Doctorate to Disruptor

Speaker - Layla Gerami, Ignota Labs

Abstract

Learn about Dr. Layla Hosseini-Gerami’s journey from studying chemistry at Leeds to founding her own biotech start-up. Layla will share how her early passion for science evolved through her master’s and PhD, where she pioneered AI-driven approaches to drug discovery. She will reflect on the transition from academia to entrepreneurship - what inspired her to launch Ignota Labs, the challenges of building a company at the cutting edge of science and technology, and how she is now using AI to make medicines safer. The session will offer insights into forging an unconventional career path, lessons learned along the way, and encouragement for those curious about turning research into real-world impact.

Biography

Dr. Layla Hosseini-Gerami is Chief Data Science Officer at Ignota Labs, where she applies AI to understand and resolve drug toxicities. She studied chemistry at Leeds, earning awards including Outstanding Graduate of the Year, and completed a PhD at Cambridge with Andreas Bender, where she developed integrative AI methods to understand drug mechanisms, winning the 2023 Outstanding Thesis Award. She now translates cutting-edge cheminformatics and bioinformatics into safer therapies for patients.