Cicada HealthTech Hub: Shifting Paradigms in Quantitative Systems Toxicology - Boosting Human Predictivity

Cicada HealthTech Hub and Southern Star Research cordially invite you to an exclusive presentation and morning tea featuring Dr. David Bearss.

As the industry moves toward replacing traditional animal models with more advanced methodologies, this session explores the revolutionary role of AI and Machine Learning in pre-clinical drug testing.

Event Details

• Date: Thursday, January 22nd, 2026

• Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Morning Tea provided)

• Location: Cicada HTH, IQ Building, Level 3 (Large Boardroom)

• Topic: The incorporation of AI/ML in the development of in-silico drug toxicity modeling.
  

About the Speaker

Dr. David J. Bearss is a trendsetting entrepreneur of drug development with over 20 years of experience. David is an industry-leading expert in small molecule drug development and genetic model systems for drug discovery, and also has unique experience in translational research focused on the use of genetic markers to predict drug sensitivity. Over his career, 

Dr. Bearss has discovered 16 compounds that have had INDs accepted and have moved forward in clinical development.
David is a founder of eight biotech companies including as co-founder of Biolexis Therapeutics in November 2021. He has also served as the CSO of Halia Therapeutics since January 2021 and as its CEO since March 2022. Previously, Dr. Bearss served as CEO of Tolero Pharmaceuticals and as CSO of Montigen Pharmaceuticals and SuperGen Inc., where he oversaw early drug discovery and development. 

Dr. Bearss was the Founding Co-Director of the Center for Investigational Therapeutics at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. He has held the role of Associate Professor in the Department of Oncological Sciences at the University of Utah as well as Associate Professor of Physiology and Developmental Biology at Brigham Young University. Dave earned a Ph.D. in cellular biology from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

Who Should Attend?

This event is designed for Westmead precinct personnel, researchers, clinicians, and industry partners with an interest in:

• Preclinical testing and 3D tissue culture

• In-silico toxicology modeling

• Immunology and metabolic disease

• Integrating AI into clinical workflows

Find out more about the Cicada HealthTech Hub 

The Cicada HealthTech Hub is proudly supported by NSW Government and is part of the Westmead’s Health & Innovation District. The district includes 4 major hospitals, 4 world-leading medical research institutes, 2 university campuses and the largest research-intensive pathology service in NSW. By 2036, the number of full-time staff will increase to more than 50,000 and the number of students will expand to more than 10,000. Among the first projects for development is a viral vector advanced manufacturing facility to provide ground-breaking trial therapies for infections, cancer and genetic diseases.