James Pilling, MS

Program Co-Chair

James Pilling, MS, is an associate principal scientist in Functional Genomics within Discovery Sciences at AstraZeneca. With over 20 years of experience in drug discovery, Pilling’s career encompasses the discovery and validation of novel targets, the development and implementation of innovative methods and technologies and the creation of disease-relevant cell models.

Pilling joined AstraZeneca in 2004 after earning a master’s degree in biochemistry and biological chemistry from the University of Nottingham. Earlier in his career, he focused on developing and applying novel technologies and approaches to drug discovery across various therapeutic areas. He has placed particular emphasis on high-content imaging and phenotypic screening, and many of the technologies he pioneered within his role are now standard in discovery projects.

His passion for impactful innovation remains undivided, and alongside his current role in applying CRISPR technology to identify and validate new drug targets, Pilling is actively facilitating scientific and technological innovation at AstraZeneca through programs to encourage the organization’s scientists to develop and pilot new ideas. He is an active member of several professional life science societies and dedicates his time to sharing science broadly while leveraging the collective strength of the scientific community.

Pilling was first introduced to SLAS as a volunteer at the 2017 SLAS High-Content Screening Symposium. Since then, his involvement has grown from delivering podium presentations to leading sessions and tracks at the SLAS International Conference. Previously, he co-chaired the SLAS 2024 Building Biology in 3D Symposium and currently serves as a member of the SLAS Europe Scientific Programme Committee.