Sixth Annual Yip Lecture

Date: April 23, 2026

Time: 4:00–5:00 pm ET

Location: Harvard Science Center Hall A & via Zoom Webinar

Speaker: Regina Barzilay, MIT

Title: Can ML methods design drugs?

Abstract: Today, life sciences are driven by prohibitively expensive wet lab experimentations, which limit the pace and scope of discovery. This talk focuses on AI algorithms that enable in-silico modeling of biological processes. Specifically, I will focus on algorithms for molecular and cellular modeling. I will highlight several successful examples where these algorithms have already transformed drug discovery. In the second part of the talk, I want to focus on problems where current methods fail to deliver as expected, motivating the need for algorithmic innovations.

In-person registration

Webinar registration

Regina Barzilay is a School of Engineering Distinguished Professor for AI and Health in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) at MIT. Since 2018, she has been the AI faculty lead for the MIT Jameel Clinic and a member of MIT CSAIL.

She is a member of three national academies, including the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

She is also a recipient of various awards, including a 2017 MacArthur fellowship “Genius Grant.” In 2020, she was awarded the Squirrel AI Award for Artificial Intelligence for the Benefit of Humanity. More recently, she has been recognized in the 2025 TIME100 AI List and awarded with the IEEE Frances E. Allen Medal for her development of innovative machine learning algorithms that have significantly advanced human language technology and transformed medical diagnostics and drug discovery.

She completed her PhD in Computer Science from Columbia University, and spent a year as a postdoc at Cornell University. Barzilay received her undergraduate degree from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.

The Yip Lecture takes place thanks to the support of Dr. Shing-Yiu Yip.