City of Hope Academic Research colorectal cancer genomics AI

Building the First AI Agent for Cancer Research

by Monty Pal
· Amaze Media Labs

May 5^th 2025
49 mins
On the Edge of Breakthrough: Voices of Cancer Research

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Summary

Dr. Enrique Velazquez Villarreal on AI, genomics, and why young Latinos are at the heart of his work to improve colorectal cancer research and care.

In this episode of On the Edge of Breakthrough: Voices of Cancer Research, Dr. Monty Pal sits down with Dr. Enrique Velazquez Villarreal, a physician-scientist in City of Hope’s Department of Integrative Translational Sciences, whose path into medicine and research is anything but typical.

Dr. Velazquez Villarreal talks about growing up in Mexico, entering medical school at 17, and the many mentors—who shaped his decision to pursue oncology - three of whom he lost to colorectal cancer He shares how his early exposure to both surgery and underserved communities led him to seek answers not only through the scalpel, but through software. The episode dives into his groundbreaking work integrating clinical data with genomics, artificial intelligence, and multi-omics tools to tackle one of the most alarming trends in oncology: the rise of colorectal cancer in young Hispanic patients. He also unpacks his mission to make AI useful, accessible, and truly impactful in the clinic—not just in research papers.

This is a deeply thoughtful conversation about data, technology, and the very human reason behind why it all matters.

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