Recap: CDD Life Sciences Community Event - South San Francisco 2026

The Bay Area life sciences community came together at The Hangar in South San Francisco on May 21, 2026, for CDD’s Life Sciences Community Event. It was a day dedicated to scientific collaboration, emerging technologies, and discussions about the future of drug discovery.

Researchers, scientists, informatics professionals, and biotech leaders from across the industry gathered to exchange ideas, share experiences, and explore how advances in data management, AI, and connected scientific workflows are transforming modern R&D. Throughout the day, attendees engaged in insightful presentations, lively discussions, and valuable networking opportunities with peers from across the life sciences ecosystem.

We’d like to thank all of our speakers, panelists, attendees, and community members who helped make this event such a success.

Opening Remarks: Building the Foundation for AI-Driven Discovery

Barry Bunin, Ph.D., CEO of CDD, opened the event by discussing the growing importance of connected scientific data, collaboration, and AI-ready research infrastructure. His remarks set the stage for a day focused on how organizations can better leverage data to accelerate discovery, improve decision-making, and unlock the full potential of emerging technologies.

Major Announcement: CDD and Lilly Bring TuneLab to CDD Vault

One of the most exciting moments of the day was the announcement of a new collaboration between Collaborative Drug Discovery (CDD) and Eli Lilly and Company to integrate Lilly TuneLab into CDD Vault.

The partnership will enable biotech organizations using CDD Vault to access select Lilly AI and machine learning models directly within their existing scientific workflows. By bringing predictive modeling capabilities into the environment researchers already use every day, the collaboration aims to help teams make faster, more informed decisions throughout the drug discovery process.

Following the announcement, Barry Bunin was joined by Aliza Apple, VP of Catalyze360 AI and Global Head of Lilly TuneLab at Eli Lilly and Company, for a fireside chat discussing the future of AI-enabled drug discovery and the power of collaborative innovation across the life sciences industry.

The conversation offered attendees a unique look at the vision behind Lilly TuneLab, lessons learned from building the platform, and how partnerships between technology providers, biotech companies, and pharmaceutical organizations can help make advanced AI capabilities more accessible to researchers worldwide.

Accelerating Discovery Through Transcriptomics

Christopher Moxham, Ph.D., from Transcripta Bio presented on “Revolutionizing Drug Discovery via the Transcriptome,” highlighting how transcriptomics-driven approaches are helping researchers uncover biological insights and accelerate discovery programs.

Improving ADMET Predictions with Confidence and Margin

Mick Kappler, Ph.D. (IDEAYA Biosciences) and Michael Boag (Utiliware) discussed approaches for improving ADMET prediction workflows and increasing confidence in computational modeling strategies to better support drug discovery decision-making.

AI Adventures in a Safe Space

Peter Gedeck, Ph.D., from CDD explored practical applications of AI within research environments, focusing on experimentation, innovation, and how scientific organizations can safely evaluate and implement emerging AI technologies.

The Future of CDD Vault

The CDD Product and Services Team shared updates on the future direction of CDD Vault, including ongoing platform enhancements, connected workflows, and continued support for AI-ready scientific data environments.

Unified Scientific Workflows Across Small Molecules and Biologics

Alex Clark, Ph.D., from CDD presented on bringing together small molecules, larger molecules, and biologics within unified scientific workflows, emphasizing the growing need for integrated research environments capable of supporting increasingly complex discovery programs.

Real-Time Design Collaboration and Data Sharing

Charlotte Bani from Optibrium discussed how StarDrop supports collaborative scientific workflows and enables real-time design and data-sharing capabilities across research teams.

Open Science and ADMET Innovation

Keynote speaker Pat Walters, Ph.D., from OpenADMET delivered a presentation on raising the bar for ADMET prediction through open science approaches and collaborative innovation across the research community.

Panel Discussion: Rethinking Drug Discovery in the Age of AI

The event concluded with a panel discussion featuring Janice Darlington, Bruce Clapham, Ellen Berg, Kia Winslow, and Sushant Malhotra. The panel explored how AI is reshaping drug discovery, the challenges organizations face when implementing new technologies, and the opportunities created by increasingly connected and data-driven research environments.

The discussion reinforced a key theme that emerged throughout the day: while AI continues to evolve rapidly, its success depends on high-quality scientific data, thoughtful implementation, and strong collaboration between researchers, technology providers, and industry partners.

The day wrapped up with a happy hour and social mingle, giving attendees an opportunity to continue conversations, strengthen professional connections, and engage with the broader Bay Area life sciences community.

We’d like to thank all of our speakers, panelists, attendees, and community members who helped make the event such a success.

Thank You

Thank you again to everyone who joined us in South San Francisco and contributed to making this event such a memorable and successful gathering. We look forward to continuing these conversations and bringing the community together again at future CDD events.

Our next User Group Meeting will be held in Boston. If you'd like to join us, register today to reserve your spot. We look forward to seeing you there.

Learn more about upcoming CDD events here: CDD Upcoming Events