Jesper Tegner

Jasper Tegner is an M.D./Ph.D., innovator and professor with over 350 publications, dedicated to exploring the interconnected mechanisms underlying life, intelligence and the mind. His research aims to advance fundamental progress in artificial intelligence by moving beyond engineering to understand the intrinsic modes of operation within cells, between cells and within the brain.

Biography

Professor Jesper Tegnér holds a dual role as a professor at KAUST and a Strategic Professor at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. He earned the rank of chaired full professor just 4.5 years after completing his M.D./Ph.D. in 1997. In 1998, he was recruited as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Numerical Analysis at the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm. During a leave of absence, Tegnér pursued postdoctoral research in Boston, U.S., supported by a Wennergren Fellowship and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship from 1998 to 2001.

By 2002, Tegnér had become the first chaired full professor and director of the Division of Computational Biology in Sweden. In January 2010, he took on the role of strategic professor in computational medicine at the Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska Institute, and Karolinska University Hospital. In 2014, he furthered his research pursuits by joining the Science for Life Laboratories in Stockholm.

Tegnér is also a Senior Editor of Progress in Preventive Medicine, an acting Section Editor for Clinical and Translational Systems Biology in Current Opinion on Systems Biology, and serves on the editorial boards of BMC Systems Biology and Neurology: Neuroinflammation & Neurodegeneration. He is a fellow of the European Society for Preventive Medicine and the founder of two BioIT companies.

Professor Tegnér's research focuses on computational medicine, systems biology, and the development of AI-driven tools for translational and preventive medicine. His interdisciplinary work integrates biological, computational, and clinical data to explore complex disease mechanisms and develop innovative therapeutic strategies. With over 350 publications, an H-index exceeding 60, and more than 20,000 citations, Tegnér is recognized as a leader in his field.

Research Interests

Professor Jesper Tegnér’s research is driven by two fundamental questions:

  1. How can we construct reasoning or intelligent systems?
  2. How can we understand living systems, specifically as a form of matter?

These two questions are deeply intertwined. Progress in constructing intelligent systems (question 1) informs the understanding of living systems (question 2), and insights gained from studying living systems guide the development of intelligent systems.

To address question 2, Tegnér’s work focuses on cellular systems as the basic building blocks of life and the brain. His team develops algorithms, theory, and data, while also conducting experiments (such as Single-Cell Genomics and Spatial Transcriptomics) to decode and model cellular networks, tissues, and organs. Their goal is to create a comprehensive field theory for non-equilibrium, dissipative, non-linear cellular systems, and ultimately, a 3D molecular map of the human brain.

In tackling question 1, Tegnér’s research targets the creation of systems capable of generating models of their environment through observation, functioning as an "artificial scientist." These systems utilize algorithmic complexity, network theory, and dynamical systems as constraints for machine learning-driven analysis, particularly in understanding living systems.

Interconnected Hypothesis

Tegnér’s work is based on the hypothesis that the mechanisms governing living systems, from molecular circuits to brain function, are deeply interconnected. He believes that a deeper understanding of cellular and brain operations is crucial for making fundamental advancements in artificial intelligence beyond mere engineering applications.

Translational Research

Tegnér’s work has significant translational applications, driven by expertise in genomics, bioinformatics, machine learning, and medicine. His projects span a wide range of biomedical systems analyses, including collaborations with clinicians worldwide on diseases such as melanoma, breast cancer, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, and others. Additional projects include:

  • HLA-based banking of induced stem cells in Saudi Arabia.
  • Development of large language models for Arabic speech.

Tegnér has published over 150 papers related to this translational work, reflecting the broad impact of his research across multiple fields.

Awards and Distinctions

  • Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, 1998
  • Wenner Green Research Fellow, Wenner-Gren Foundation, 1998
  • Vinnova Innovation Prize for launching the most promising company of the year, Vinnova, 2005
  • Winner of DREAM Network Reverse Engineering Competition, DREAM Network, 2008
  • ERA (External Research Assessment) Outstanding Investigator, Karolinska Institute, 2012
  • ERC (Consolidator) Co-investigator, European Research Council, 2014
  • Named Fellow in the European Society for Preventive Medicine, European Society for Preventive Medicine, 2016
  • Academic Faculty Speaker, Convocation, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, 2019
  • Invited Speaker, KAUST Leadership Program (KSLP), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, 2019
  • Winner of NeurIPS 2019 Data Challenge in Single Cell Genomics, NeurIPS, 2019
  • Named Director of Oxford Immune Algorithmics, Oxford University, 2022

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Medicine/Medicine Doctor, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, 1997
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Pure and Computational Mathematics, Royal Institute of Technology & Stockholm University, Sweden, 1996
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Physician Program, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, 1990
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Philosophy, Stockholm University, Sweden, 1990
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Mathematics, Stockholm University, Sweden, 1988

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