Keynote Speakers

Get ready to be inspired by our renowned keynote speakers!

jonathan mccrea

Storytelling with Data to Influence Change

Clinical trials don’t succeed on statistical elegance alone; they succeed when stakeholders understand the evidence, trust the data, and make the necessary decisions. In this PSI keynote, master trainer Jonathan McCrea draws on over 15 years of experience in broadcasting and science communication to address a common frustration: being technically correct, yet failing to persuade.

Jonathan will demonstrate how to make results clear without making them simplistic, offering practical techniques to influence behaviour based on core communication principles. The session concludes with a critical look at the future of reporting, exploring how to remain ethical, persuasive, and trustworthy as AI fundamentally shifts how data is produced and consumed.

JustineRochon

Reinventing Clinical Development: Why it’s time for us to lead the AI‑enabled future

Day two of the conference will be opened by Justine Rochon, Head of R&D Data and Quantitative Sciences, SVP at Takeda. Renowned for her visionary leadership and scientific expertise, Justine led the transformation of a global data science organization at a leading pharmaceutical company into an agile, data-driven powerhouse that redefined innovation culture and delivered outstanding results. A recognized catalyst for change, she has contributed to cross-industry collaborations, including a strategic alliance with major pharmaceutical partners and the CCAIM, a premier institute for AI-driven medicine in Cambridge, UK. Co-author of the Charter for Data Science in Pharmaceutical R&D and the Manifesto for AI-Driven Clinical Trials, she champions the transformative though realistic use of AI in drug development. Recently listed in the 2025 Top 10 Trailblazing Women in Pharma by Reuters Events, Justine is widely recognised for her passion, leadership and expertise in AI-driven clinical trials. Following her keynote speech, she will be joined by Danielle Belgrave (VP of AI and ML at GSK) and Dr. Tom Diethe (Executive Director, Head of the Centre for AI at AstraZeneca) on a panel discussion on the future of AI in our industry.

Danielle Belgrave pictue

Reinventing Clinical Development: Why it’s time for us to lead the AI‑enabled future

Danielle Belgrave is a VP of AI/ML at GSK. Her experience spans conducting machine learning research and leading teams across academia and industry focused on scientific discovery and personalising interventions in health. She has previously worked at Google DeepMind, Microsoft Research Cambridge, UK and Imperial College London. She has a BSc in business mathematics and statistics from the London School of Economics and a master’s degree in statistics from University College London. Her PhD was at the University of Manchester in Machine Learning for Healthcare.

https://www.daniellebelgrave.com


Tom Diethe

Reinventing Clinical Development: Why it’s time for us to lead the AI‑enabled future

Dr. Tom Diethe is Executive Director and Head of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence at AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK. Tom leads a multidisciplinary team developing innovative AI and machine learning solutions to accelerate drug discovery and deepen our understanding of human biology and medicinal chemistry. With over 20 years’ experience spanning industry and academia—including roles at Amazon, Microsoft Research, the British Medical Journal Group, QinetiQ, UCL, and the University of Bristol—Tom has specialised in healthcare applications of AI, from genomics and proteomics to digital health and physiological measurement. He is co-author of the online-first book “Model-Based Machine Learning”, an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Bristol, a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society, and a member of ELLIS (the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems). 

 

Chrissie-Fletcher-1

Reinventing Clinical Development: Why it’s time for us to lead the AI‑enabled future

Session Chair

Chrissie is the Vice President and Head for Respiratory, Immunology and Inflammation Statistics at GSK. She leads a group of statisticians supporting the development of medicines in respiratory, hepatology, inflammation and fibrosis, neuroscience, and renal disease areas covering pre-clinical research through to post-approval activities. Chrissie also manages a group of statisticians based in India who support the R&D portfolio. Chrissie has worked in the Pharmaceutical Industry for 35 years and she has experience of developing and commercialising new medicines in a variety of disease areas across all phases of clinical development.
Chrissie is actively engaged in statistical societies, pharmaceutical trade associations and initiatives relating to the Pharmaceutical Industry. Chrissie leads the EFSPI Statistics Leaders Forum, and she is a member of the EFPIA Clinical Research Expert Group where she co-leads the Innovation in Clinical Trials team. Chrissie leads the EFPIA/EFSPI estimand implementation working group (ICH E9(R1)) and she is a Council member of the Royal Statistical Society.
In 2019 Chrissie was given honorary membership for her outstanding service to PSI, and she was selected for the Women in Data “Twenty in Data and Technology” award which showcases phenomenal women who encompass every level of seniority and data discipline, and who continue to make role models visible within their industry professions.
Chrissie is a Chartered Statistician of the Royal Statistical Society (RSS). Chrissie has an MSc in Applied Statistics and a BSc (Hons) in Statistics with Management Science Techniques.

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