Distinguished Speaker Series: The Future of Predictive Medicine

Dr. Ben Y. Reis, Director, Predictive Medicine Group, Harvard Medical School

July 21 2021 at 11:15, in Melamed Hall 006, Exact Sciences Faculty, Tel Aviv University *

Title: The Future of Predictive Medicine

Abstract: Dr. Reis will discuss recent developments in advanced machine learning approaches to some of the grandest challenges of human health, including suicide prediction, pandemic prediction, bioterrorism detection and drug safety prediction. The focus of the talk will be on understanding both the methodological challenges involved and the ramifications of generating actionable predictions in these critical areas. The talk will conclude by formulating a set of central challenges and opportunities facing the field of Predictive Medicine.

Bio: Dr. Ben Reis is Director of the Predictive Medicine Group in the Computational Health Informatics Program (CHIP) at Boston Children’s Hospital, and a member of the faculty at Harvard Medical School. His research focuses on understanding the essential patterns of human disease, and on developing novel approaches for predicting disease. He has created systems that allow doctors to predict dangerous clinical conditions years in advance, as well as predictive pharmacology systems that allow public health officials to identify life-threatening adverse drug effects years in advance. He has also designed predictive health monitoring systems for regional and national settings, and has advised governments worldwide on establishing biodefense and biosurveillance infrastructures to respond to a wide range of phenomena - from global pandemics to the Olympic Games. He has been recognized by the White House for his work on promoting public health through technology, and by the US State Department, USAID and NASA for his work in global health innovation.

Host: Prof. Ron Shamir, School of Computer Science, Tel Aviv University