AI in Clinical Medicine Conference

As president of Microsoft Research, Peter Lee's leadership spans 11 worldwide laboratories to advance human knowledge and incubate research-powered products in artificial intelligence, computer science, health, and life sciences. Coauthor of the book, “The AI Revolution in Medicine: GPT-4 and Beyond," Lee was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in health and life sciences in 2024.

About three years ago, while ChatGPT and, later, the GPT-4 AI models were still in secret development at OpenAI, a group of researchers at Microsoft Research started investigating the potential impact of this new technology on health care delivery and medical research. One result of this investigation was the publication of the book in early 2023, "The AI Revolution in Medicine: GPT-4 and Beyond," coauthored with Carey Goldberg and Isaac Kohane. But since the book was written while GPT-4 was still a secret to the world, it was largely a work of speculation.

Now, with more real-world observation and experience, what is actually happening and what is likely to happen next in the world of health care? Lee’s presentation will go into what they had predicted, what they got right, and what they missed as a way to help us all see a bit into the future.

Nadia Smati, MD, is an academic internist and chief research officer and partner at Ainsley Advisory Group, a physician-led health care artificial intelligence strategy firm. She completed her undergraduate studies at Stanford University and earned her medical degree from Imperial College London, beginning her clinical career in the NHS with a focus on healthcare delivery and operations. Her dual training in the U.K. and U.S. shaped her work at the intersection of technology, value-based care, and the analysis of global health care delivery systems, with a focus on advancing equity through innovation. She recently completed her internal medicine residency at Kaiser Permanente, where she concurrently served as department technology lead, leading early integration efforts for AI and digital tools in clinical workflows and training. Dr. Smati has led projects and presented nationally and internationally on the applications of AI in patient-centered care, medical education, and policy. Her work during residency was recognized by the American College of Physicians with the National Resident/Fellow Research and Profile of Excellence Awards. In addition to her clinical practice and health-tech strategy work, she continues to teach and lead AI education at both the graduate and continuing medical education levels.

Jessica Schlicher, MD, is a family physician, virtual care leader, author, and health care executive with 14 years of experience directly caring for patients and leading clinical and operational teams. She currently works for Providence as chief medical officer for virtual care and digital health.

Dr. Schlicher co-founded CommonSpirit’s national patient-centered virtual care initiative and led the development of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health’s multispecialty virtual hospital and mission control center. Professional interests include clinical business development, teaching residents, clinical knowledge automation, keeping patients out of the hospital, and eliminating preventable suffering throughout the lifespan.

Lucy Orr-Ewing leads policy efforts for the Coalition for Health AI and joins from Stanford Medicine as a Harkness Fellow in the Clinical Excellence Research Center. At Stanford, her research focused on the current landscape for testing and evaluation of generative AI in health care, on best practice LLM deployment, and on patient perceptions of AI in health care.

Prior, she was chief of staff for the National Health Service in England, leading technology policy and was also head of strategy for the Federated Data Platform Program, the UK’s largest investment into its data infrastructure to connect all operational health data for the UK.

Tony Quang, MD, JD, FASTRO, FCLM, is chief of radiation oncology at the VA Medical Center in Long Beach, California. He is passionate about advocacy for physician autonomy and driving fundamental improvements in patient outcomes, hospital efficiency, and overall standard of care, and has expertise in clinical oncology, risk management, medical malpractice, and quality improvement. His acumen is pivotal for IT and biotech startups in the areas of AI imaging and its application. He recently edited a groundbreaking textbook titled "Understanding the Principles and Practice of Legal Oncology," which delves into critical issues such as the legal implications of opioid prescriptions under stringent regulations, the ethical considerations of AI in cancer care, product liability linked to carcinogenesis, navigating the complexities of clinical research compliance with FDA standards, COIs, and IRBs, and the objectives of peer review. He is a member of the WSMA board of trustees.

Clara De Abreu E Souza brings a practical, policy-informed perspective to questions of AI oversight in sensitive domains such as health care and law. She is an incoming associate at Hintze Law, where she will focus on artificial intelligence and data privacy. She brings both academic and practical experience to the regulation of emerging technologies. At Hintze Law, she previously worked as a summer associate, where she contributed to projects analyzing the impact of evolving state and federal privacy legislation, including issues involving algorithmic accountability and health data governance.

Her law school work focused heavily on the legal and ethical implications of AI. As a member of the Seattle University School of Law Health Policy and Advocacy Clinic, she contributed to an American Medical Association resolution on the use of AI in clinical decision-making. She also participated in the Ethical Legal Tech Innovation Practicum, collaborating with law and computer science students to create an AI tool to support survivors of domestic violence.

She complemented her experiential work with advanced coursework in AI, cybersecurity, and data privacy law, developing a strong foundation in both the technical and regulatory dimensions of modern data governance.

Vanessa Saavedra is a senior attorney with Northwest Health Law Deleted: Vanessa Saavedra ¶ Advocates, a nonprofit organization that works to make health care more accessible and affordable for all Washingtonians. Her health care experience prior to joining NoHLA includes legal and policy work for the Washington State Department of Health, the California Primary Care Association, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and the Health Rights Hotline, a former project of Legal Services of Northern California. Saavedra is a graduate of Duke University School of Law and a member of the state bar associations of Washington, California, and Arizona.