Dr Stefan Harrer is a globally recognised scientist and innovation leader working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and digital health. He currently serves as Vice President and Global Head of R&D Data and Computational Sciences at Sanofi, France, and is also a Scientific Advisor at Harvard Medical School, USA.
He previously served as Director of AI for Science at Australia’s national science agency CSIRO, where he led initiatives to develop AI-driven tools that accelerate scientific discovery in health, medicine, and the life sciences. Prior to this, he spent over a decade at IBM Research in the United States and Australia, where he held roles including Senior Technical Staff Member and Global Lead of Epilepsy Research. During his time at IBM, he contributed to the organisation’s strategy in health AI, neurotechnology, and AI ethics, and founded the Brain-Inspired Computing program in Australia.
Dr Harrer holds 72 US and international patents in AI, bio nanotechnology, and MedTech, and has authored 71 peer-reviewed scientific articles, books, and book chapters. He is a member of the IBM Academy of Technology, a Senior Member of the IEEE, and part of the New York Academy of Sciences. In addition to his research and leadership roles, he is actively involved in venture incubation and digital health innovation, having served as Chief Innovation Officer of the Digital Health Cooperative Research Centre, where he led AI and data due diligence as well as early-stage investment strategy.
He holds BSc, MSc, and PhD degrees in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, with majors in Biomedical Engineering, Computational Chemistry, and Nanotechnology (Technical University of Munich and Massachusetts Institute of Technology), as well as an Honours Master’s degree in Technology Management (CDTM, University of California Berkeley).
Dr Harrer is a member of the New York Academy of Sciences, the IBM Academy of Technology and a Senior Member of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. He is also a former member of the Forbes Technology Council. His work has been featured by WIRED, the World Economic Forum, Forbes, and Popular Science.