Michaël Defferrard
Research Scientist (Staff Engineer) at Qualcomm
Lausanne Metropolitan Area Switzerland
Summary
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Rockstar🎓
Top SchoolMichaël Defferrard is a research scientist and staff engineer with 13 years of experience building principled deep learning methods for structured data, currently advancing graph- and geometry-aware ML at Qualcomm after a PhD and research tenure at EPFL. He blends theoretical insight (topology, geometry, symmetries, causality) with applied problem-solving across neuroscience, cosmology, biology and geoscience, and has a track record of interdisciplinary leadership, teaching, and high-impact publications. Skilled in scientific Python, ML frameworks, and package maintenance, he consistently turns research prototypes into usable software and open-source contributions. His work helped pioneer graph machine learning at EPFL and was recognized by senior ML figures during his PhD nomination for best thesis. Based in Lausanne, he pairs semiconductor-focused applied research with curiosity-driven fundamentals, often translating abstract mathematical structure into deployable solutions. An early electronics background and industry experience give him a rare combination of hardware-aware sensibility and advanced ML expertise.
13 years of coding experience
10 years of employment as a software developer
Federal VET Diploma, Electronics, 96%, Federal VET Diploma, Electronics, 96% at Ecole professionnelle artisanale et industrielle de FribourgBachelor of Applied Science (BASc), Electrical and Electronics Engineering, 98%, Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc), Electrical and Electronics Engineering, 98% at College of Engineering and Architecture of FribourgExchange strudent (ERASMUS), Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Exchange strudent (ERASMUS), Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Hochschule München University of Applied ScienceDoctor of Philosophy (PhD), Machine Learning, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Machine Learning at EPFL (École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne)
French, English, German
Stackoverflow
1,604reputation
896kreached
14answers
1question
numpy
top-5%
python
top-5%
Github Skills (200)
language-model10
sphinx-doc10
data-manipulation10
datasets10
syncthing10
locker10
neural-network10
nlp10
data-science10
directed-acyclic-graph10
music-information-retrieval10
open-data10
jupyterlab-extension10
visualization10
mir10
Programming languages (18)
Github contributions (5)
mdeff/terrain
Apr 2014 - Apr 2020
Contributions:186 commits, 8 pushes, 1 branch in 6 years 1 month
mdeff/cnn_graph
Dec 2015 - Feb 2020
Convolutional Neural Networks on Graphs with Fast Localized Spectral Filtering
Contributions:190 commits, 2 PRs, 24 pushes in 4 years 3 months
convolutionalneural-networksgraph-neural-networksgraphslocalized
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