Michaël Defferrard
Research Scientist (Staff Engineer) at Qualcomm
Lausanne Metropolitan Area Switzerland
Summary
🤩
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)
transformers10
notebook10
sphinx-doc10
python10
beamer10
pyside10
ipython10
datasets10
laplacian10
gtk10
deep-learning10
gpu10
pyviz10
gemma10
gpu-acceleration10
Programming languages (16)
Github contributions (5)
mdeff/ntds_2016
Sep 2016 - May 2020
Material for the EPFL master course "A Network Tour of Data Science", edition 2016.
Contributions:166 commits, 145 pushes, 7 branches in 3 years 8 months
data-scienceneural-networksepflgraphsmachine-learning
mdeff/dotfiles
Mar 2019 - Nov 2022
my dotfiles
Contributions:216 commits, 142 pushes, 3 branches in 3 years 8 months
dotfilesneovimrangerfish-shellfish
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