Matt Might, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Medicine and director of the Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute (PMI), has been selected to deliver a distinguished lecture at the American Society of Human Genetics Annual Meeting this October in Boston.

The ASHG Annual Meeting is the world’s largest gathering of human genetics and genomics professionals, drawing over 6,000 scientists, clinicians, and educators from around the globe. The five-day event features plenary sessions, symposia, workshops, and poster presentations showcasing the latest advances in genetic research and its applications to human health.

Might’s selection to present a distinguished lecture highlights his leadership in advancing precision medicine and UAB’s growing role in the international genetic community. His work at PMI focuses on using data science, genomics, and individualized care strategies to improve patient outcomes, aligning closely with the meeting’s emphasis on innovation in human genetics.

“Understanding the human genome is really hard,” said Might. “And AI is giving us new ways of interpreting the human genome. Even tools like ChatGPT have given us the ability to figure out what a mutation might mean in the context of human health, but now we are actually building AI models that are trained on genomes. In some ways, this is going to revolutionize not just genetics and genomics but all of biology.”

He added, “Artificial intelligence that is trained on genomes is learning the hidden language of evolution and unlocking a lot of fundamental mysteries within biology.”

On this speaking honor, Might reflected: “For me, it’s a chance to reflect on where things are and reflect on how AI has evolved over the course of my own personal journey in this space. Because I sometimes wonder what my life would have been like if these technologies had been available once upon a time.”