PhD Defence: Health Data Governance in the Age of Digital Health: Legal Approaches of the EU and China

Zhicheng He defends his doctoral thesis, “Health Data Governance in the Age of Digital Health: Legal Approaches of the EU and China” at Stockholm University.

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Abstract

This dissertation explores how legal frameworks in the EU and China respond to the growing tension between the use of health data and the protection of privacy in the digital health era. As technologies such as AI, wearable devices, and health-monitoring sensors increasingly reshape the delivery of care, legal systems face mounting pressure to support data-driven innovation while upholding individual rights. Through a comparative legal analysis of key instruments such as the EU’s GDPR, European Health Data Space (EHDS) Regulation, and China’s Personal Information Protection Law, the study examines how each jurisdiction regulates health data, defines the legal bases for its use, and integrates privacy-enhancing technologies like anonymisation. In doing so, it aims to generate insights into how law can address the shared global challenge posed by the dual demands of innovation and privacy in a society striving for better health.

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Supervisor

Zamboni, Mauro, Professor
Greenstein, Stanley, Associate Professor
Kampel, Martin, Doctor

Opponent

Tuomas Pöysti, former Chancellor of Justice, Finland