QBI, University of Alberta, and the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii) present "Blueprints of Tomorrow: AI & Human Health".

Join us on December 8, 2025, for a landmark gathering that brings together leading minds to explore the transformative role of artificial intelligence in human health and biomedical research.

The event will feature a keynote address by Richard Sutton, 2024 Turing Award Winner and pioneering computational scientist from the University of Alberta, whose work on reinforcement learning has shaped the field of AI. 

The program will include a panel discussion, highlighting the latest advancements and the critical importance of integrating AI with biomedical research to improve health outcomes. This will be followed by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to mark a formal collaboration between our institutions and a reception hosted by the Consulate General of Canada in San Francisco.

This event is an opportunity to witness the convergence of AI and biomedical science, fostering collaboration and innovation across disciplines.

AGENDA:

4:00 PM – Welcome by Nevan Krogan, Director of the Quantitative Biosciences Institute
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4:05 PM – Introduction & Opening Remarks by: 
Rana Sarkar, Consul General of Canada in San Francisco, United States
Sam Hawgood, Chancellor of the University of California, San Francisco
Bill Flanagan, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Alberta
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4:20 PM – Keynote Presentation by Rich Sutton, Professor of Computing Science at the University of Alberta; 2024 Turing Award Winner
(Introduced by Nevan Krogan)
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4:50 PM – Panel Discussion on AI Applied to Health and Biomedical Sciences
Moderated by James Fraser, Professor and Chair of the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco

Featuring:
Olivier Julien, Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Alberta

Tanja Kortemme, Professor in the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences at the University of California San Francisco

Joanne Lemieux, Professor & Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry in the Biochemistry Department at the University of Alberta

Cam Linke, CEO of the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii) 
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5:15 PM – MOU Signing Ceremony
Featuring:
Bill Flanagan, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Alberta
Sam Hawgood, Chancellor of the University of California, San Francisco
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5:20-6:30 PM – Reception hosted by the Canadian Consulate in San Francisco
(at UCSF Genentech Hall Atrium)