Speakers

John Chan is a senior pharma and biotech executive with deep expertise in leveraging data analytics and driving innovative solutions across drug discovery and development. He excels at blending systems-level and strategic thinking with hands-on technical skills, enabling him to tackle complex scientific and operational challenges. 

Throughout his career, John has built and mentored high-performing teams, delivered scientific and technical depth, and translated ideas into impactful products. He is known for recognizing untapped opportunities, scaling operations, and influencing change across organizations. His technical focus includes predictive modeling aimed at reducing the time and cost of drug discovery. 

John currently serves as VP, Global Head of Digital, Informatics, and AI in Biomedical Research at Novartis. Prior to Novartis, he led the ShinrAI Center for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at Takeda, overseeing data strategy for cell therapy programs. He has held roles as a visiting scientist at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, CEO of Syllable Life Sciences (acquired by Neumora), and advisor to emerging biotech ventures. 

His extensive experience spans building data-driven R&D strategies, implementing AI and informatics solutions, and translating scientific innovation into clinical impact.