Juan M. Lavista Ferres, PhD, MS
Microsoft CVP and Chief Data Scientist
Director of Microsoft AI for Good Lab
In his role, Juan leads a team of data scientists and researchers who specialize in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and statistical modeling. He is responsible for contributing to Microsoft’s AI For Good initiatives, which focus on areas such as sustainability, humanitarian action, accessibility, and health. Juan co-founded the AI for Good Lab in 2018 and since then, he and his team have undertaken over 200 projects worldwide. The lab collaborates with prominent organizations like the United Nations, American Red Cross, The Nature Conservancy Group, PATH, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Harvard University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University, consistently using AI for the betterment of humanity. Under Juan’s leadership, the AI For Good Lab has gained global renown with branches in Redmond, New York, and Nairobi. The lab’s contributions have been published in top academic journals and conferences, including Nature Communications, JAMA Ophthalmology, and Scientific Reports. Their work has also been featured in prominent media outlets worldwide.
Juan holds two computer science degrees from the Catholic University in Uruguay, a graduate degree in Data Mining and Machine Learning from Johns Hopkins University, and a Ph.D. with a focus on AI in healthcare from Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam.
William B. Weeks, MD, PhD, MBA
Director of AI for Health Research
Microsoft, AI for Good Lab
Bill leads Microsoft’s philanthropic AI for Health efforts, conducting research in collaboration with not-for-profit organizations, medical and academic centers. His research aims to improve health and health outcomes by applying artificial intelligence techniques in the areas of computer vision, public health, and large language modeling. The AI for Health program partners with grantees on projects that accelerate medical research, build research capabilities, increase global health insights, and address health inequities.
Dr. Weeks obtained his MD from the University of Texas Medical Branch, his PhD in economics from Aix-Marseille University, and his MBA from Columbia University. He completed a residency in general psychiatry and addiction psychiatry, and he is board certified in both. Dr. Weeks has published a book and over 250 peer-reviewed manuscripts, examining economic and business aspects of healthcare services utilization and delivery, healthcare delivery science, social determinants of health, population health, and healthcare value. He has received several honors and awards for his work, including the National Rural Health Association Outstanding Researcher Award and the Fulbright-Tocqueville Distinguished Chair at Aix-Marseille University.