Dr. Reza Parhizkar is Lead Data Scientist at Roche, where he leads the Galileo AI Platform—the company’s enterprise GenAI platform enabling responsible and scalable AI adoption. His team also built Roche’s enterprise agent development platform, supporting the creation of AI-powered assistants across the organization. He also has extensive experience leading data science and AI initiatives across the pharma value chain, spanning research, clinical development, manufacturing, and commercial domains. With a PhD from EPFL and over a decade of experience at the intersection of machine learning, optimization, and applied AI, Reza combines academic rigor with real-world impact—delivering transformative AI solutions in healthcare.
During this talk, we explore the paradigm shift AI represents, moving beyond its function as a mere tool to become a collaborative partner in scientific discovery and business innovation. Drawing inspiration from Galileo’s revolutionary use of the telescope, we now peer into a new sky of data and algorithms, where our success hinges not on the technology itself, but on our human capacity for curiosity, adaptability, and imagination. I will share how Roche is fostering a culture of experimentation and lifelong learning, exemplified by the grassroots adoption of tools like RocheChat, which became a viral success due to its open-ended potential rather than a rigid, top-down implementation. Ultimately, this presentation will underscore that while AI can accelerate our work, it is our collective human intelligence and courage to ask “What if?” that will truly drive the next era of healthcare innovation, transforming how we discover, develop, and deliver for patients.
