Jake Chen, Ph.D., director of the Systems AI Pharmacology Research Center (SPARC), played a key role in organizing the HealthDay event at Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (KDD) 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.
The event, organized by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Special Interest Group on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (SIGKDD), annually gathers influential researchers and practitioners worldwide. ACM, the world’s largest professional association for computing professionals, is renowned for fostering innovation and excellence in computing. KDD serves as a platform for presenting the latest advancements in data science, machine learning, and AI, particularly in real-world applications.
The theme of KDD 2024, “Building Health AI Ecosystem: From Data Harmonization to Knowledge Discovery,” attracted experts from industry, government, and academia to discuss the future of healthcare shaped by artificial intelligence. The conference emphasized the transition from traditional data-driven approaches to comprehensive AI-driven ecosystems.
Dr. Chen and Dr. Peipei Ping of UCLA delivered the opening remarks. The first session, “Data Harmonization to Knowledge Discovery,” featured a keynote address by Susan K. Gregurick, Ph.D., Director of the Office of Data Science Strategy (ODSS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Additional lectures were given by Rolf Apweiler, Ph.D., co-director of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory/European Bioinformatics Institute, and Dr. Xujing Wang, Program Director at NIH/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The session concluded with a panel discussion on leadership in digital ecosystems, AI-ready datasets, and ethical guidelines for AI development.
The second session, “Building Health AI Ecosystem,” included discussions from Dr. Sean Mooney, Director of the NIH Center for Information Technology; Dr. Chris Kinsinger, Assistant Director at NIH/Office of Strategic Coordination/Catalytic Data Resources; and Dr. Sorin Draghici, Program Director at NSF CISE/IIS. Panelists addressed interdisciplinary collaboration, challenges in AI integration, and future trends in the health AI ecosystem.
The final session, “AI Research in Translational Medicine,” featured lectures from Dr. Krishnaram Kenthapadi, Chief Scientist of Clinical AI at Oracle Health; Dr. Christopher Savoie, Founder and CEO of Zapata Computing, Inc.; and Dr. Hongfang Liu, Professor at the University of Texas Health in Houston. The panel discussion focused on the trustworthiness, sustainability, and ethical implementation of AI.