Upcoming Event:

Introduction to Drug Discovery - Opportunities for Statistical and Computational Mathematical Methods

Benedikt Bauer, Evotec SE

Abstract

Despite massive technological advances, the cost of developing a new drug doubles every nine years, currently reaching $2.6 billion per success. At its core, drug discovery is a search and optimization problem across the chemical space. In this seminar, I aim to provide a high-level overview of the drug discovery pipeline and highlight examples where computational methods can support or even drive respective processes. I hope to be able to spark ideas for the next frontiers where algorithmic innovation can reduce the time-to-market for new drugs.

Biography

Benedikt Bauer is a computational life scientist with a strong background at the intersection of mathematics, biology, and data science. He obtained his master’s degree with a focus on structural protein alignment, applying non‑equispaced fast SO(3) Fourier transform methods, and completed his Ph.D. on Population Dynamics with Epistatic Interactions and its Applications to Mathematical Models of Cancer. Over the past decade at Evotec SE, he has built a broad and evolving profile, ranging from data analysis for Hit Identification campaigns to data management and the development of web‑based scientific tools. Today, as part of an in silico group, he specializes in bridging biology and computational disciplines by proactively identifying scientific and operational challenges, translating them into well‑defined in silico and data science initiatives, and shaping impactful projects in close partnership with biology operations.