With a double degree in Medicine and Pharmacy, Harald Schmidt has a passion for network and systems medicine to re-define what we call “disease” from a descriptive symptom- and organ-based to a mechanism-based approach by using big data, innovative target validation, new mechanism-based diagnostics, and rapid repurposing of registered drugs for new clinical applications by network pharmacology. He performs high-risk/high potential gain research in areas of major medical need, such as the development and commercialisation of a first-in-class neuroprotective therapy in stroke, a therapy against a common and yet untreatable form of heart failure, and a therapy for resistant hypertension. He coordinates the H2020 project REPO-TRIAL on in-silico network pharmacology.

He was awarded an ERC AdG, thereafter an ERC PoC grant, and chaired two COST actions. He co-founded the International Network Medicine Association (INMA.org) and is on the board of the international Network Medicine Alliance. His multi-national (Germany, USA, Australia, Netherlands) research experience in Academia, Industry (Abbott), and Biotech (Vasopharm) has led to high-impact publications (Hirsch index 97) with high socio-economic relevance such as drug and diagnostics patents, spin-offs, and patient benefit.

He is a dedicated research- and evidence-based teacher, speaker, podcaster, and author (THE END OF MEDICINE AS WE KNOW IT, to be released April 2022) and supports enthusiastic early-career scientists to achieve leadership positions in medicine, academic, and industry research.