I believed that data saves lives

Sylvia Thun

Professor Sylvia Thun, MD, is a physician and internationally recognized expert in digital health, medical informatics, and health data interoperability. Her work focuses on the responsible use of health data, semantic interoperability, and the governance of digital infrastructures in healthcare systems.
Trained in medicine and deeply engaged in information technology, she has spent decades working at the interface of clinical care, research, standardization, and policy. She is Director of the Core Unit eHealth & Interoperability at the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité and advises national and international institutions on health data infrastructures, standards, and digital transformation.
Professor Thun has played a key role in European and global standardization initiatives, including HL7, SNOMED CT, LOINC, and the development of the International Patient Summary (ISO). She has contributed to major cross-border and national projects such as epSOS, the Medical Informatics Initiative, NUM, and NFDI4Health, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her work emphasizes that digital health is not primarily a technical challenge, but a question of responsibility, governance, and trust. She is a frequent keynote speaker and advisor to scientific councils and public institutions and is known for her clear stance against technological hype and for sustainable, standards-based digital medicine.