Samuel Finlayson | SVP, Medical AI
Open Evidence

Samuel Finlayson, MD, PhD is a physician-scientist with expertise in artificial intelligence and rare pediatric disease. As SVP of Medical AI
at OpenEvidence, he leads various efforts in AI product development, clinical data science, and collaborations with nonprofit organizations to
co-create content using AI and human expertise. He is also co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Team Hydro, a nonprofit
focused on hydrocephalus research, and serves as an Associate Editor at NEJM AI. Samuel trained in pediatrics and medical genetics
at Seattle Children’s Hospital and the University of Washington, where he will join the faculty as a Clinical Associate Professor in
Summer 2026. He completed his undergraduate and master’s degrees at Stanford and his MD and PhD at Harvard and MIT under
the guidance of Isaac Kohane and Peter Szolovits.

Appearances:

Day 2 - World Orphan Drug Congress USA 2026 @ 14:40

From Designation to Impact: How NORD Centers of Excellence Are Building Scalable Infrastructure for Rare Disease Care

This NORD-led spotlight session will begin with a structured presentation outlining the NORD Centers of Excellence program—its rationale, design principles, and role in strengthening rare disease care infrastructure. The presentation will focus on how standardized designation, accountability, and collaboration improve diagnosis, care coordination, and health system readiness.

Following the presentation, NORD will facilitate a brief discussion with select local Centers of Excellence representatives to highlight real-world implementation and early impact within health systems. Together, the session will demonstrate why care delivery infrastructure is an essential complement to therapeutic innovation, with implications for patient outcomes, access, and clinical trial readiness.

Moderator: Marybeth McAfee, VP, Community and Medical Affairs, National Organization for Rare Disorders