Scientific advisors
Rolf Ljung, MD, PhD
Rolf Ljung is a senior professor of pediatrics at Lund University and a former chief physician in pediatric hematology with a special focus on coagulation at Skåne University Hospital. His research focuses on bleeding and coagulation diseases in children and in particular genetic and clinical studies in hemophilia. An important work has been to map the genetic variation in the disease, among other things to be able to predict the risk of developing antibodies to treatment. Ljung is also the scientific chairman of the European Pediatric Network for Haemophilia Management (PedNet) and the International Network on Pediatric Hemophilia (INPH).
Michaela Sharpe, PhD
Michaela Sharpe is a leading expert in non-clinical safety assessment of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMP) and vaccines with over 18 years of experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors. She has designed tailored non-clinical strategies for over 35 complex therapies to facilitate the development of clinical trials; including pluripotent stem cell therapies, somatic cell therapies,
immunotherapies, genetically modified cell therapies, tissue engineering products, and prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines. In addition, she has an in-depth understanding of non-clinical regulatory requirements for regulators (MHRA, EMA and FDA) for ATMP, vaccines and GLP regulations.
Jolanda De Vries, PhD
Jolanda de Vries is Professor in the Department of Tumor Immunology at the Nijmegen Center for Molecular Life Sciences. She was one of the pioneers in translating dendritic cell biology into potential clinical applications. The first Phase I / II clinical trials in which patients were vaccinated with dendritic cells (DC) loaded with tumor-specific peptides were initiated in 1997. Her primary scientific interest continues in line with DC immunotherapy and in particular migration and imaging of DC. For example, in-vivo imaging of ex-vivo-labeled cells by MRI (Nature Biotechnology 2005). She recently completed the first plasmacytoid DC vaccination study.
Bo-Göran Ericzon, MD, PhD
Professor of Transplant Surgery at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm and Head of the Division of Transplant Surgery, Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC) at Karolinska Institutet since 2000. Research and clinical scholarship at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, PA, USA. Doctoral degree from Karolinska Institutet 1993. Professor Ericzon’s main research interest is related to liver transplantation for metabolic liver diseases and liver transplantation in combination with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation for the treatment of advanced cancer. Between 1997 and 1999, Bo Göran Ericzon was President of the European Society of Organ Transplantation (ESOT).
Leif G Salford, MD, PhD, Founder
Leif G. Salford is one of the founders of Idogen, senior professor of neurosurgery and head of the Rausing Laboratory for Translational Neuro oncology at Lund University. His scientific work combines immune and gene therapy against the most malignant brain tumors and he has also been noted for his work on the effect of electromagnetic radiation on the blood-brain barrier. Professor Salford has conducted research in neurosurgery at Lund University, University of Gothenburg, Kuwait University and Cornell Medical Center in New York. Leif G Salford has been chairman of e.g. World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) Committee on Neuro-Oncology and for the European Association for Neuro-Oncology (EANO).
Jan Holgersson, MD, PhD
Jan Holgersson works as a Professor of Transplant Immunology at the University of Gothenburg and Head of the Tissue Typing and Stem Cell Laboratory at Sahlgrenska Hospital in Gothenburg. His research focuses on understanding the immunological mechanisms behind the rejection of transplanted organs and tissues. An important element has been to develop diagnostics for the detection and semiquantification of antibodies against blood group ABH antigen and other tissue antigens (non-HLA). Jan Holgersson is also Chairman of the Board of VERIGRAFT AB.
Michael Uhlin, PhD
Michael Uhlin works as division head and professor in Clinical Immunology at Karolinska Institutet. He is also Section head for Development and IT at Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine at the Karolinska University Hospital. His research is focused on cell therapy and the impact of the immune system on hematological and solid tumors. Michael Uhlin has also for many years been an inspector of cleanrooms for cell production in Europe.
Mats Bemark, PhD
Mats Bemark is Docent (Associate Professor) in Immunology at the University of Gothenburg and is also head for Research and Development at the department of Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital. His research is mainly focused on basic principles that regulate immune responses at mucosal surfaces, and he has expertise in novel technologies that has been successfully used to address these questions. At the Sahlgrenska University Hospital he has established several novel cell therapies now in clinical use as well as methods to functionally study the immune system.
