Daniela Ferrara, Principal Medical Director at Genentech, calls her extensive medical training in Brazil her “north star.” Yet, she was frustrated by the limitations of clinical practice.
“Having patients go blind under my watch, I realized I would never defeat blindness through practice,” she said.
She turned her attention to clinical research, where her work could potentially improve the health of many rather than the few. More recently, with a focus on applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to multimodal imaging, her work could impact an even broader population sooner.
With podcast host Firas Rahhal, MD, Dr. Ferrara discusses her medical experience in Brazil and her research fellowship at the Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital, which is affiliated with New York University. She also discusses her move into industry; however, it’s not a complete switch: she maintains an academic affiliation with Tufts University School of Medicine, which allows her to stay connected to academia.
Whether academic research or drug development, research simply takes too long and costs too much. AI presents a solution because of its ability to analyze massive amounts of data faster than most humans—without fatigue and without coffee breaks.
Drs. Ferrara and Rahhal discuss that potential, as well as everyday use cases for AI. They also discuss Genentech’s current endeavors in AI and ophthalmology, which includes using AI modeling to predict retinal disease progression.
Listen to the podcast today to discover:
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Resources:
Daniela Ferrara, MD, PhD https://www.asrs.org/find-a-specialist/profile/5348/Daniela-Ferrara
Firas Rahhal, MD https://ois.net/firas-m-rahhal-md
Genentech Ophthalmology https://www.ophthalmologyvision.com