About

Abel Licón

Life sciences R&D builder, diagnostics executive, software and data leader, inventor, and pragmatic guide to agentic AI, based in Longmont, Colorado.

I like building useful things with smart people.

I have spent 16 years building computational R&D teams, software and data systems, and molecular diagnostics products. I have worked from early startup through commercialization, across RUO, IVD, and LDT products, and through the messy parts in between: validation, regulation, scaling, technical debt, hiring, IP, and product decisions.

I love agentic AI because I think it can make great R&D teams dramatically more capable. But enthusiasm is not enough. The useful question is where this technology actually improves scientific learning, engineering throughput, evidence generation, product quality, or time to market.

Useful AI Life Sciences is intentionally small and principal-led. I work directly with R&D and company leadership to cut through the AI noise, focus on the opportunities that matter, and avoid building technically impressive systems that do not create product or business value.

Based inLongmont, Colorado

BackgroundComputational R&D, molecular diagnostics, software, data science, assay development, AI, and IP

BuiltR&D organizations and diagnostics portfolios from early research through commercialization

ExperienceRUO, IVD, LDT, FDA, MolDX, regulated software, clinical evidence, and product launch

Why I do this

Help great R&D teams get better products to patients faster.

I want to use the experience I have accumulated, including the mistakes and failures, to help life sciences leaders apply agentic AI with enough discipline that it creates real leverage instead of another layer of noise.