Dr. Lorens P. Petalidis is the advisor for research and innovation at the Department of Health, Abu Dhabi. Over a course of 20 years he has worked towards developing a cross-disciplinary understanding of health research and innovation, across biomedical and pharma research, business, commercial, knowledge transfer, digital change and health innovation roles. Prior to joining the Department, Lorens was Chief Business and Innovation Officer for a London-based startup specialised in the use of AI for predicting and preventing avoidable urgent care. Prior to this, he led the development of an innovation hub for a 6,000 staff NHS Trust in London, securing a portfolio of digital health projects and collaborations including a multimillion clinical AI analytics agreement. Lorens has served as a NHS Navigator for the Digital Health.London Accelerator, the largest digital health accelerator in the UK. He has advised NHS organisations, including the UK National Institute for Care Excellence, and digital health start-ups. He is passionate about how policy can support triple-helix frontlines, innovation operations, evidence and bridging the gaps between health, tech, academia and business. Lorens has a PhD in molecular neuro-oncology from Addenbrookes Hospital, University of Cambridge.