:Alex Zhavoronkov

Born in Latvia, Zhavoronkov received two bachelor's degrees from Queen's University, and worked in graphics processing before moving to the biotechnology field.{{cite journal|url=http://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com/news-and-analysis/features/artificial-intelligence-will-it-change-the-way-drugs-are-discovered/20204085.article |title=Artificial Intelligence: will it change the way drugs are discovered?|journal=Pharmaceutical Journal, the Journal of the Royal Pharmacological Society|first1=Rachel|last1=Brazil|date=7 December 2017}} He received a master's degree in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University, and a PhD in physics and mathematics from Moscow State University. In the mid 2010s, he was an adjunct professor at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.{{cite web|url=https://mipt.ru/english/news/neural_network_learns_to_select_potential_anticancer_drugs |title=News: Neural network learns to select potential anticancer drugs|work=MIPT News|date=February 9, 2017}} {{as of|2024}}, he was an adjunct professor of artificial intelligence at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging.{{cite web|url=https://www.buckinstitute.org/research/faculty/#ADJUNCT-FACULTY |title=A rather disruptive bunch|publisher=Buck Institute for Research on Aging|access-date=June 23, 2024}} Zhavoronkov was named as a co-inventor on a patent issued in May 2013 for "systems and methods for communicating with a computer using brain activity patterns".{{US patent reference | number = 8442626B2 | issue-date = May 14, 2013 | inventor = Alex Zavoronkov, Mikhail Bakhnyan | title = Systems and methods for communicating with a computer using brain activity patterns }}{{Cite journal | pmid = 21695206 | pmc = 3112189 | year = 2011 | last1 = Bobrov | first1 = P | title = Brain-computer interface based on generation of visual images | journal = PLOS ONE | volume = 6 | issue = 6 | pages = e20674 | last2 = Frolov | first2 = A | last3 = Cantor | first3 = C | last4 = Fedulova | first4 = I | last5 = Bakhnyan | first5 = M | last6 = Zhavoronkov | first6 = A | doi = 10.1371/journal.pone.0020674 | bibcode = 2011PLoSO...620674B | doi-access = free}}

In 2014, Zhavoronkov began work towards using "massive data sets and Al to significantly speed up the drug discovery process",{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/untitledsr0000tobe/page/556/mode/2up |title=Life Force|first1=Tony|last1=Robbins|author-link1=Tony Robbins|first2=Peter H.|last2=Diamandis|authorlink2=Peter Diamandis|first3=Robert|last3=Hariri|date=2022|pages=556–57|publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1982121709}} and established Insilico at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.{{cite news|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bs-bz-insilico-medicine-raise-20170223-story.html |title=Insilico Medicine raises $10 million|first1=Sarah|last1=Gantz|work=The Baltimore Sun|date=February 23, 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://www.genomeweb.com/informatics/silico-medicine-opens-us-office-prepares-launch-drug-discovery-software-aging-re |title=GenomeWeb: In Silico Medicine Opens US Office, Prepares to Launch Drug Discovery Software for Aging Research Market|first1=Uduak Grace|last1=Thomas|date=March 28, 2014|via=www.genomeweb.com |url-access=subscription}} Tony Robbins and Peter Diamandis were early investors in Zhavoronkov's efforts. Robbins wrote of Zhavoronkov that "researchers had been using GANs to do things like design new objects or create one-of-a-kind, fake human faces, but Zhavoronkov wanted to apply them to pharmacology".

In November 2017, Zhavoronkov proposed the application of the deep learning techniques and blockchain technology for managing human life data.{{Cite web|url=https://old.sk.ru/news/b/news/archive/2017/11/21/skolkovo-scientist-says-ai-and-blockchain-could-accelerate-biomedical-research.aspx|title=Skolkovo scientist says AI and blockchain could accelerate biomedical research|website=old.sk.ru}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.inverse.com/article/39129-bitcoin-tech-consumers-blockchain|title=Bitcoin Tech Lets People Reclaim Their Data, Says Medical Startup|date=December 7, 2017|website=Inverse}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/insilico-blockchain-medical-data-cryptocurrency/|title=This Biotech Company Wants You to Give it Selfies and Blood Tests in Exchange for Cryptocurrency|first=Caroline|last=Haskins|date=December 6, 2017}}

In 2022, Zhavoronkov participated in a round of financing for Insilico Medicine that raised $60 million for the venture.{{cite news|url=https://techcrunch.com/2022/06/06/hong-kongs-ai-drug-discovery-firm-insilico-50m-series-d/ |title=Hong Kong's AI drug discovery firm Insilico closes $60M Series D|work=TechCrunch|first1=Rita|last1=Liao|date=June 6, 2022}} Zhavoronkov asserted at the time that the industry was "in 'biotechnology winter' where many companies are running out of cash and are dying", and that his fundraising was positioning the company for a coming "biotech spring". AI writer Calum Chace described Zhavoronkov at the time as well-known within the longevity community "for his relentless focus". In February 2023, Wesley J. Smith, writing for National Review, sharply criticized comments by Zhavoronkov, who had observed that organ transplants used to facilitate life extension could someday be provided by using human clones generated without cognitive functions.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/harvesting-clones-to-live-forever-would-be-monstrous/ |title=Harvesting Clones to Live Forever Would Be Monstrous|first1=Wesley J.|last1=Smith|author-link=Wesley J. Smith|work=National Review|date=February 8, 2023}}

In June 2023, Zhavoronkov led Insilico's development of what he described as "the first fully generative AI drug to reach human clinical trials, and specifically Phase II trials with patients".{{Cite news|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/29/ai-generated-drug-begins-clinical-trials-in-human-patients.html |title=The first fully A.I.-generated drug enters clinical trials in human patients|first=Hayden|last=Field|date=June 29, 2023|website=CNBC}} In 2024, he moved the headquarters of the company to Boston, Massachusetts.{{cite web|url=https://www.genengnews.com/topics/artificial-intelligence/insilico-moves-hq-to-cambridge-ma-completes-ipf-trial-enrollment/ |title=Insilico Moves HQ to Cambridge, MA, Completes IPF Trial Enrollment|first1=Alex|last1=Philippidis|website=GEN - Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News|date=June 20, 2024}}

In 2016, Zhavoronkov was the chief science officer for Beauty.AI, an artificial intelligence technology that evaluate people's external appearance through certain algorithms. In this role, he responded to concerns about ethnic bias in results generated by the platform by attributing them to a lack of data provided to it.{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/why-an-ai-judged-beauty-contest-picked-nearly-all-white-winners/ |title=Why An AI-Judged Beauty Contest Picked Nearly All White Winners |work=Motherboard |last=Pearson |first=Jordan |date=2016-09-05 |access-date=2017-01-17}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/03/20/1089939/a-wave-of-drugs-dreamed-up-by-ai-is-on-its-way/|title=An AI-driven "factory of drugs" claims to have hit a big milestone|first1=Antonio|last1=Regalado|work=MIT Technology Review|date=March 20, 2024}}

In 2022, Zhavoronkov was an author of a paper titled Rapamycin in the context of Pascal's Wager: generative pre-trained transformer perspective, which was described as one of the first peer-reviewed published papers to formally credit ChatGPT as a coauthor.{{cite news|title=Welcome, AI overlords?|first1=May R.|last1=Berenbaum|work=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS)|date=November 22, 2023|volume=120 |issue=48 |doi=10.1073/pnas.2318980120 |doi-access=free }} Zhavoronkov reported that when he asked ChatGPT itself whether it should be named as a coauthor, "it responded with multiple compelling reasons as to why it should not".

In May 2024, Zhavoronkov was noted to have funded production of a realistically animated rendition of a head transplant, with the face of the transplant subject being recognized as Zhavoronkov's own. This became a viral video on social media.{{cite news|url=https://www.technologyreview.com/2024/05/23/1092848/that-viral-video-showing-a-head-transplant-is-a-fake-but-it-might-be-real-someday/ |title=That viral video showing a head transplant is a fake. But it might be real someday|first1=Antonio|last1=Regalado|work=MIT Technology Review|date=May 23, 2024}}

Since 2010, Zhavoronkov has authored or co-authored over 250 scientific articles published in refereed journals and referenced in PubMed.[https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=8Icccp0AAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate Google Scholar page of Alex Zhavoronkov, by publication date].[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=zhavoronkov%2Ba PubMed Bibliography of Alex Zhavoronkov], Pubmed.

;Books

• {{citation|first1=Alexey |last1=Moskalev|first2=Ilia|last2=Stambler|first3=Alex |last3=Zhavoronkov|title=Artificial Intelligence for Healthy Longevity|publisher=Springer|year=2023|asin=B0C6CS2XJ3}}
• {{cite book|first=Alex |last=Zhavoronkov|title=The Ageless Generation: How Advances in Biomedicine Will Transform the Global Economy|publisher=Macmillan|year=2013|isbn =978-0230342200}}{{cite web|url=http://audio.cbsradionewsfeed.com/2013/08/09/15/W0040809_1801_2523613.mp3 |title=CBS Radio with Dan Raviv in Washington, DC|date=September 9, 2013|time=1:45–5:20}}{{cite web|url=http://booktourradio.com/ageless/ |title=Interview with Aging Expert – Alex Zhavoronkov|date=August 20, 2013|work=Book Tour Radio}}
• {{citation|first=Alex |last=Zhavoronkov|title=Dating A.I.: A guide to falling in love with Artificial Intelligence|publisher=RE/Search Publications|year=2012|isbn=978-1889307350}}

;Articles

• Zhavoronkov, A., et al., "[https://europepmc.org/article/ppr/ppr171356 Potential non-covalent SARS-CoV-2 3C-like protease inhibitors designed using generative deep learning approaches and reviewed by human medicinal chemist in virtual reality]", ChemRxiv (2020), DOI: 10.26434/chemrxiv.12301457.v1 (note: [https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=8Icccp0AAAAJ&citation_for_view=8Icccp0AAAAJ:rt-opDMcQ_cC multiple versions]).
• Zhavoronkov, A., et al., "[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-019-0224-x Deep learning enables rapid identification of potent DDR1 kinase inhibitors]", Nature Biotechnology 37 (9) (2019), p. 1038-1040.
• {{Cite journal | author = P. Mamoshina, A. Vieira, E. Putin, A. Zhavoronkov | title = Applications of deep learning in biomedicine | journal = Molecular Pharmaceutics | volume = 13 | issue = 5 | pages = 1445–1454 | year = 2016 | doi = 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.5b00982 | pmid = 27007977 }}

{{reflist}}

• [http://loop.frontiersin.org/people/70940/bio Editor biography at Frontiers]
• [http://audio.cbsradionewsfeed.com/2013/08/09/15/W0040809_1801_2523613.mp3 CBS Radio interview of Alexander Zhavoronkov with Dan Raviv in Washington, DC], at 1:44-5:10
• [https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alexander_Zhavoronkov ResearchGate profile]
• [http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7067-8966 ORCID ID]
• [http://bg-rf.org.uk/ The Biogerontology Research Foundation]

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Category:Living people

Category:Johns Hopkins University alumni

Category:Moscow State University alumni

Category:Queen's University at Kingston alumni

Category:Biogerontologists

Category:Russian transhumanists

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)