Speaker Profile
PMWC PIONEER AWARD
Pioneering DNA biobanks and pharmacogenomics integration
M.D., Ph.D., President & CEO, Vanderbilt U Medical Ctr
Biography
As CEO and medical school dean since 2009, Dr. Balser has led VUMCs healthsystem expansion from two to five regional campuses housing seven hospitalsand nearly 2000 licensed beds. With over 40,000 employees, annual operatingincome has grown from $2 to over $9 billion, supported by 3.5 millionpatient visits at over 200 locations. VUMC houses the nations largestheart transplant center and the Mid-Souths largest NCI-designatedcomprehensive cancer center. The School of Medicine is the nations 5thlargest recipient of NIH grants and is the nations academic leader inhealth information technology and precision medicine, hosting the Data andResearch Support Center for NIHs All of Us precision medicine program.He led a $1.2B public debt issuance and historic restructuring withVanderbilt University in 2016, launching VUMC as an independent 501C3. Amember of the National Academy of Medicine, he is a director of VUMC andCVS Health.
Talk
Implementing Precision Medicine at Scale: Lessons from Vanderbilt Health
"Vanderbilt University Medical Centers CEO shares a strategic roadmap for scaling precision medicine. Drawing from VUMCs experience, this session highlights key lessons in data integration, clinical implementation, and cross-sector collaborationoffering leaders actionable insights to advance personalized care."
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
Key players in successful implementation – 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
Integrating Multi-Modal Biology into Precision Care Pathways: A Systems Framework for Scalable Implementation
• K V Venkatesh, IIT Mumbai
Fireside Chat: From $/Gb to Outcomes: Simplifying Genomics for Health Systems
• Jacob Thaysen, Illumina
Achieving Comprehensive Precision Medicine
• Chair: Burns Blaxall
• Trish Brown, GeneDx
• Charles Sailey, Molecular Testing Labs
• Sarah Hersey, BMS
