Andrzej Rys is the former Director for Health Systems, Medical Products and Innovation and former Principal Scientific Advisor in DG Health and Food Safety (SANTE), European Commission.
A clinical radiologist and public health doctor by training and practice in Krakow and abroad, he was the founder and director of School of Public Health at the Jagiellonian University (1991-1997), director of Krakow’s city health department (1997-1999), Deputy Minister of Health in his native Poland (1999-2002). He negotiated the health chapter of Polish accession to the EU. He also was founder and chief editor of the “Health and Management” journal.

He is the founder (2003-2006) of the Jagiellonian University’s Centre for Innovation, Technology Transfer and University Development (CITTRU), where he founded Poland’s first Life Science Park and Krakow Life Science Cluster.

He has served as a director at the European Commission Health Department in Brussels and Luxembourg from June 2006 to October 2022. His responsibility areas: pharma and medical devices regulation, SoHO regulation, patients’ rights in cross- border heath care directive, health systems, HTA regulation, digital health (including the European Health Data Space Regulation), tobacco control, health security, global health, scientific advice.
During academic year 2023/24, he was the EU Fellow at St Anthony’s College, Oxford University. His work focused on global digital health/health data/AI, and in particular the innovation and system change strategies underpinning policy in the UK, across European Union and in leading health jurisdictions around the world.
He was a member of EMA Management Board and ECDC MB and member of IMI (and IHI) GB.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrzej-rys-33659b7