Session B: AI-Driven Protein Design and Drug Discovery

Bruce R. Donald, Ph.D. is the James B. Duke Distinguished Professor at Duke University and a pioneering leader at the intersection of artificial intelligence, computational biology, protein design, and drug discovery. At Duke, he holds appointments in Computer Science, Mathematics, Chemistry, and Biochemistry, reflecting the exceptional breadth of his scholarship and the cross-disciplinary impact of his work across computation, structural biology, and the life sciences. Over the course of his career, he has helped define how rigorous algorithms and physical models can be applied to complex biological problems with real translational potential. Dr. Donald is widely recognized for developing foundational computational methods for protein structure determination, computational protein design, molecular design, and resistance prediction. His research has advanced the scientific basis for designing proteins, antibodies, peptides, and other targeted molecules with improved therapeutic properties. By combining algorithmic innovation with structural molecular biology and chemistry, his work has helped expand the role of computation from a supporting analytical tool into a driver of discovery in modern biomedicine. His laboratory has also contributed to translational efforts in which designs arising from his research have advanced toward clinical evaluation. In addition to his academic leadership, Dr. Donald is the founder of Ten63 Therapeutics and serves as Chair of its Scientific Advisory Board. The company emerged from years of pioneering work in his laboratory and was built to apply AI- and physics-based molecular design to some of the most challenging targets in oncology and other serious diseases. His role in both academia and biotechnology exemplifies a rare ability to bridge fundamental science, platform innovation, and entrepreneurial translation. Dr. Donald's contributions have been recognized by major distinctions including a Presidential Young Investigator Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and election as Fellow of the ACM, IEEE, and AAAS. Through his work at Duke and Ten63 Therapeutics, he continues to shape the future of AI-driven drug discovery and computationally guided therapeutic innovation.