Short Bio
Esther-Maria Antao is a microbiologist and public health researcher with a strong foundation in bacteriology, molecular biology and particularly antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Her early postdoctoral work focused on promoting the rational use of antimicrobials through innovative communication strategies, which laid the groundwork for her broader engagement in public health—particularly in risk communication and public trust. At the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), she deepened her expertise in public health communication, with an emphasis on crisis communication during the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing to evidence-based messaging strategies for policy and public engagement.
At the Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI), she is Scientific Lead at the Chair of Digital Global Public Health. Her work sits at the intersection of ethics, communication and digital health. In collaboration with Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, she aims to focus on using AI and technology towards understanding rare diseases such as Fragile X Syndrome.
As a lecturer in HPI’s Digital Health Master Program, Esther-Maria Antao teaches foundational courses in public health, biology, and ethics. Beyond her research and teaching, she is partnership lead of the transatlantic Digital Health Partnership between HPI and the Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Health at Mount Sinai, fostering international collaboration in responsible digital health innovation.
Teaching
Bridge Modules
Topics covered include:
- Global Health Principles
- Infectious diseases
- Public Health Ethics
- Health Promotion and Public Health Communication
- Health inequities
- Global Health Crises
Professional skills
- Ethics for beginners: A shared learning journey
Short Resume
- Partnership Lead, Digital Health Cluster August 2024 — Present
Hasso Plattner Institute — Potsdam - Scientific Lead, Digital Global Public Health Apr 2023 — Present
Hasso Plattner Institute — Potsdam - Strategic Advisor to the President Jun 2021 — Apr 2023
Robert Koch Institute — Berlin - Head of Museum and Public Health Visitor Centre Jun 2021 — Present
Robert Koch Institute — Berlin - Head of Museum and Public Health Visitor Center Jun 2020 — Jun 2021
Science Communication Unit, Robert Koch Institute — Berlin - Museum Scientific Coordinator Feb 2019 — May 2020
Research Data Management Unit, Robert Koch Institute — Berlin - Guest Scientist Mar 2018 — Jan 2019
Microbial Genomics Unit/ Press & Public Relations Unit, Robert Koch Institute — Berlin - Project Scientist Sep 2016 — Jan 2019
Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Freie University — Berlin - Scientific Assistant Oct 2008 — Mar 2015
Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Freie University — Berlin - Doctoral Researcher Apr 2005 — Jan 2010
Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Freie University — Berlin - Graduate Student Intern Dec 2004 — Mar 2005
Institute of Microbiology and Epizootics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Freie University — Berlin
Selected publications
- EHR-Derived Fragile X-Cohort from a High-Volume Referral Hospital: A Large-Scale Data Approach. Rasheed A., Ebner J., Wieler LH., Nadkarni GN., Kovatch P., Deonarine A., Lozano R., Antao EM. 6th International Conference on Fragile X Premutation Associated Conditions. Polignano a mare. (2025)
- Reason and responsibility as a path toward ethical AI for (global) public health. Antao, EM., Rasheed, A., Näher, AF. et al. in npj Digit. Med. 8, 329 (2025).
- HpiVaxVigil at #SMM4H-HeaRD 2025: Detecting Adverse Vaccine Events on Reddit using GPT-4o Chain-of-Thought Reasoning and Fine-Tuned PLMs with Stratified Cross-Validation. Ahmed, A and Antao, EM. 19th International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media (ICWSM-25).
- Application areas of artificial intelligence in the context of One Health with a focus on antimicrobial resistance. Irrgang, Christopher; Eckmanns, Tim; Antão, Esther-Maria; Ladewig, K; Wieler, Lothar H; Körber, N; others in Bundesgesundheitsblatt, Gesundheitsforschung, Gesundheitsschutz (2023).
- Reflections from the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: lessons for global health. Wieler, Lothar H; Antão, Esther-Maria; Hanefeld, Johanna in BMJ global health (2023). 8(9) e013913.
- Antibiotic resistance, the 3As and the road ahead. Antão, Esther-Maria; Vincze, Szilvia; Hanke, Regina; Klimmek, Lukas; Suchecka, Katarzyna; Lübke-Becker, Antina; Wieler, Lothar H in Gut pathogens(2018). 10(1) 1–9.