Speaker Profile
Ph.D., Chief Scientific Offiver, Genetic Alliance
Biography
Ryan J. Taft, PhD, is Chief Scientific Officer of Genetic Alliance, and founder of RISE (formerly iHope) a global rare disease program providing diagnostic genomic sequencing and clinical and patient support in 17 countries. The program has delivered genomic testing to more than 4,000 patients with suspected genetic conditions, achieving diagnostic yields above 40% and changing clinical management for roughly 70% of diagnosed patients. Dr. Taft also serves as Head of Precision Medicine at EspeRare, advancing therapeutic development for rare disease. Previously, he was SVP Genomics R&D at Tempus AI, VP Scientific Research at Illumina and a faculty member at the University of Queensland (Australia), where his laboratory studied the genomic basis of pediatric neurodevelopmental disorders. His current work focuses on expanding access to genomic diagnostic testing and precision therapeutics worldwide, and the use AI-enabled systems to augment all aspects of the patient journey.
Session Abstract – PMWC 2027 Silicon Valley
Track Chair:
Wendy Chung, Boston Children's / Harvard
PMWC Award Ceremony
• Wendy Chung, Boston Children's / Harvard (Pioneer)
• Eric Lander, Broad Institute (Pioneer)
Featured Speakers
• Wendy Chung, Boston Children's / Harvard
• Eric Lander, Broad Institute
• Zhanzhi (Mike) Hu, Project GUARDIAN / Columbia
• Tippi MacKenzie, UCSF
• Ryan Taft, Genetic Alliance
• Heidi Cope, RTI International
• Michele Caggana, NY State DOH Wadsworth Center
• Elad Ziv, UCSF
• Scott Grosse, University of Minnesota
• Mike Talkowski, Mass General / Harvard
• F. Sessions Cole, WashU
• Lee Hood, Phenome Health / ISB
• Trey Ideker, UC San Diego
• Ralph Snyderman, Duke
• Craig Mundie, Mundie & Associates
• George Church, Harvard
Beyond the Exome: Solving Undiagnosed Disease
The next layer of rare-disease diagnosis beyond standard sequencing.
Population Genomic Screening
From newborn sequencing to implementation, evidence, economics, and equity.
Structural Variants & Long Reads
Solving cases missed by conventional sequencing.
Launching the Human Phenome Initiative
From genome to phenome as a global health infrastructure challenge.
Data-Driven Health
AI, longitudinal data, and personalized clinical medicine.
Engineering the Future of Health
Genomes, cells, and engineering biology as precision medicine moves upstream.
PMWC Hall of Impact
Previous Speakers Include
Nobel laureates, technology founders, regulators, CEOs and scientific pioneers who have taken the PMWC stage.
