Training AI to Detect Disease: Stand Up To Cancer’s Julian Adams

Training AI to Detect Disease: Stand Up To Cancer’s Julian Adams

Author: MIT Sloan Management Review June 11, 2025 Duration: 30:40
Me, Myself, and AI
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Julian Adams tried but didn’t succeed at retirement after a productive career as a medical chemist with several U.S. Food and Drug Association approvals of cancer-related treatments, including cell therapy for bone marrow transplantation. Soon after, his participation in a Stand Up To Cancer advisory group led to his appointment as the nonprofit’s president and CEO. The research organization raises money to advance the diagnosis of numerous cancers. Given rapid technological advancements, our podcast hosts were eager to invite Julian on the show to share how Stand Up To Cancer uses artificial intelligence to aid in this pursuit. Read the episode transcript here. For more information on Stand Up To Cancer and how to donate to the organization, please visit this website. Guest bio Julian Adams, president and CEO of Stand Up To Cancer, is among the world’s foremost oncology researchers. He was previously CEO of biopharmaceutical company Gamida Cell and president of R&D at Infinity Pharmaceuticals, where he oversaw development of small molecule drugs to treat cancer. He has also held roles at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Boehringer Ingelheim, LeukoSite, and ProScript. Adams’s recognitions include the 2012 Warren Alpert Foundation Prize for his role in the discovery and development of bortezomib, an anti-cancer drug; the 2012 C. Chester Stock Award Lectureship from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; and the 2001 Ribbon of Hope Award for Velcade from the International Myeloma Foundation. He holds more than 40 patents and has authored more than 130 papers and book chapters. He received his bachelor’s degree and an honorary doctor of science degree from McGill University and his Ph.D. from MIT in synthetic organic chemistry. Me, Myself, and AI is a collaborative podcast from MIT Sloan Management Review and Boston Consulting Group and is hosted by Sam Ransbotham and Shervin Khodabandeh. Our engineer is David Lishansky, and the executive producer is Allison Ryder. Stay in touch with us by joining our LinkedIn group, AI for Leaders at mitsmr.com/AIforLeaders or by following Me, Myself, and AI on LinkedIn. We encourage you to rate and review our show. Your comments may be used in Me, Myself, and AI materials.

Ever wondered how some organizations manage to turn artificial intelligence from a buzzword into a genuine engine for growth, while others struggle to move beyond the pilot phase? Me, Myself, and AI, a production from MIT Sloan Management Review, goes straight to the source to find out. Instead of theoretical discussions, this podcast features candid conversations with the people who are actually building and implementing AI systems at scale. You'll hear directly from leaders at prominent companies like YouTube, Cisco, and Hugging Face as they recount their journeys-not just the polished successes, but the real-world challenges, strategic decisions, and sometimes surprising lessons learned along the way. Each episode digs into the practicalities of creating measurable business value, cutting through the noise to reveal what effective AI leadership and integration truly look like. It’s a focused exploration for anyone in technology, business, or education who wants to understand the human and operational stories behind the algorithms. Tune in for an unvarnished look at the future being built, one practical application at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

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Podcast Episodes
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