On December 8, 2025, leaders from QBI at UCSF and the University of Alberta came together in San Francisco to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), formally launching a cross-border collaboration focused on one of the most consequential frontiers in science today: the convergence of artificial intelligence and human health. The signing marked more than a ceremonial milestone. It represented a shared commitment to long-term, interdisciplinary collaboration—one designed to bridge institutions, countries, and disciplines in service of biomedical discovery.
The agreement was signed by Bill Flanagan, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Alberta, and Sam Hawgood, Chancellor of the University of California, San Francisco, following a full afternoon of discussion and exchange among researchers, institutional leaders, and partners from both sides of the border.
The MOU signing took place during Blueprints of Tomorrow: AI & Human Health, a joint event co-hosted by QBI, the University of Alberta, and the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii). The gathering brought a Canadian delegation to San Francisco, with support from the Consulate General of Canada, to convene a shared conversation around how AI can be thoughtfully and effectively integrated into biomedical research.
Held at UCSF’s Genentech Hall, the event opened with welcoming remarks from Nevan Krogan, Director of the Quantitative Biosciences Institute, who framed the afternoon around the growing need for collaborative ecosystems—spaces where computational science, biology, and medicine can evolve together rather than in parallel. Opening remarks followed from Rana Sarkar, Consul General of Canada in San Francisco, Sam Hawgood, and Bill Flanagan, each underscoring the importance of international partnerships in addressing complex scientific and health challenges.
A central highlight of the program was the keynote address by Richard Sutton, Professor of Computing Science at the University of Alberta and 2024 Turing Award winner. A pioneer of reinforcement learning, Sutton spoke to the evolving role of AI as not just a tool, but a framework for discovery—one that holds particular promise when paired with biological systems and large-scale biomedical data. His talk set the intellectual tone for the afternoon: ambitious, forward-looking, and grounded in the realities of interdisciplinary work.
That theme continued into a panel discussion moderated by James Fraser, Professor and Chair of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences at UCSF. Panelists Olivier Julien (University of Alberta), Tanja Kortemme (UCSF), Joanne Lemieux (University of Alberta), and Cam Linke, CEO of Amii, explored how AI is already reshaping biomedical research—and what it will take to responsibly scale those efforts. The conversation emphasized not only technical advances, but the cultural and institutional shifts required to support meaningful collaboration between AI researchers and biomedical scientists.
It was against this backdrop that the MOU signing took place—anchoring the day’s ideas in action. The agreement formalizes a partnership between QBI at UCSF and the University of Alberta aimed at fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, advancing innovation, and building durable connections at the intersection of AI and biomedical science. The presence of Amii further strengthened the initiative, reflecting Alberta’s leadership in artificial intelligence and its growing engagement with global research networks.
The afternoon concluded with a reception hosted by the Canadian Consulate in San Francisco, offering space for informal exchange and connection among attendees. Conversations continued beneath the atrium lights—researchers, institutional leaders, and partners reflecting on shared priorities and future possibilities.
Together, Blueprints of Tomorrow and the signing of the MOU marked a meaningful step forward: a moment where vision, dialogue, and institutional commitment aligned. As AI continues to transform how we study biology and human health, this collaboration sets the stage for work that is not only innovative, but intentionally shared—across disciplines, institutions, and borders.