Decoding Nature: How Curiosity-Driven Research Leads to Breakthrough Medicines
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William Pao, M.D., Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Revelio Therapeutics
Dr. William Pao is CEO of Revelio Therapeutics and author of BREAKTHROUGH: The Quest for Life-Changing Medicines. Previously, he served as Chief Development Officer and Executive Vice President at Pfizer and headed Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, overseeing global discovery and early development programs. Earlier, he was Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University and held leadership roles at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. Dr. Pao earned his MD and PhD from Yale University and completed oncology training at Memorial Sloan Kettering. His research on lung cancer and EGFR-targeted therapies helped advance precision oncology and change standards of care.
Summary
The development of new medicines is rarely straightforward. In this lecture, William Pao, M.D., Ph.D., will discuss how basic research, new technologies, and clinical observations can come together over time to produce important advances in treatment. Using examples from lung cancer, spinal muscular atrophy, and hemophilia, he will trace the discoveries that led to medicines including osimertinib, risdiplam, and emicizumab. These stories show how work that may begin with a fundamental scientific question can, sometimes decades later, contribute to a new therapy. They also highlight the importance of collaboration across disciplines, persistence through setbacks, and the ability to recognize unexpected findings along the way. The lecture will consider the many scientific and practical steps involved in moving from discovery to treatment, and what these examples can teach us about the process of developing breakthrough medicines that improve patients’ lives.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the sweetspot of drug discovery: the intersection of biological understanding, clinical understanding and technological advancement
- Gain knowledge about elements that contribute to the successful development of new medicines
This page was last updated on Tuesday, October 6, 2026