It takes approximately 1.3 Bi USD and a median 8.3 years to bring new drugs to market because approximately 97% of all drug candidates will fail during drug discovery and development. Supplementing or replacing clinical trials with virtual patients (i.e., digital representations of human disease biology, e.g., digital twins in medical devices) is a viable solution that is gaining market and regulatory support for example in rare diseases where few patients exist or in patient populations with ethical concerns such as young children or pregnant mothers. Douglas McCloskey earned his PhD in bioengineering from UC San Diego in 2017, receiving the Siebel Scholars Foundation grant for his work on metabolism and evolution. From 2018 to 2021, he was a principal investigator at the Technical University of Denmark, leading a team to automate the design-build-test-analyze cycle for developing cell factories and therapies. As Chief Scientific Officer and co-founder at AliveX Biotech (2021–2022), he led the creation of an AI and Omics systems immunology platform for drug discovery and patient stratification. Currently, he is a PI at BioMed X, partnering with Sanofi to develop a virtual patient model to predict drug efficacy. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

True inclusion starts on the inside and then scales up. At a time when “diversity” can feel like a checkbox or buzzword, it's an ongoing upgrade to our mindset and way of life. It's not about blaming or dividing; it's about everyone – whatever their background – actively participating in a positive transformation. Pavlo Stroblja’s journey reflects The Diversity Upgrade. Born in Ukraine, he grew up hiding his identity due to a lack of LGBTQ+ role models. Moving to Germany in 2004 allowed him to come out and embrace his true self, sparking his commitment to diversity and inclusion. Pavlo shifted from a luxury retail career to become a social entrepreneur and mentor. He founded Queermentor gGmbH, the first digital mentoring platform for LGBTQIA+ youth and allies, connecting hundreds with mentors for career and confidence growth. His work earned the Impact of Diversity Award 2022 and a StartSocial Award from the German Chancellor. Pavlo is also the author of “Diversity Upgrade,” a guide to unlearning bias and building inclusion. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx