Alex Zhavoronkov | |
---|---|
Born | |
Alma mater | Queen's University at Kingston Johns Hopkins University (JHU)[7] |
Known for | The Ageless Generation: How Advances in Biomedicine Will Transform the Global Economy |
Scientific career | |
Fields | aging, regenerative medicine, drug development, artificial intelligence |
Institutions | Insilico Medicine, Biogerontology Research Foundation |
Alex Zhavoronkov (born Aleksandrs Zavoronkovs)[7] is a Latvian-born scientist and author working in biotechnology, regenerative medicine, and aging economics. He is the founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine,[8][9] and as of 2024, was also the director of the Biogerontology Research Foundation,[10][11] a UK-based think-tank for aging research.
In 2022, Zhavoronkov was an author of one of the first peer-reviewed published papers to formally credit ChatGPT as a coauthor.[12] Zhavoronkov reported that when he asked ChatGPT itself whether it should be named as a coauthor, "it responded with multiple compelling reasons as to why it should not".[12]
Director of the International Aging Research Portfolio, an open-access repository of biomedical grants.
Early life and education
Born in Latvia,[5][6] Zhavoronkov received two bachelor's degrees from Queen's University,[7] a master's degree in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University and a PhD in physics and mathematics from Moscow State University.[7] In 2017, he was an adjunct professor at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.[13] As of 2023[update], he was an adjunct professor of artificial intelligence at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging.[14]
Career
Zhavoronkov is the co-founder and CEO of Insilico Medicine, a Hong Kong-based deep learning company focused on drug discovery[15][16] and biomarker development for aging and aging-associated diseases.[17][18]
AI writer Calum Chace wrote that "[w]ithin the longevity research community, Alex Zhavoronkov is well-known for his relentless focus. He works seven days a week and takes no holidays".[5] In 2022, Zhavoronkov participated in a round of financing for Insilico Medicine that raised $60 million for the venture.[19] Zhavoronkov asserted at the time that the industry was "in 'biotechnology winter' where many companies are running out of cash and are dying", and that his fundraising was positioning the company for a coming "biotech spring".[19] In 2023, Zhavoronkov stated that he had "moved the company's R&D to China to capitalize on 'half a trillion dollars' worth of infrastructure and hundreds of thousands of scientists to enable AI-designed drugs".[11]
In November 2017, Zhavoronkov proposed the application of the deep learning techniques and blockchain technology for managing human life data.[20][21][22]
((cite journal))
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)