Dr. Iya Khalil is the Vice President and Head of Data, AI & Genome Sciences at Merck & Co. charged with driving an AI-first data-driven approach to early discovery biology. Prior to Merck, she was at Novartis where she headed the first-ever AI Innovation Lab in a major pharmaceutical company leading the development and application of best-in-class AI platforms and algorithms across discovery, translation, early research,clinical, and commercial. Dr. Khalil has a doctorate in physics and is an AI pioneer with 20+ years of experience in AI and “big (& deep) data” for life sciences and healthcare. She is the co-founder and co-inventor of the proprietary AI engine that underpins Aitia Bio, the leader in Casual AI and digital twins, and is responsible for generating tremendous value by establishing and running key collaborations with pharmaceutical companies, foundations, payers, providers, and government agencies. She has extensive experience in developing AI algorithms and solutions across the continuum of Pharmaceutical R&D to healthcare, including drug discovery, drug development, clinical trials, real-world evidence, market access, and treatment algorithms for patients. Iya was named to the PharmaVOICE 100 list of the most inspiring people in the life sciences industry for her ability to build bridges across the life science and healthcare industries, and for bringing people together to harness the power of computational modeling to change the lives of patients. She was also recognized as an Endpoints News Top Women in Biopharma R&D for her forward-thinking approach in using AI to help fuel Merck’s diverse pipeline. She serves as an advisor for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in AgTech and is on the board of directors of Invaio Sciences, a Flagship Pioneering company in the agriculture biotech sector. Dr. Khalil is a frequent speaker at industry events and conferences and her work is featured in leading industry journals and was recognized by then President Obama at a White House dinner as a leading entrepreneur in genomic medicine. She has been named to Inc magazine’s list of top female founders of 2018 and in Forbes’ 2019 top women-led startups “crushing tech.”