Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences Alumni Retreat April 2026: AI & Digital Healthcare Systems
© Edmund BlokHealthcare systems across the world have reached a point of undeniable strain
Ageing populations, the rapid rise of chronic diseases, staff shortages, and escalating costs have combined to test the limits of hospitals and public health institutions. Over the past few years, Generative Artificial Intelligence has moved from experimental pilots into everyday healthcare operations, reshaping how care is delivered, documented, and managed.
AI has the potential to make healthcare safer, faster, and more personalised. At the same time, there are challenges that need to be addressed.
learn - Share - Network
Come to our Alumni Retreat that celebrates alumni from across the department's programmes: Applied Digital Health, Evidence-Based Health Care, Global Healthcare Leadership, Translational Health Sciences and Primary Care.
This annual event provides a unique opportunity to gain insights into the latest trends in global healthcare, share experiences, and engage with industry leaders.
Don't miss out on this exclusive event designed to inspire and empower healthcare professionals.
Why attend?
- Engage with leading voices in the field
- Discover cutting-edge research and its real-world applications
- Connect with alumni across academia, industry, policy, and investment to explore new opportunities.
Programme outline
Monday 13 April
From 11.00 – Registration & Introduction by Professor Sir Aziz Sheikh.
13.30 – Why we should stop talking about translating digital technologies into practice - Speaker Prof Trish Greenhalgh (Programme Director for the MSc and DPhil in Translational Health Science, NDPCHS).
15.30 – Big Data - Chair Prof Seb Bacon (CTO, Bennett Institute). Speaker: Dr Brian MacKenna (Director of NHS Service Analytics, Bennett Institute and Specialist Pharmacist Adviser & Primary Care Medicines Data Clinical Lead, NHS England).
- Monday also includes lunch and a Welcome Dinner.
Tuesday 14 April
9.00 – Bias - Chair Dr Annemarie Weißenbacher (MGHL - President, Paracelsus Medical University). Speakers: Dr Arsenii Alenichev (Post-Poc Fellow, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp), Dr Maju Brunette (MGHL - Associate Professor, Global Health Equity, The Ohio State University College of Medicine), Dr Iva Fattorini (MGHL - Founder, Artocene) and Sanjay Rishi (MGHL - Global Head of Growth & Performance - Roche Product Development, Roche).
11.00 – Sustainability - Chair Prof Sara Shaw (Professor of Health Policy & Practice, NDPCHS). Speakers: Dr Amy Booth (Postdoctoral Fellow in Sustainable Medicines), Dr Sarah Briggs (NIHR funded Clinical Lecturer in the CELS group at the Centre for Human Genetics & Research Fellow in Environmental Change at Reuben College), Søren Kudsk-Iversen (Consultant Anaesthetist & Anaesthetic Sustainability Lead, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) and and Jessica Rouet (THS - Business Development Associate EAP, Bionical Emas).
13.30 – Augmented Clinical Decision-Making - Chair Dr Gareth Obery (ADH - Consultant, Digital Health, Prova Health). Speakers: Dr Sukrti Nagpal (Interim Chief Medical Officer, Doccla), Dr Matt Prime (Head of Clinical Decision Support & Algorithms, Roche) and Benedikt von Thüngen (CEO & Founder, Sanome).
15.30 – AI Entrepreneurship - Chair Lucy Setian (MGHL - International Marketing Director, Patient Experience Strategy, Novartis & Founding Board Member, Synergya). Speakers: Dr Eviatar Natan (Chief Executive Officer and Co Founder, Peripear Ltd), Joel Schoppig (Principal - HealthTech, Oxford Science Entreprises) and Dr Theresa Reiker (MGHL - Business Development Specialist & Head of Compliance, Post Sanela Health AG & Co-Founder, Synergya).
- Tuesday is an open night for you to organise your own dinners with friends.
Wednesday 15 April
9.00 – Global Healthcare - Chair Dr Davide Bilardi (Teaching Fellow & Programme Team Member - MGHL, NDPCHS). Speakers: Dr Francis Ayomoh (DPhil Primary Healthcare) and Dr. Toby Velte (AI Entrepreneur, Founder of Probility AI and Budscout AI).
11.00 – Law, Ethics & AI - Chair Prof Richard Ashcroft (Executive Dean, City St George's, University of London). Speaker: Prof Ilina Singh (Professor of Neuroscience and Society, Department of Psychiatry and Co-Director: Oxford Wellcome Platform in Transformative, Inclusive Bioethics (ANTITHESES)).
13.30 – Future Horizons - Chair Prof John Powell (Professor of Digital Health Care, NDPCHS and Senior Research Fellow, Jesus College). Speakers: Dr Karthik Adapa (Regional Adviser for Digital Health and AI, WHO South-East Asia Regional Office), Dr Deborah Cohen (Senior Visiting Fellow, LSE Health and Author 'Bad Influence: How the Internet Hijacked Our Health') and Dr Samantha Roberts (EBHC - Former CEO, National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE)).
15.30 – Keynote Speaker: Lord John Alderdice (FRCPsych, Founding Chairman, The Concord Foundation).
- Wednesday includes a keynote speaker and Gala Dinner with special guests.
Thursday 16 April
9.00 – Reflections
11.00 - Empathy - Speaker Dr Charlotte Blease (Associate Professor, Participatory eHealth & Health Data Research Group, Department of Women's and Children's Health at Uppsala University, Research Affiliate, Harvard Medical School & Author 'Dr. Bot: Why Doctors Can Fail Us—and How AI Could Save Lives').
- The 2026 Alumni Retreat concludes after Lunch.
Cost for the retreat:
£328/pp - Full delegate fees - from Monday morning through to Thursday lunchtime (including all meals). Day rates can also be booked via the registration link above.
Accommodation:
If you are interested in accommodation in Oxford, please visit the University Rooms website: https://www.universityrooms.com/en-GB/city/oxford/home/
Further Information
Contact alumni@phc.ox.ac.uk