Alumni

Dr Rohan Gorantla 

Cohort: 2020-2025

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohangorantla/

What was your PhD research about?

My PhD research focused on developing AI models to predict how strongly a potential drug molecule will bind to a disease-related protein. Making these predictions computationally allows us to screen large sets of molecules (several millions) and then focus experimental testing on the most promising ones.

What motivated you to undertake doctoral study?

I’ve been drawn to science since high school, and during my undergrad I was fascinated by the rise of AI and its potential across so many fields. What excited me most was its application to human health — working on medical imaging projects showed me how powerful this could be. That experience motivated me to pursue a PhD as a way to dive deeper and make even a small but meaningful contribution to advancing knowledge. The Biomedical AI CDT program was perfect fit in that regard, as it gave me room in the first year (MSc year) to explore different research areas before zeroing in on my PhD research direction.

What are you doing now career-wise, and how did your PhD prepare you for it?

I’m currently at Novartis, working on machine learning methods to support the early stages of drug discovery.

What’s one key skill or mindset you developed during your PhD that you still rely on today?

Resilience. PhD journey has lots of ups and downs— motivation dips, experiments fail, and sometimes things don’t work out as planned. Learning how to keep going, adapt, and push through those moments is something I carry with me every day.

What advice would you give to someone considering a PhD in biomedical AI?

I once read that a PhD is not a sprint but a marathon — and I’ve found that to be very true. It is important to pace yourself. You’ll face setbacks, but learning how to adapt, keep going, and stay curious makes all the difference. It also helps to build something that excites you and sparks interest in others. At the same time, don’t let research be the only thing in your life — having hobbies, friendships, and activities outside the lab keeps you grounded and gives you energy for the long haul. You don’t need to have everything figured out at the start; just take the first step, keep learning along the way, and new opportunities will open up.

Dr Filippo Corponi

Cohort: 2020-2025

Filippo returned to his former career as a Consultant Psychiatrist with NHS Lothian and in October 2025 joined the IPPRF Research Fellowship at Imperial College London.  This post allows him to build on his PhD work. Find out more about Filippo's cutting edge research in Google Scholar, Linkedin, and Github.

Dr Salvatore Esposito

Cohort: 2020-2025 

Salvatore is continuing as a Post Doc at the University of Edinburgh with the Institute of Repair and Regeneration.  He is with the team working on Autonomous Robotics Surgery, where he develops geometric deep learning and reinforcement learning models to help the robot navigate through the vessels of the human body to perform a specific localised surgical procedure.  In 2022, Sal undertook two internships: one with Microsoft and one with American Express, gaining exposure to AI in commercial settings.  Find out more about Sal's research in Google Scholar and Linkedin.

Dr Michael Stam

Cohort: 2019-2024

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-j-stam/

What was your PhD research about?

My PhD research focused on developing tools to design new proteins, which are molecules that can help solve major challenges in medicine, biotechnology, and climate change. To achieve this, I built software and machine learning methods to evaluate and predict which designs were most likely to succeed in the lab, with the aim of making protein design more reliable and accessible.

What motivated you to undertake doctoral study?

I’ve always been passionate about science, learning new skills and challenging myself, which is why I was initially drawn to the idea of a PhD. In addition to this, I wanted a career where I could take the quantitative skills I developed in my mathematics degree and apply them to real-world problems in biomedicine. My PhD project offered me the perfect chance to merge those two worlds and build a career at the intersection between AI and biomedicine. 

What was a highlight (one or several) of your time as a doctoral researcher?

A major highlight of my PhD was volunteering at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition in London. This large-scale public engagement event provided the opportunity to communicate our research and its potential impact to a diverse audience of thousands, which ranged from young children to fellow scientists and even a member of the House of Lords.

What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge I had during my PhD was being diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called Addison’s disease after being admitted to hospital. It took a while for me to adapt to this and to get back into my PhD project, but I was supported well by my family, friends and the CDT. In addition to this, my diagnosis also gave me a completely new perspective on my work and further motivated me to build my career in biomedical AI.

What are you doing now career-wise, and how did your PhD prepare you for it?

I’m currently leading the AI and bioinformatics work at Biophoundry, a biotech startup focused on the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance. My PhD in biomedical AI provided an excellent foundation for this position. Beyond technical expertise, it taught me to be a resilient and resourceful researcher, equipping me with the ability to adapt, learn quickly, and find solutions to complex problems. These are all skills I use in this role daily.

What’s one key skill or mindset you developed during your PhD that you still rely on today?

My PhD project helped me develop strong time management and organisational skills. With many competing tasks, I learned how to prioritise my work effectively. The PhD also significantly improved my communication skills, particularly when presenting my work to diverse groups of people. These skills are all essential in my current role.

What advice would you give to someone considering a PhD in biomedical AI?

One key piece of advice would be to find a project that you are passionate about and a PhD supervisor you get on well with. Both are incredibly important for your motivation and success throughout the PhD. I would recommend reaching out to students who have previously worked with a supervisor and ask them what their experience was like.

Dr Bryan Li 

Cohort: 2020-2025

Bryan M. Li • 1stVerified • 1stEncode: AI for Science Fellow | PhD student in NeuroAI at the University of Edinburgh.

Bryan is very excited to share that he started as a fellow in the first Encode: AI for Science cohort in September 2025.  He has joined Professor Dario Farina's lab at Imperial College London to work on AI for NeuroMotor interfacing.

The Encode Fellowship is backed by Pillar VC and powered by Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

In mid-July, the cohort had the honour to visit No. 10 Downing Street to discuss their projects with the leadership teams at ARIA and DSIT. Definitely a surreal experience!