Ernst Hafen
PhD

​Ernst Hafen, PhD, is a Professor of Systems Genetics at ETH Zurich, Institute of Molecular Systems Biology (IMSB), and former President of ETH. In addition to over 30 years of academic research, he has founded and advised several biotechnology companies. He endeavors to assist scientific discovery and its efficient translation into products that help society and the economy. As a trained geneticist, Ernst Hafen has a strong interest in human genetics and personalized medicine. He posits that an individual's control over his or her personal health data will be a key asset for better and more effective health care. In 2012 he acted as a founding member of the Association Data and Health whose aim it is to discuss legal, ethical and societal issues about digital self determination and the control over the secondary use of personal (health) data and to find commercial models permitting owners not third parties to benefit from their personal data assets.

---