Kim Branson

Kim Branson is SVP, Global Head, AI/ML at GSK, where he leads a global organization of nearly 100 machine learning researchers and engineers who are pioneering the application of AI to drug discovery and development.

With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Kim is a world-renowned expert in artificial intelligence and machine learning. His expertise lies in modelling and machine learning for drug and vaccine discovery, combining perspectives from academia to technology start-up. His leadership has helped GSK build one of the industry's most successful in-house AI departments, which leverages the potential of complex genetic data to maximize GSK's industry-leading collaborations.

Prior to joining GSK, Kim was the Head of AI, Early Clinical Development at Genentech (NSQ: DNA). He has also been involved in various large-scale machine learning and medical informatics initiatives, ranging from computational drug design to disease risk prediction. This work is vital to translational research, which aims to bridge the gap between basic science and clinical practice. By leveraging the potential of complex genetic data through AI and ML, GSK is able to accelerate the translation of scientific knowledge into new drugs and therapies for patients.

Kim has been involved in large-scale machine learning and medical informatics initiatives for more than two decades over a range of ventures from computational drug design to disease risk prediction. Previously Kim helped found several Silicon Valley start-ups, including Discovery Engine (acquired by Twitter in 2009), Gliimpse as Chief Scientist (acquired by Apple in 2017), and Lumiata, a predictive health analytics company. 

Kim holds Bsc(Hons) in Microbiology and Immunology, Biochemistry from the University of Adelaide and a PhD in Computational Drug Design, X-ray Crystallography from the University of Melbourne. He was a Peter Doherty fellow and received postdoctoral training at Stanford University.