions on the challenges and opportunities related to data acquisition and sharing.

Attendees were also able to engage in several hands-on workshops which allowed an in-person experience with the latest AI tools, technologies, and frameworks. Key topics discussed during the event included: ethical AI, AI in healthcare, and the role of AI in shaping a sustainable future.