Computational predictive medicine aims to develop ways to detect diseases as early as possible, so that patients can receive personalised treatment while their symptoms are still mild.
Jeffrey Barrett, the new Professor of Computational Predictive Medicine at the University of Helsinki and ELLIS Institute Finland, has a career spanning genomics, public health and industry. He uses AI methods and large-scale health data to identify practical and clinically relevant biomarkers.
For Barrett, the professorship represents a return to academia after several years in industry, but also an opportunity to bring new ways of thinking into academic research.
"I've been fortunate to have worked both in academia and in companies, and I think there is a lot we can learn from both worlds," he says.
Finland has many advantages for predictive medicine
Computational predictive medicine combines large-scale health data, molecular measurements and advanced AI methods to uncover biological signatures of disease. Rather than simply predicting who may become ill, the goal is to recognise emerging disease processes earlier and identify the patients most likely to benefit from preventive treatments.
Barrett's research will focus on using AI to analyse large-scale biobank datasets and discover biomarkers that can be measured in clinical practice. The aim is to move beyond complex computational models and identify practical biological signals that help clinicians detect disease earlier, stratify patients more accurately and make better treatment decisions.
He sees Finland as one of the best places in the world for this kind of research.
"Helsinki brings together three things that are rarely found in the same place: the concentration of AI expertise at ELLIS Institute Finland, world-class biobank and health registry data, and unique opportunities for clinical validation through the biobanks and healthcare system."
Barrett also intends to strengthen links between academic research and innovation. Having seen discoveries progress all the way from laboratory research to clinically implemented products, he is particularly interested in helping researchers think about how scientific findings can eventually reach patients and healthcare systems.
Bringing a new research mindset into academia
One of Barrett's key ambitions is to bring lessons from both industry and public health into academia. Having led scientific teams in biotechnology companies and directed the UK's SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance programme, he believes that academia can benefit from more collaborative and agile ways of working.
"In industry, the focus is often on what the team can achieve together rather than on individual projects. You prioritise the most important goals, move quickly and adjust when something isn't working."
According to Barrett, academic science is often driven by incentives such as publications and individual scientific recognition, which can sometimes make collaboration slower than it could be.
He hopes to build a research environment that combines scientific excellence with the efficiency and teamwork he experienced in industry.
This outlook was reinforced by one of the defining experiences of Barrett's career, when, during the COVID-19 pandemic he returned to the Wellcome Sanger Institute to lead its SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance programme in the United Kingdom. The initiative generated more than two million viral genome sequences and played a major role in identifying and tracking emerging variants of the virus.
"During the pandemic, the most precious resource was time. The question wasn't how to do the perfect experiment. The question was how to generate reliable knowledge quickly enough that public health authorities could act on it."
That experience continues to shape his approach to research.
"If you can answer seventy or eighty per cent of a question six months earlier, that is often much more valuable than waiting for perfection."
He believes this mindset will become increasingly important as biomedical research enters an era of rapidly advancing artificial intelligence.
A new home, new opportunities
Barrett and his family moved to Finland during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period when international moves were anything but straightforward. Since then, Finland has become their home, both professionally and personally.
For Barrett, one of Finland's greatest strengths is the appreciation for nature.
"Growing up, I always loved being outside and found it very important to spend time in nature. In Helsinki you can go a short distance and feel like you're in the backcountry woods. That's very rejuvenating for me."
