ELRIG has announced the keynote speakers for its 2026 Advances in Cell-based Screening conference in Gothenburg, where scientists will gather to explore how human-first models, advanced cell biology and AI are changing the future of drug discovery.
ELRIG, a not-for-profit and volunteer-led organisation serving the global drug discovery community, has announced the keynote speakers for Advances in Cell-based Screening 2026. The event will take place at AstraZeneca’s site in Gothenburg, Sweden, from 6–7 May and will be free to attend. It aims to bring together scientists from across pharma, biotech, academia and the supplier ecosystem to explore the future of drug discovery.
Professor Hazel Screen of Queen Mary University in London and Dr Dave Powell of Relation Therapeutics will headline the conference, delivering keynote presentations focused on innovation in preclinical research and data-driven discovery.
“I’m most excited by the moment our field is in right now: scaling up relevant cell biology and the intelligence we extract from it with AI,” said Sam Barichievy, one of the conference directors. “Expect practical, high-impact discussions on deep learning for complex imaging, multi-dimensional data pipelines and what it will take to engineer our cell assay workflows into a faster, more predictive human-first state.”
Driving a post-animal drug discovery era
Drug discovery is moving towards a post-animal era, shaped by the demand for more relevant human biology, scalable experimentation and AI-ready data. The conference will focus on how the sector can transition from animal-based milestones to human-first decision making through collaboration and shared expertise.
Drug discovery is moving towards a post-animal era, shaped by the demand for more relevant human biology, scalable experimentation and AI-ready data.
This year’s programme features four structured sessions addressing key challenges and opportunities. Topics include scaling complex in vitro models, redesigning assay pipelines to manage large volumes of multi-dimensional cell-based data and leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to enhance predictive capabilities.
Attendees will also have access to a poster award for Early Career Professionals, an AstraZeneca site tour, an exhibition hall and networking opportunities spanning the full cell-based discovery continuum.
Dr Dave Powell of Relation Therapeutics (left) and Professor Hazel Screen of Queen Mary University in London (right) will headline the Advances in Cell-based Screening 2026 conference in Gothenburg, Sweden.[/caption] Expert insights from keynote speakers
Professor Hazel Screen is a specialist in organ-on-chip technologies, with research focused on understanding the relationship between tissue structure and function in both healthy and diseased states. Her work contributes to the development of predictive in vitro models and next-generation therapeutic approaches.
“ELRIG offers an exceptional opportunity to discuss pioneering approaches to predictive in vitro systems,” said Professor Screen. “I’m honoured to be invited to share the underpinning biomedical engineering approaches feeding into developing organ-chip models and reflect on the challenges associated with effectively translating these into both discovery science and therapeutic testing.”
Her keynote, titled ‘Predictive in vitro Models: Addressing the challenges and harnessing the opportunities in pre-clinical testing’, will be delivered on the first day of the event.
Moving to a human first, AI enabled discovery pipeline requires deep structural change across biology, data and organisational practice.
Dr Dave Powell, President of Drug Discovery at Relation Therapeutics, brings more than 25 years of research and development experience across organisations including GSK, Summit Therapeutics and LifeArc. His expertise spans the full drug discovery pipeline through to Phase III clinical trials.
“Moving to a human first, AI enabled discovery pipeline requires deep structural change across biology, data and organisational practice,” said Dr Powell “I’m delighted to engage with the ELRIG community at Advances in Cell-based Screening to discuss how AI can help to navigate complex cellular data and enhance the predictive accuracy of our efforts to deliver transformative therapies.”
His presentation, “Transforming target discovery through a DNA Foundation Model and multi-omics approach”, will take place on the second day.
A forward-looking programme
As the drug discovery sector continues to evolve, Advances in Cell-based Screening 2026 will provide a collaborative platform for discussion and innovation for the industry. By bringing together leading experts in the field, ELRIG aims to accelerate the shift towards more predictive, human-relevant research models, helping to shape a more efficient and effective future for therapeutic development.
“What really excites me about this year's conference is that we have a very future-looking programme – it's really about how we can enable a post-animal testing paradigm and embrace AI,” said Fredrik Edfeldt, one of the conference directors. “We are honoured to have Prof Hazel Screen and Dr Dave Powell share their insights with us during the keynotes. We look forward to welcoming ELRIG’s drug discovery community to Gothenburg!”
You can register to attend the event, for free, here.
