Dr. Karl Ziegelbauer is currently Head of Open Innovation & Digital Technologies for the Bayer Pharma AG based in Wuppertal, Germany. In this role, he oversees all R&D activities related to collaborations and partnering and digital technologies including medical devices and eHealth.
Before this, Dr. Karl Ziegelbauer served as Senior Vice President for the Therapeutic Research Group from 2014-2018. From 2011-2014 he served as Senior Vice President for the Therapeutic Research Group Oncology and Gynecological Therapy, as Vice President for Oncology Research from 2008-2011 and as Vice President for Protein Therapeutics for Bayer Schering Pharma from 2007-2008.

He is trained in biochemistry and molecular biology and holds a doctorate in Biochemical Sciences from the Max Planck Institute of Biology in Germany.

Dr. Ziegelbauer first started his career with Bayer in 1993 as a Research Scientist. He assumed positions of increasing responsibility working as Group leader at Bayer Yakuhin Ltd. in Japan from 1997-2000 before serving as Director of Antibacterial Research for Bayer AG until 2003. He subsequently assumed the position of Program Director for Research Alliances from 2001-2005.
Prior to joining Bayer in 1993, Dr. Ziegelbauer spent 4 years as a Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Biology.

Dr. Ziegelbauer has co-authored more than 50 scientific publications covering basic research as well as drug discovery topics.