DataDrivenPharma - the pilot newsletter!

Questions data science people in pharma & biotech are asking

Between forums, conferences, and hundreds of conversations, I get plugged into what’s happening at the intersection of pharma/biotech and data science. Rather than let those insights fade away, I’m starting a short, biweekly note to share some of what leaves an impression in my mind.

One of the more unique sources comes from the questions people submit when they register for our events. I read through all 200+ submissions from our last event focused on AIs impact on data science in biotech in pharma, like an AI-disabled barbarian; here are the questions that caught my eye:

• What would be the best and a sustainable way to use AI without getting rusty at coding or critical thinking?

• Are you really, seriously, able to use AI tools to auto-build bioinformatics pipelines?

• Given how easy it is to build disposable apps/solutions with GenAI to serve a time-bound need, how does this affect the build/buy decisions?

• There is a lot of redundant AI benchmarking work being done by most pharmas, and even by multiple groups within the same pharma. Is it realistic to somehow join forces?

• Is AI truly helping us to discover new biology, or does most of the ROI from AI come down to operations and dashboards?

Hope these get your thinking!

I would also love to learn what you'd like to hear from me. My hope is to provide you with value first, and event updates second. Please respond to this email if you have any pointers or ideas.

Best, 

Ilya Captain

DataDrivenPharma - Founder

Upcoming DataDrivenPharma Events

• May 27: DataDrivenPharma Forum @Genentech (SSF)

  • Theme: AI’s Role in Drug Development Costs: Reverse or Reinforce?

  • Pharma/Biotech passes are FREE until March 31 (for companies directly owning therapeutics or diagnostics pipelines

• June 10: DataDrivenPharma East in Waltham, MA

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Partner Events

• We’re partnering with SynBioBeta this year: a world leader in programmable biology.

• SynBioBeta 2026 (May 4 - 7, San Jose) will bring together leaders across synthetic biology, biotech, and pharma to explore how engineering biology is transforming medicine, materials, and agriculture. A major focus this year is the growing role of data science and AI in biological engineering, from automated design–test–learn workflows to scalable datasets that enable machine learning in drug discovery. Sessions such as Data Factories: Building the Infrastructure for AI-Ready Biology highlight how standardized pipelines and automated labs are turning biology into a truly data-driven discipline.

• Use the code DDPHARMA2026 for $100 off!

• I’ll be there May 4-7; come say hello!