RAIIDIUS 2026 Program

Registration & Breakfast

Check in, pick up your badge, and enjoy breakfast while networking with fellow attendees.

Welcome & Opening Remarks

RAIIDIUS Founder and Program Chair, Dr. Harry Reyes Nieva, presents the vision and key objectives for RAIIDIUS 2026 and beyond.

Fireside Chat with Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH - 19th Director of the CDC (2021-2023)

Dr. Rochelle Walensky will discuss the role of AI and informatics in the future of infectious disease research, care delivery, and public health. The conversation will explore the promise, limitations, and real-world implications of these technologies in practice.

Session 1: Oral Presentations

Morning Coffee Break & Networking

Refreshments and informal networking.

Panel Session: Responsible AI Across the STI Research & Practice Continuum - From Clinics to Communities

Panel brings together leaders in clinical epidemiology, machine learning, implementation science, and public health practice to examine the promise and perils of AI and informatics for STI intervention, understanding, and surveillance.

Lunch & Roundtable Discussions

Lunch will be accompanied by facilitated roundtable discussions on key topics in the responsible use of AI and informatics in infectious disease research, practice, and policy.

Session 2: Oral Presentations

Panel Session: Responsible AI Across the STI Research & Practice Continuum - From Bench to Bedside

Panel brings together leaders in computational biology, translational science, clinical informatics, and STI care to examine the promise and perils of AI and informatics for STI intervention, understanding, and surveillance.

Afternoon Coffee Break & Networking

Refreshments and continued networking.

Workshop Tutorial: Introduction to OHDSI and Generating Real-World Evidence

A condensed, hands-on tutorial inspired by the Columbia OHDSI Summer School introducing the OHDSI community, open-source tools, and practical approaches to working with observational health data and generating real-world evidence.

Keynote Address and Fireside Chat with Akhila Kosaraju, MD - CEO and President of Phare Bio

Dr. Akhila Kosaraju (VP&S '07), CEO and President of Phare Bio, will deliver a keynote on the promise of generative AI and deep learning technologies to accelerate drug discovery and translational research. Phare Bio is a social venture applying these technologies to the discovery of new classes of antibiotics in collaboration with the Collins Lab at MIT. Dr. Kosaraju’s talk will explore how AI can advance antimicrobial innovation while also addressing the scientific, operational, and translational challenges of moving these approaches toward real-world impact.

Closing Remarks

Dr. Reyes Nieva presents summary takeaways and next steps for the RAIIDIUS community.

Poster Session & Networking Reception: AI and Informatics-based Methods and Applications for Infectious Disease Research and Practice

Join us for refreshments, continued conversation, and dedicated poster viewing time featuring AI and informatics methods and applications in infectious disease research and practice.