Speaker Profile
PMWC PIONEER AWARD
From first WGS-treated patient to large-scale genomic programs
Ph.D., Vice President, Quantitative Medicine & Genomics, Abbvie
Biography
Howard Jacob, Ph.D. is Vice President and Head of Quantitative Medicine & Genomics at AbbVie, where he leads enterprise-wide efforts to integrate genomics, clinical data, and advanced analytics to accelerate drug discovery and improve patient outcomes. Since joining AbbVie in 2018, he has guided one of the industry’s largest genomics research programs, supporting access to more than one million genomes and helping establish AbbVie’s Convergence data integration platform.
Prior to AbbVie, Howard led clinical teams at the world’s first standalone genomic medicine clinic and whole-genome sequencing laboratory. He has authored over 300 peer-reviewed publications, founded four companies, and served on advisory boards across academia and industry. His team became the first in the world to use genome sequencing to save a patient’s life in 2010. He and his team recently published “Common Diseases in Clinical Cohorts - Not Always What They Seem”. N Engl J Med. 2025 Oct 23.
Talk
Session Abstract – PMWC 2026 Silicon Valley
Track Chair:
Burns Blaxall
PMWC Award Ceremony
• Euan Ashley, Stanford
• Jeffrey R. Balser, Vanderbilt
• Howard J. Jacob, Abbvie
Precision Medicine at Scale: Lessons from Vanderbilt
• Jeffrey R. Balser, Vanderbilt
From First Patient to a Million Genomes
• Chair: Howard J. Jacob, Abbvie
• Jeffrey R. Balser, Vanderbilt
• Euan Ashley, Stanford
Keynote: AI and Data-Driven Individual Health- Optimizing Wellness, Preventing Disease and Empowering Precision Medicine
• Lee Hood, Phenome Health
Keys to Successful Implementation of a Precision Medicine Program
• Chair: Howard McLeod, GeneDx
• Kevan Simms, Ochsner Health
• Chris Lunt, NIH
• David Ledbetter, Florida State U
• Mark Atalla, HHS
• Susanne Munksted, Diaceutics
Precision Cardiology at Scale: Implementing Genomics Beyond Oncology
• Chair: Damon Hostin, Illumina
• Shaista Malik, UC Irvine
• David E. Lanfear, Henry Ford Health
• Oren Caspi, Rambam
Precision Medicine at Scale: Lessons from a Statewide Genomic Initiative
• Chair: Premal Shah, MyOme
• Niall Lennon, Broad Clinical Labs
• Oliver Hampton, Southern Research
Integrating Multi-Modal Biology into Precision Care Pathways: A Systems Framework for Scalable Implementation
• K V Venkatesh, IIT Mumbai
From $/Gb to Outcomes: Simplifying Genomics for Health Systems
• Jacob Thaysen, Illumina
Achieving Comprehensive Precision Medicine
• Chair: Burns Blaxall
• Trish Brown, GeneDx
• Eric Green, Illumin
• Daryl Pritchard, Personalized Medicine Coalition
• Ora Gordon, Providence Health
• Sarah Hersey, BMS
