Bridging Biomarker Breakthroughs to Bedsides (B4) Tour
Register today to secure your spot
Venue: Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, CB22 3AT
Join Discovery Life Sciences on the Bridging Biomarker Breakthroughs to Bedsides (B4) Tour, an in-person series spotlighting leading biomarker innovation in precision medicine. This exclusive program brings together leading experts to share practical insights and spark collaboration.
Attendees will discover advanced technologies in genomics, proteomics, molecular pathology, and cell biology, all underpinned by CLIA/CAP-accredited, GCLP-compliant labs, including our Health Institute facility in Kassel, Germany, enabling IVDR-compliant studies across Europe.
This tour offers focused sessions, real-world examples, and networking in key biohubs to accelerate precision medicine programs.
Through focused sessions, real-world examples, and networking, move your programs forward and faster. Seats are limited.
Agenda
| 11:00AM – 11:30AM | Brunch & Registration |
| 11:30AM – 11:40AM | Opening Remarks Greg Herrema, CEO, Discovery Life Sciences |
| 11:40AM – 12:20PM | Keynote Presentation From data exhaust to disease prediction. Presented by: Oliver Burren, Centre for Genomics Research, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK Advances in large-scale genomics and proteomics are reshaping drug target discovery and enabling early, decision-critical genomic biomarkers. Within AstraZeneca’s Centre for Genomics Research, we leverage biobank-scale genome sequencing and high-throughput proteomics to prioritise tractable targets with enhanced confidence. Using examples, I will describe how we can use the “data exhaust” from sequencing to generate novel discovery biomarkers and how these can be used to provide insights across the pipeline. I will share how genetic associations converge with proteomic profiling to strengthen target validation, and de-risk pipeline investments. This will include a discussion of MILTON our AI capability designed to interrogate biomarkers on the biobank-scale data to predict disease before diagnosis. I’ll discuss current limitations and emerging solutions that bridge discovery and clinical application. Finally, I’ll explore how AI is transforming our analytic workflows from foundational models predicting variant function to empowering access to our multi-omics data across the business to accelerate the journey from analysis to actionable insight. |
| 12:20PM -12:50PM | Expert Session David Krige, Chief Development Officer, Accession Therapeutics |
| 12:50PM-1:00PM | Proteogenomic Insights Don Skifter, SVP Scientific Affairs, Discovery Life Sciences |
| 1:00PM – 1:40PM | Lunch |
| 1:40PM – 2:00PM | Unlocking Spatial Biology: The Role of Tissue AI in Biomarker Discovery and CDx Development Presented by: Patrick Frey, VP of Precision Medicine, Mindpeak In my presentation, I’ll discuss the evolving role of tissue-based AI in supporting biomarker discovery and companion diagnostic (CDx) development. The talk will highlight how frontier AI models can add value across key stages of the development process – from early translational research to clinical trial execution. The presentation will outline how AI enables systematic extraction of spatial and cellular features from histopathology data (H&E, IHC, mIF), supporting the identification of novel biomarker candidates and improving the reproducibility of established assays. Particular emphasis will be placed on areas where AI provides tangible benefits, including increased data consistency across sites and improved handling of heterogeneous tissue biology. Drawing on selected examples, including applications in ADC biomarker development, the talk will illustrate how these approaches can inform patient stratification strategies and contribute to more robust clinical studies. Overall, the session will provide a practical perspective on how tissue AI can be integrated into Pharma/CRO workflows to support biomarker-driven drug development. |
| 2:00PM – 2:10PM | A Four-Year Journey Adapting In-House Testing Under IVDR T. Scott Reid, VP and Global Head of Companion Diagnostics, Discovery Life Sciences |
| 2:10PM – 2:50PM | Panel Discussion Don Skifter, SVP Scientific Affairs, Discovery Life Sciences Patrick Frey, VP of Precision Medicine, Mindpeak Sarah Holt, VP Translational Sciences, Mosaic TX Sara Busacca Principal Scientist – Translational Science Lead, Artios |
| 2:50PM-2:55PM | Closing Insights Greg Herrema, CEO, Discovery Life Sciences |
| 2:55PM-Onward | Optional Breakout Session: Deep Dive Discussions Join us to continue the conversation and explore one of the following topics in greater detail,
Don Skifter, T. Scott Reid, Anna Juncker-Jensen, Jon Beck, Tony Lovegrove – Discovery Life Sciences |