Lurong Pan, Ph.D., found of Ainnonence, Inc., a drug discovery firm that looked to accelerate drug discovery efforts through comprehensive models, has joined the Systems Pharmacology AI Research Center (SPARC) here at UAB. 

In her role, Dr. Pan will serve as the Senior Scientist, where she will lead AI drug discovery research initiatives within SPARC. These initiatives will place an emphasis on the development of innovative approaches in identifying new therapeutic candidates that traditional approaches were previously unable to. With these initiatives, it aims to address the medical needs of patients that were previously unmet.

Pan will also be responsible for building open-source AI platforms for education and collaboration. She will spearhead open-source projects that will release data, algorithms, and tools to the wider biomedical research community, in the efforts to build collaboration and innovation in translation medicine and drug discovery. 

"I am really excited to take on this new role within SPARC," said Dr. Pan. "I believe that this role will provide the opportunity to leverage disruptive AI technology towards positive advancements in biomedical science while enhancing human health overall."

For more information about SPARC, please go to the Systems Pharmacology AI Research Center (SPARC) website.