Nordic Life Science 1
- THE LATEST LIFE SCIENCE CAREER NEWS FROM THE NO
RDIC REGION IN A NEW JOB Urban Eriksson Chairman of Umeå Biotech Incubator Caroline Leksell Cooke SVP and Head of Neuro Solutions at Elekta URBAN ERIKSSON brings 30 years of leadership experience to the role, for example as CEO of SLU Holding. He joined the board of Umeå Biotech Incubator (UBI) in 2023 and was elected as chairman at the 2024 annual meeting. Eriksson’s background is in the innovation ecosystem and incubator environment. SLU Holding focuses on utilizing knowledge and research from SLU, and he serves on several boards, including Uminova Innovation, eXpression Umeå, and Uppsala Innovation Center. “It’s an exciting and important assignment in a field with tremendous potential but also significant challenges. Turning high-potential research into practical applications is crucial for a sustainable society. This is especially true in life sciences, where the distance between research results and real-world implementation is often long, complicated, and requires significant capital. An excellent incubator like UBI plays a key role in this process,” says Eriksson. CAROLINE LEKSELL COOKE has global experience in the software sector, with various positions at Google and, most recently, founded her own company focusing on digital transformation. Neuro Solutions employs approximately 300 individuals who serve customers globally. Leksell Cooke plans to leave her current position as a member of the board of directors when she takes on this role. “I look forward to continuing to advance the neuro solutions that Elekta is renowned for. Over the past seven years, on the board of directors as well as through my long international career within the software industry, I have gained invaluable insights and experiences that I will bring with me into my new role. We will now drive our proud legacy forward and deliver new innovations to clinicians for the benefit of millions of patients all over the world. I am also proud to be the third generation of the Leksell family taking Leksell Gamma Knife into the future,” says Leksell Cooke. Jens Ellrich Chief Medical Officer at FluoGuide Emelie Antoni Chairman of Lif Sweden JENS ELLRICH, a German physician and medical scientist, brings experience in translational neuroscience, medical devices, biotechnology, pharmacology, and digital therapeutics to his new role. His track record spans both academia and the start-up ecosystem, where he has advanced medical solutions across drugs, devices, and their combinations. He has played a key role in the development and launch of therapies at international companies such as the start-up Sapiens Steering Brain Stimulation. “His extensive experience in the biotech industry, particularly in advancing innovative therapies from concept to market, makes him an invaluable addition to FluoGuide. His expertise will be instrumental as we move into the critical phase of late-stage clinical trials and prepare for the commercialization of FG001, and will help ensure that our technology reaches its full potential in improving surgical outcomes for patients with cancer,” says Morten Albrechtsen, CEO, FluoGuide. EMELIE ANTONI has nearly 25 years of experience from the pharmaceutical industry and from several leadership roles abroad. She has been a member of Lif's board since September 2023. The former Chairman, Malin Parkler, will continue to be a member of the board. “With my experience, I can contribute international perspectives and I am particularly looking forward to discussing how we ensure that patients have access to new innovative medicines. Healthcare and life science in Sweden is in the midst of a paradigm shift with endless possibilities thanks to new science and technological advancements. With the help of precision medicine and AI, we can shorten the time of the research process, patients can be identified earlier in the course of the disease, and we can ensure that new medicines reach the right patient faster. It also brings challenges, and collaboration between academia, healthcare and industry will become increasingly important,” says Antoni. 22 | NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG PHOTO GÖRAN EKEBERG