On September 1, 2026, Alfaisal University welcomed Dr. Lisa J. Strug, a leading statistical geneticist and Director of the Data Sciences Institute at the University of Toronto, for a special talk titled “A Vision for AI and Data Science in Academia: Applications in Genomics and Health Care.” The visit was held with the support of Dr. Khaled Al-Kattan, Dean of the College of Medicine.
Dr Lisa was hosted by the Global Health Hub, as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen international academic and research partnerships.
Dr. Strug addressed the role of the university in the age of artificial intelligence, setting out three responsibilities for academic institutions: framing the public and policy conversation, defining the skill set the field requires, and advancing the methods that translate data into clinical benefit. She illustrated this with the Data Sciences Institute’s training programs, which have reached more than 130 faculty members and 1,132 professionals since 2022, and with its work on federated analysis, which allows researchers to study data held in different jurisdictions without transferring it across borders.
Dr. Strug serves as Professor of Statistical Sciences, Computer Science and Biostatistics at the University of Toronto and holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Genome Data Sciences. Her visit was connected to Alfaisal University’s ongoing engagement with The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and broader efforts to develop research collaboration with Canadian institutions.
