Tech and Drugs - Podcast

In this Tech & Drugs episode, I sit down with Thomas Steger-Hartmann, former investigational toxicology lead at Bayer and industry lead of the VICTOR Consortium, to explore the future of drug safety. We discuss how toxicology is moving from descriptive animal studies toward more predictive, data-driven, and less animal-dependent approaches — without losing sight of the ultimate goal: protectin...

In this Tech & Drugs episode, I sit down with Patrick Ansems, globally responsible for life sciences strategy at Siemens across pharma and medical devices, to explore how AI, data, automation, and platforms are reshaping drug development. Recorded live in London at the Pistoia Alliance meeting 2026, this conversation looks at a central question for the industry: can pharma make drug developmen...

In this Tech & Drugs episode, I sit down with Laura Matz, Chief Science and Technology Officer at Merck KGaA Darmstadt, Germany, to explore how AI, data, automation, and digital technologies are reshaping science at scale. Laura brings a rare perspective across chemistry, semiconductors, life science, healthcare, and advanced materials. We discuss what pharma can learn from the semiconductor i...

In this Tech & Drugs episode, I sit down with Walid Kamoun, VP and Global Head of Oncology R&D at Servier, to explore how AI is changing oncology drug discovery and development. We discuss where AI is already useful today, what remains difficult, and how pharma leaders can think about AI beyond hype, pilots, and generic “transformation” language. Walid shares a grounded view from the front...

🎙 Tech and Drugs – Season 02, Episode 03From Code to Cells: Dov Gertz of Converge Bio on Generative AI and the Future of Drug DiscoveryIn this episode, I sat down with Dov Gertz, CEO and co-founder of Converge Bio, a company pushing generative AI directly into the language of biology. Dov represents a new breed of scientist. Trained in computer science and bioinformatics, with research roots in CR...

🎙 Tech and Drugs – Season 02, Episode 02 From Tennis Courts to Molecular Design: Tim Hoctor on Data, Discovery, and the Future of Pharma Last December in Berlin, I had the privilege of sitting down with my friend and longtime mentor Tim Hoctor, one of the true legends at the intersection of technology and life sciences. Tim’s career defies categories. He started as a professional tennis player in...

🎙 Tech and Drugs – Season 02, Episode 01Inside Scientific Publishing, AI, and the Future of Medical KnowledgeIn the opening episode of Season 2, I sat down with Mitja-Alexander Linss, Head of Marketing at Karger Publishers, one of the world’s oldest and most respected medical publishers, to explore how scientific communication is evolving in the age of AI.With over 130 years of publishing history...

🎙 Tech and Drugs – Episode #11Inside Helical: Bio Foundation Models, Virtual Cells, and the Future of AI-Native Drug DiscoveryThis week I sat down with Rick Schneider, co-founder and CEO of Helical, a Luxembourg-based startup on a mission to democratize bio foundation models. Rick and his team are building something ambitious: an open, AI-native platform that lets pharma and biotech teams actually...

🎙 Tech and Drugs – Episode #10A special inside look at Ginkgo Bioworks, where automation, biology, and AI collide. I sat down with John Androsavich (GM, Ginkgo Data Points) and Jason Hocking (VP Engineering) to explore how Ginkgo generates huge multimodal datasets, automates complex biology at scale, and builds the infrastructure that today’s AI models desperately need. What we cover:✅ How Ginkgo...

ere it is 🎙 "Tech and Drugs – Podcast" Episode #9 with 🧬💻 Douglas "Doug" Selinger from Plex ResearchThe theme for today: Applying Google's Search Recipe to Pharma R&D DataIn this episode of Tech and Drugs, I sit down with Douglas "Doug" Selinger, founder and CEO of Plex Research, whose unique approach is reshaping how scientists utilize data in drug discover...

Here it is 🎙 “Tech and Drugs – Podcast” Episode #8 with 👩‍🔬📊 Anindita “Ani” SinhaThe theme for today: Building a Data-Driven Pharma Organization Through Analytics & AIIn this episode of Tech and Drugs, I sit down with Anindita “Ani” Sinha, Vice President of Commercial Operations at Shionogi, whose journey from the microbiology lab to leading analytics, marketing, and field teams has shaped...

🎙️ From Molecules to Machine Learning: How AI Is Transforming Drug Discovery - Season 1, Episode 7 — with Frédéric CélerseHow do you shrink a multi-month quantum chemistry calculation into a few days? In this episode, we explore the power of augmented intelligence in drug discovery with Frédéric Célerse, researcher, boundary-breaker, and firm believer that good science starts with great data. Join...

🎙 Tech and Drugs - Episode #6 with 🏛📊 Marilia Aires from Kiin AI is now live! The theme for today: AI, Data Ethics & The Legal Challenges in Drug DiscoveryIn this episode, we dive into the legal frontier of AI in healthcare with Marilia Aires, legal counsel and data protection officer at Kiin AI. With 16+ years of experience across global legal landscapes, Marilia is at the intersection of la...

Here it is 🎙 “Tech and Drugs - Podcast” Episode #5 with 🤖💊 Nicolas Maignan is now live! The theme for today: Rethinking Drug Discovery Through AI & PolypharmacologyIn this episode of Tech and Drugs, I sit down with Nicolas Maignan, the AI expert and COO at Kantify, who’s redefining drug discovery with a fresh, data-driven perspective. With a background in industrial engineering and over seve...

🎙 Tech and Drugs - Episode 4: Navigating Pharma, Tech & The Future of Work with Adam WalkerIn this episode of Tech and Drugs, I sit down with Adam Walker, a seasoned consultant, technologist, and thought leader with nearly 30 years of experience in pharmaceuticals, clinical research, and medtech. Adam has worked across biometrics, quality assurance, and real-world evidence, leading global team...

This time, I sit down with Jakob Zeitler , an expert in causal inference and machine learning, to explore how AI-driven experimentation is reshaping drug R&D. If you’ve ever wondered how active learning can revolutionize drug discovery, or why machine learning in pharma is both promising and problematic, this one’s for you. 🔹 Jakob’s Journey: From early coding to cutting-edge research at Oxfo...

n this episode, I sit down with Benjamin Szilagyi , a true pioneer in data science and digital transformation. With over 25 years of experience, Ben shares insights from his leadership roles at Roche and dsm-firmenich , diving into the real stories behind building data-driven ecosystems in Pharma and Biotech. Here’s a sneak peek of the themes we explored: 1️⃣ The Power of Starting Small: Why focus...

Tech and Drugs - Episode 1 - Kiin AI In this premiere episode of Tech and Drugs, we dive into the cutting-edge world of AI-powered drug discovery with the team at Kiin AI.  Kiin AI hold a bold vision: to build the first end to end AI scientist. We are talking about a system that can learn, design, execute, and troubleshoot complex scientific tasks 🔍 Tune in for insights, anecdotes, and a vision o...