Building the Highway for AI in Pharma: A Conversation with Ilya Burkov

Building the Highway for AI in Pharma: A Conversation with Ilya Burkov

In this episode of RealPharma, hosts Na-Ri Oh and Ian Wendt sit down with Dr. Ilya Burkov, Head of AI Cloud at Nebius, to explore the critical infrastructure enabling the AI revolution in drug development.

While the headlines often focus on the promise of AI, Ilya brings us backstage—where the real acceleration happens. From GPU scalability and regulatory compliance to synthetic data and digital twins, this conversation unpacks how the roads, bridges, and power lines of cloud infrastructure are shaping the future of biopharma R&D.

Whether you're a biotech founder, pharma executive, or AI enthusiast, this episode offers a 360° view into the unseen tech powering the next generation of therapies.

• Why AI needs more than just models—it needs muscle.

• The role of GPUs-as-a-service in reducing drug discovery timelines

• How infrastructure and compliance go hand in hand in regulated industries

• Why digital twins and synthetic control arms could be the future of clinical trials

• Challenges biotech startups face—and how AI-first models could level the playing field

• The ethical promise of fully virtual drug pipelines

“Think of AI in pharma as the car. What we’re building is the highway—bridges, power, road signs—so researchers can just drive.”
— Dr. Ilya Burkov

• Ilya Burkov on LinkedIn

• Nebius AI Cloud

• FDA Digital Health Initiatives

Dr. Ilya Burkov is Head of AI Cloud at Nebius, where he leads teams building cloud platforms purpose-built for AI workloads in life sciences. With a background in large-scale computing and a deep understanding of compliance in regulated industries, Ilya bridges the gap between bleeding-edge technology and real-world healthcare impact.

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