The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) has named the opening and closing plenary speakers for its 2026 National Biotechnology Conference (NBC), scheduled for May 11–14 in San Diego, California.

Thomas Hartung, M.D., Ph.D., a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, will deliver the conference’s opening plenary on May 11 at 3 p.m. Hartung is recognized for his work in New Approach Methods (NAMs), including toxicology testing models that incorporate artificial intelligence, human‑relevant systems, and brain organoids. He is also scheduled to present the keynote address, titled “New Approach Methods – From Ugly Ducklings to Beautiful Swans,” on May 12 at 1 p.m., and to speak during the executive session on May 13 at 8 a.m.

The closing plenary on May 14 at 2:45 p.m. will be delivered by Lingle Wang, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Scientific Development at Schrödinger. Wang will discuss the role of computational modeling in optimizing drug discovery. His work at Schrödinger focuses on the development of physics‑based computational drug discovery platforms, and he has published research on free energy methods, crystal structure prediction, and their applications in pharmaceutical development.

“These plenaries showcase the scientific forces reshaping biotechnology,” AAPS 2026 NBC Scientific Programming Committee Chair Shuhua Bai, Ph.D., said.  “From human-relevant, AI-enabled toxicology to predictive computational drug discovery, this program highlights the tools accelerating safer, smarter, and more precise therapeutic development, I can say these presentations offer a glimpse at the future direction of biotechnology. I’m proud our program offers access such innovative science.”

The plenary sessions anchor a broader scientific program organized around two thematic tracks: Advancing Novel Medicine through Precision Science and Patient‑Centric Innovation and Applying Translational Principles Across the Development Lifecycle.