Partner Spotlight
Turning AI’s Potential Into Progress in Drug Discovery: A Q&A With Oxford Professor Alex Bullock
Drug discovery has always depended on making sense of extraordinarily complex biology. AI is creating new ways to do so, with the potential to accelerate how researchers understand disease and develop new medicines. But as the Financial Times recently reported, advances in computing can only go so far: realizing AI’s potential in drug discovery still requires navigating the complexities of human biology. At the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Medicine (NDM), where research spans basic science through clinical translation, that challenge is informing both research and teaching. Through the new Oxford AI in Drug Discovery and Medicine Programme, NDM is opening up its expertise to professionals.
The program marks the latest expansion of 2U’s relationship with the University of Oxford, which now spans nearly 40 online programs across Saïd Business School, the Faculty of Law, the Blavatnik School of Government, and NDM that generate over 200,000 enrollments. Building on that partnership, we spoke with Alex Bullock, Professor of Structural and Chemical Biology in the Centre for Medicines Discovery at NDM, about where AI can make a meaningful difference in drug discovery, how NDM’s active research shapes the program, and what professionals need to use these technologies responsibly.
NDM’s research spans fundamental discovery through clinical application. How is AI changing the work happening across that spectrum today, and where are the most meaningful opportunities emerging?
One area where AI is proving most useful is helping us extract meaning from increasingly large, complex, and multimodal datasets. In biomedical research, we are generating enormous amounts of information, and the challenge is understanding what those data can tell us about complex human disease biology.
That has implications across the drug discovery process. AI can help us identify and validate potential drug targets, generate new hypotheses, and inform experimental design. Further along the pipeline, it can support molecular optimisation as we develop drugs that are both safe and effective. The opportunity is to apply AI thoughtfully at the stages of discovery where it can help us ask better questions and make better-informed decisions.
NDM has been at the center of major advances in medicine, from the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to newer initiatives like OpenBind, where researchers are helping build the data and infrastructure for new AI approaches to drug discovery. How does being close to that work shape what and how you teach professionals who are looking to apply AI in their own work?
Being close to active biomedical research grounds the teaching in the problems researchers are actually trying to solve. In practice, that means we can move beyond AI in the abstract and explore how these approaches encounter the complexity of real-world biology and drug discovery.
That connection between theory and practice is central to how we’ve approached this programme. The aim is to give learners the conceptual grounding they need while showing how those ideas are applied to real scientific questions. It allows us to teach not just what these technologies are capable of, but how they can help professionals make better decisions in practice.
What prompted NDM to create the Oxford AI in Drug Discovery and Medicine Programme, and why was this the right time to bring it to professionals outside the University?
We are at an interesting point in the development of AI. The field is still moving incredibly quickly, but it has also matured enough that there are important concepts to teach and meaningful lessons to draw from how these technologies are already being used in biomedical research.
That makes this a valuable moment for education. Rather than focusing on any one tool, which may change very quickly, we can help professionals understand the principles and approaches they need to evaluate new developments as the healthcare field evolves.
Who did you have in mind as you designed this program? What are you hearing or seeing from scientists, researchers, and R&D professionals about what they need to navigate this moment?
We designed the programme primarily for professionals and postgraduate learners working in healthcare discovery or implementation who want to understand how to apply AI within their field. We expect participants to come from a range of roles and backgrounds, so the programme does not assume that everyone is already an AI specialist.
A basic understanding of drug discovery provides the programme’s scientific foundation. From there, we want learners to develop a practical understanding of where AI can be useful, how to evaluate its application, and how to connect what they learn to their own work in research, drug discovery, or implementing new approaches in healthcare.
AI in medicine raises scientific, ethical, regulatory, and practical questions. How do you weigh those considerations when deciding where and how to use AI?
Capability is only one part of the equation. We also have to ask whether we can trust these systems, how they complement human expertise, and what the consequences could be if they are used incorrectly or for the wrong purposes.
Those questions take on particular importance in medicine because the stakes are ultimately human. AI can be enormously valuable, but its use has to be guided by an understanding of both its limitations and its potential harm. That’s why we think about AI as something that should work with people, not replace them.
NDM already has a world-renowned research footprint. What did you see in 2U’s capabilities and its existing work across the University of Oxford that made this partnership a compelling way to extend NDM’s reach?
With a strong track record of delivering high-quality online courses in challenging subject areas for Oxford, it’s clear that 2U was the right company to partner with on our first professional courses. We have confidence in 2U’s ability to translate complex academic content into an engaging and accessible online learning experience that supports the programme’s goals.
By bringing together 2U’s experience in online education and NDM’s academic and research expertise, we have a strong foundation for the partnership.
This is the first program NDM and 2U are launching together, with another with the Oxford Nuffield Healthcare Management Programme expected to follow. What are your ambitions for the partnership, and what role do you hope online professional education can play in NDM’s mission as medicine and biomedical research continue to evolve rapidly?
NDM has a proud history of educating the scientists, educators, clinicians, and policymakers who contribute to improvements in equitable global health. As Europe’s largest medical research department, we generate an extraordinary breadth and depth of knowledge, and we want more of that expertise accessible to people who can use it to make a difference.
Historically, much of our education has required learners to spend significant time with us in Oxford. We recognise that isn’t possible for many established and emerging leaders with demanding careers and personal commitments. Through this online programme, we can extend the reach of NDM’s specialist expertise and cutting-edge research to professionals around the world who might not otherwise have the opportunity to learn with Oxford.
Our six-week online executive education courses are designed to help professionals translate theory and the latest research into practical approaches to the real-world challenges they face in their organisations, communities, and health systems. In doing so, the programme enables us to unlock more of the knowledge generated across NDM, broaden its impact, and equip a diverse, global community of professionals with the insights and tools to drive positive change that ultimately works towards our mission of protecting and saving lives. .
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