Dr Mishal Patel appointed Visiting Professor of Practice in AI and Digital Innovation

The department is delighted to announce that Dr Mishal Patel has been appointed Visiting Professor of Practice in AI and Digital Innovation.

Dr Patel will bring his experience and expertise to the department’s academic community, contributing to our teaching, research and engagement at a time of rapid development in artificial intelligence and digital technologies.

Dr Patel is a leader in the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning to drug discovery and development. His career has spanned medicinal chemistry, life sciences and technology, with a particular focus on how advanced computational approaches can help accelerate biopharmaceutical research and support the development of new therapies for patients.

He is currently Global Vice President of AI & Digital Innovation and UK Research & Early Development Site Head at Novo Nordisk, where he leads work using AI and machine learning to transform approaches to drug discovery and development.

Dr Patel began his career as a researcher and medicinal chemist and has worked across organisations including the Institute of Cancer Research and AstraZeneca. His experience across different stages of the research and development process has shaped his interest in bringing together computational science, drug discovery and organisational innovation to address complex challenges in healthcare.

His appointment as Visiting Professor of Practice will provide opportunities to share this expertise with the department’s students and researchers and to contribute to teaching and research at the intersection of computer science and healthcare innovation.

We are delighted to welcome Mishal to our department as Visiting Professor of Practice. His appointment gives us a great opportunity to strengthen the scientific alliance between Oxford and Novo Nordisk, particularly in AI and computer science. Head of Computational Biology and Health Informatics Theme, Professor Blanca Rodriguez