Speaker Profile
Ph.D., Vice President of Genomics Research and Head of Data Integration, Abbvie
Biography
Howard J. Jacob, Ph.D., brings decades of genome knowledge from academiaand the clinical setting to address the current state of whole genomesequencing and its potential for both patients and those interested inlearning more about their own DNA. Jacob is the Vice President and Head ofGenomics and Data Integration at AbbVie and Distinguished Research Fellowand member of the scientific Governing Board. He joined AbbVie in January2019 to lead one of the largest Genomics Research Center efforts in thefield with access to over one million genomes and clinical data. Inaddition, he leads AbbVies RD-wide Data Integration Program (calledConvergence) which brings together all types of data to create knowledge tosolve and ultimately improve treatment for patients. The Convergence teamrecently launched the AbbVie Research Collaborative, a health data platformthat enables patients to share their health data with AbbVie researchers tohelp advance the development of new medicines.Jacob earned his Ph.D. at theuniversity of Iowa and then completed a post-doctorate with Eric Lander andVictor Dzai at MIT, Harvard, and Stanford. Prior to his work at AbbVie, heled the clinical teams at the worlds first stand-alone genomic medicineclinic, as well as a whole genome clinical sequencing lab. Jacob haspublished over 250 peer-reviewed articles. He founded four companies and ison the advisory boards for numerous academic and commercialorganizations.As a pioneer and leader in genomics, in 2009, Howard and histeam at the Medical College of Wisconsin were the first in the world to usegenomic sequencing to save the life of a patient, Nicholas Volker. Nicholasstory was highlighted in a Pulitzer Prize winning series in the MilwaukeeJournal Sentinel.
Talk
From Variant to Verdict: Translating Kidney Genomics into Clinical Decisions
Clinical Dx Showcase:
Abbvie
Session Abstract – PMWC 2026 Silicon Valley
The PMWC 2026 Data Applications in Clinical Diagnostics Showcase will provide a 15-30 minute time slot for selected organizations, including commercial companies, clinical testing labs, and medical research institutions, to present their latest advancements, insights, applications, and technologies to an audience of clinicians, leading investigators, academic institutions, pharma and biotech, investors, and potential clients. We will learn about new technologies and findings that promise expedited, cost-effective, and accurate clinical diagnosis for early disease detection, treatment decisions, and disease prevention.
- Clinical Dx/Oncology (including Liquid Biopsy)
- Clinical Dx/Cardio Vascular
- Clinical Dx/Neurodegenerative
