Ana Freire

Vice-Dean for Social Impact and Academic Innovation at the UPF Barcelona School of Management (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)

Ana Freire holds a PhD (cum laude) in Computer Science and currently leads the Vice-Deanship for Social Impact and Academic Innovation at the UPF Barcelona School of Management (Universitat Pompeu Fabra). She has vast experience in Artificial Intelligence, Information Retrieval and Social Media Analysis. She has worked at prestigious worldwide institutions such as Yahoo Labs, the University of Glasgow and the National Research Center of Italy.
Ana has contributed to more than 50 scientific publications and several patents and has accumulated numerous national and international recognitions. Business Insider included her on the list of 23 young Spaniards called to lead the technological revolution. She also received the Female Young Scientific Talent Award from the Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences and Mastercard and the Ada Byron Jr Award from the University of Deusto.
Focused on leveraging data science for societal benefits, since 2016, Ana has been leading STOP, a multidisciplinary project aimed at addressing mental health challenges through social media analysis. Her passion for science and technology extends to her public speaking engagements, including an inspiring TEDx Talk exploring the interplay between technology and mental health.

Interview Highlights