AI in Health w/ Professor Joseph Powell (UNSW Cellular Genomics Futures Institute & Garvan Institute) and Prashanth Rajan (Brandon Capital
About
This is an invite‑only event for investors interested in frontier opportunities in DeepTech. Register your interest today. Approval Required.
Co-hosts: UNSW Barker Street Ventures, The Pillars
Event Details
Artificial intelligence is becoming an important tool in healthcare, helping researchers make sense of complex biological data and supporting new approaches to disease diagnosis, treatment and drug development. Alongside advances in genomics and single-cell biology, AI is creating new opportunities to translate research into real-world healthcare outcomes.
This TechTalk brings together Professor Joseph Powell and Prashanth Rajan to discuss how these technologies are being applied across healthcare, where they are already making a difference, and the opportunities and challenges involved in turning scientific advances into new therapies, diagnostics and companies.
Together they will unpack:
How AI is transforming genomics, biotechnology and precision medicine
The next generation of AI-enabled therapeutics, diagnostics and healthcare platforms
What it takes to translate breakthrough research into successful healthcare ventures
The opportunities and challenges involved in commercialising AI-driven healthcare innovation
Australia's role in the future of AI-powered healthcare and life sciences
Bringing together perspectives from both leading-edge research and life sciences venture capital, this conversation will provide practical insights for researchers, founders, operators and investors interested in the future of healthcare innovation.
Agenda:
5:00PM Doors open
5:20PM Fireside Chat with Professor Joseph Powell and Prashanth Rajan
Networking to follow
About
Professor Joseph Powell (LinkedIn)
Professor Joseph Powell is a leading researcher in human genomics, single-cell biology and precision medicine. He is Director of Translational Genomics at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Director of the UNSW Cellular Genomics Futures Institute, and co-founder of CellTellus Labs. His research combines large-scale human genomics, single-cell technologies and AI to understand the genetic basis of disease and identify new opportunities for therapeutic development. Joseph works extensively at the interface of academia, biotechnology and industry. He advises venture investors, start-ups and biotechnology companies, with a particular interest in translating genomic discoveries into new therapeutics, diagnostics and companies.
UNSW Cellular Genomics Futures Institute (Website)
The UNSW Cellular Genomics Futures Institute builds on the growing scientific leadership of UNSW Sydney and the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in cellular genomics, developing technologies to decode individual cell DNA, chromatin, RNA and protein outputs for more precise diagnosis and treatment of human disease.
Cellular genomics is transforming our understanding of disease. Conditions such as cancer and autoimmune disorders can arise from genetic or epigenetic changes in only a small number of cells. Until recently, researchers relied on bulk sequencing methods that averaged information across millions of cells, masking important differences between individual cells. By studying cells individually, researchers can gain deeper insights into disease and develop more targeted approaches to diagnosis and treatment.
Prashanth Rajan (LinkedIn)
Prashanth is based in Brandon’s Sydney-office and leads NSW activities for Brandon. Prashanth was led diligence as a part of investments into Pheon Therapeutics (Series A), Advancell Isotopes, Lumonus and a stealth biotech. Before joining Brandon, Prashanth was Senior Commercialisation Manager at UniSA Ventures, the commercialisation and investment-management arm of the University of South Australia (UniSA) where he led a series of complex licensing transactions and managed a portfolio of IP, and served as Operations Manager for AbRegen, which was an UniSA Ventures investee company. Prashanth has a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a M. Biotech (Adv) from The University of Queensland.
Brandon Capital (Website)
Brandon Capital is Australasia's leading life science venture capital firm, with a strong global presence supported by key partnerships and team members across the US and UK. Through collaboration and investment, we transform promising medical research breakthroughs into medical therapies that improve patients lives. We have supported more than 50 start-up companies to date, the majority of which were founded by us in collaboration with the inventor and their research institutes. From early-stage seed investment through to expansion capital, Brandon Capital supports life science companies from proof-of-concept through to commercialisation.
Barker Street Ventures (Website)
Barker Street Ventures is an investment platform giving sophisticated investors access to DeepTech spinouts and UNSW research. Most people never get the chance to invest early in Australia’s best research. We’re here to change that.
For questions: barkerstreetventures@unsw.edu.au