Chen Institute symposium Nov. 5–7 will feature newly named 2026 Nobel Laureate Karl Deisseroth alongside Terence Tao, Jeffrey Ullman, James Collin, Zhijian “James” Chen, Yejin Choi, Daphne Koller and other leaders exploring how AI can accelerate scientific discovery
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute will bring leading scientists, AI researchers, engineers and innovators to San Francisco November 5–7 for AIAS+ 2026: AI Advancing Science & Society, a three-day symposium focused on one of the most consequential questions facing research today: How can artificial intelligence help scientists move beyond analyzing what is already known and accelerate new discovery?
The symposium reflects the Chen Institute’s growing work at the intersection of science and artificial intelligence. Founded nearly ten years ago with a core focus on understanding the brain and mind to improve human well-being, the Institute has increasingly supported programs that use AI and other technologies to accelerate scientific research across disciplines.
At AIAS+, researchers working in mathematics, mental health, neuroscience, semiconductor, computer science and other fields will examine how AI is changing the research process from generating hypotheses and identifying patterns to testing ideas, evaluating evidence and exploring new scientific questions.
The program will include special lectures, plenary talks, panels and workshops, with opportunities for attendees to learn from leading researchers, join cross-disciplinary conversations and build new collaborations AIAS+ will also host the 2026 Chen Institute & Science Prize for AI Accelerated Research, recognizing outstanding early-career researchers at the intersection of AI and the natural sciences.
Confirmed participants include:
- Karl Deisseroth, 2026 Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine and Stanford neuroscientist whose pioneering work in optogenetics transformed how scientists study the brain
- Terence Tao, Fields Medalist and Professor of Mathematics at UCLA, exploring AI and mathematical reasoning
- Jeffrey Ullman, Turing Award recipient whose work helped shape modern computing, compilers and algorithms
- Zhijian “James” Chen, Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences recipient and Professor of Molecular Biology at UT Southwestern
- James J. Collins, MIT synthetic biology pioneer and member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine
- Daphne Koller, co-founder of Coursera and founder and CEO of insitro
- Yejin Choi, MacArthur Fellow and Stanford AI researcher focused on language models and reasoning
- Toby Walsh, AI researcher and leading voice on AI, trust and society
- Kyunghyun Cho, pioneer in neural machine translation
- Sam Rodriques, CEO of FutureHouse
- James Zou, Stanford Associate Professor of Biomedical Data Science
- And other researchers and industry leaders across AI and science
“Some of the most important scientific ideas emerge when people from different fields have the chance to work through a problem together,” said Chrissy Luo, co-founder of the Chen Institute. “That is the goal of AIAS+ to create a place where scientists, AI researchers, engineers and students can learn from one another and build collaborations that continue well beyond the conference.”
The 2026 Chen Institute & Science Prize for AI Accelerated Research will recognize Sergey Stavisky, Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery at UC Davis, for work advancing AI-powered brain-computer interfaces that translate neural activity into speech, including real-time synthetic speech modeled on a participant’s own voice.
AIAS+ also comes as the Chen Institute approaches its 10th anniversary. Since its founding, the Institute has awarded more than $150 million across research, fellowships, sponsorships and grants; supported more than 300 students; and organized or sponsored 170 scientific conferences. Its work spans fundamental neuroscience, AI-accelerated research, physician-scientist support, scientific training and collaboration across four continents.
AIAS+ 2026 is open to researchers, students, technologists, industry leaders and anyone interested in how AI is being used to advance science. Registration is now open for the Nov. 5–7 symposium in San Francisco.
Register:
https://www.aiasplus.org/event-registration
Media are also invited to attend. Interview opportunities with Chen Institute leadership and participating scientists and researchers will be available before and during the symposium.
AIAS+ 2026
November 5–7, 2026
San Francisco, California
For media credentials and interview requests:
press@cheninstitute.org
ABOUT THE TIANQIAO AND CHRISSY CHEN INSTITUTE
The Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute is a global, multidisciplinary organization dedicated to advancing fundamental brain science, accelerating scientific discovery through artificial intelligence, and improving human well-being. Founded with the mission to understand how the brain perceives, learns and interacts with the world, the Institute brings together researchers, physician scientists, engineers and innovators across leading institutions worldwide. Through initiatives in neuroscience, AI-accelerated research, clinical translation, scientific training and public science communication, the Chen Institute supports transformative ideas, emerging talent and collaborative scientific ecosystems.
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SOURCE Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen Institute (TCCI)
