Speakers

Nicola J. Richmond is Chief Scientist, AI at Recursion, a clinical stage TechBio company leading the space by decoding biology to radically improve lives. Nicola leads Data Science and AI and leverages her deep expertise in AI-enabled augmentation and automation to advance the mission of industrialising drug discovery. Prior to joining Recursion, Nicola led AI strategy at BenevolentAI and advanced the use of explainable LLMs in novel target discovery. She previously spent nearly two decades at GlaxoSmithKline where she built efficiencies into small molecule and antibody drug discovery by developing technology that exploits large-scale lab data. Nicola completed a PhD in algebra and algebraic geometry at the University of Leeds before transitioning to cheminformatics as a postdoctoral fellow, working with Peter Willett, at the University of Sheffield. Her research focused on developing novel, scalable approaches to 3D pharmacophore design and was incorporated into a successful commercial product. Nicola is a strong advocate for women in STEM and is passionate about encouraging more girls to consider STEM careers.