From the Innovator’s Workbench with Joëlle Barral, PhD

Joëlle Barral considers artificial intelligence “a formidable ally for science.” She is a passionate technologist whose ultimate objective is to build tools that solve fundamental biological problems in order to improve patient outcomes. Following her time at Stanford as an electrical engineering PhD student, and then, as a Biodesign Innovation Fellow, Joëlle has been on the ground floor of multiple initiatives applying AI within healthcare: from medical imaging to digital pathology to AI-augmented surgical robotics. Now, at Google DeepMind (GDM), she oversees a diverse portfolio of foundational research efforts with teams of engineers and researchers spread across Europe and North America, and leads GDM’s work in healthcare. On January 26, 2026, we gathered to hear about Joëlle’s innovation journey: the most impactful learnings, the highs and the lows, the challenges of working in AI, and what excites her most about its transformational potential in healthcare. Special thanks to our sponsor Wilson Sonsini -- Featuring: Joëlle Barral, PhD Senior Director of Research & Engineering, Google DeepMind 2010-11 Biodesign Innovation Fellow In conversation with: Michelle de Haaff Assistant Director, Digital Health, Stanford Biodesign This event took place at Berg Hall, Li Ka Shing Center