Media Advisory
3/24/2026
For more information:
Rebecca Stauffer
AAPS Communications Manager
[email protected]
AI and Computational Drug Discovery Headline 2026 AAPS National Biotechnology Conference
Registration Now Open
Arlington, VA—AAPS is excited to announce the opening and closing plenary speakers for the 2026 National Biotechnology Conference (NBC), taking place May 11-14, in San Diego, CA.
Thomas Hartung, M.D., Ph.D., Professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, will deliver the opening plenary on Monday, May 11, at 3 p.m. A global leader in New Approach Methods (NAMs), Dr. Hartung has advanced toxicology testing models that integrate artificial intelligence, human-relevant systems, and brain organoids into therapeutic development. He will also deliver the keynote, “New Approach Methods – From Ugly Ducklings to Beautiful Swans,” on Tuesday, May 12, at 1 p.m. and speak in the executive session on Wednesday, May 13, at 8 a.m.
Lingle Wang, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Scientific Development at Schrödinger, will conclude the conference on Thursday, May 14, at 2:45 p.m., by examining how computational modeling can optimize drug discovery. Dr. Wang is responsible for advancing Schrödinger’s physics-based computational drug discovery platform and has published extensively in the areas of free energy methods development, crystal structure predictions, and their applications in drug discovery and development.
“These plenaries showcase the scientific forces reshaping biotechnology,” AAPS 2026 NBC Scientific Programming Committee Chair Shuhua Bai, Ph.D., said. “From human-relevant, AI-enabled toxicology to predictive computational drug discovery, this program highlights the tools accelerating safer, smarter, and more precise therapeutic development, I can say these presentations offer a glimpse at the future direction of biotechnology. I'm proud our program offers access such innovative science.”
The two plenaries bookend a scientific program that follows two tracks: Advancing Novel Medicine through Precision Science and Patient-Centric Innovation and Applying Translational Principles Across the Development Lifecycle.
To register for the NBC, visit www.aaps.org/nbcreg.
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American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit association of more than 7,000 scientists and professionals employed in academia, industry, regulatory, and other research related to the pharmaceutical sciences worldwide. Its mission is to advance the capacity of pharmaceutical scientists to develop products and therapies that improve global health, which members pursue through four peer-reviewed journals and various events in person and online. www.aaps.org
The AAPS National Biotechnology Conference (NBC) uncovers the latest science and trends that impact today’s research and pharmaceutical markets, specifically in the areas of biologics, biotechnology products, and advanced therapies. www.aaps.org/nbc