Biography:
Donnella S. Comeau, MD, PhD, is a neuroscientist specializing in
translational medicine and the development of oversight and governance for innovative
technologies, including clinical artificial intelligence (AI) and portable MRI (pMRI), with
a focus on ethics and justice. With degrees in neurobiology and medicine from Harvard
Medical School, she is actively engaged in both research and clinical practice in
neuroradiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Dr. Comeau's
expertise spans AI applications in medical imaging, particularly in stroke and glymphatic
system imaging, where she has contributed to the development of several medical
machine learning models.
In addition to her clinical and research work, Dr. Comeau is deeply committed to health
equity education, teaching Harvard Medical School students, BIDMC radiology residents,
and neuroradiology fellows. She also leads a monthly International Neuroradiology
conference in collaboration with the University of Toronto and the University of São
Paulo.
As Vice Chair of the Institutional Review Board at a Harvard-affiliated teaching hospital
and Co-chair of its IRB Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee, she played
a key role in shaping equitable and ethical research guidelines—an experience that
deepened her expertise in research oversight, regulatory ethics, and the development of
inclusive governance frameworks for emerging medical technologies.
Dr. Comeau regularly presents at national ethics conferences and has shared her expertise internationally, in Mexico and Brazil, on topics related to medical ethics and AI. With a commitment to innovation, education, and ethical governance, she is at the forefront of advancing neuroradiology and the responsible integration of AI in medicine.
Topic of the Speech: Empowering Clinicians and Patients: Advancing Ethical
Literacy in AI-Driven Imaging and EHRs