Our Board
Gunnar Kongsrud
Chairman of the Board
Gunnar is the Business Unit Manager Neuroscience for AbbVie Scandinavia, and Chairman of the Board for Nansen Neuroscience Network (NNN). He has extensive knowledge with governmental and external affairs; building and maintaining solid relations and collaboration networks both in Norway and internationally.
Before AbbVie, Gunnar had multiple roles for the Conservative Party of Norway (Høyre). Amongst them he was Director of Marketing and Campaign, playing an important part of the fundraising and recruitment of volunteers before the election in 2013.
Jens Halvard Grønlien
Board member
Jens is the Vice President of Innovation at Inven2, where he oversees the commercialization of research results. His work involves managing innovation projects and leading teams to advance research into market-ready products and services.
Before Inven2, Jens was the Medical Director at GSK, responsible for medical strategies and initiatives.
Jens also has extensive experience as a board member for several organizations, including Serca Pharmaceuticals, Agiana Pharmaceuticals and Norges Forskningsråd (Helseportefølje), contributing his expertise in healthcare innovation and commercialization.
Ole Petter Ottersen
Board member
Ole Petter Ole Petter Ottersen is a professor of medicine at the University of Oslo (UiO). He served as the rector of UiO from 2009 to 2017 and as president of the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden from 2017 to 2023.
His research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases. Ottersen has held numerous leadership roles, including head of the Department of Anatomy and research dean at UiO.
He has been involved in various international research collaborations and institutional evaluations, receiving several prestigious awards for his contributions to neuroscience.
Bjarne Foss
Board member
Bjarne Foss is a professor at the Department of Engineering Cybernetics at NTNU and the Managing Director at the Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience.
He holds a PhD in technical cybernetics from NTNU and has supervised 31 PhD candidates. Bjarne has published over 300 scientific articles and has been involved in founding two start-up companies.
He served as Vice-Rector for Research and Dissemination at NTNU from 2017 to 2020 and has held various board positions, significantly contributing to advancements in engineering cybernetics and neuroscience.
Kristin Svanqvist
Board member
Kristin Svanqvist is the Head of Market Access and External Affairs at Merck Norway. She oversees governmental affairs and communication efforts, ensuring the company’s alignment with regulatory requirements and facilitating patient access to essential medications.
Before joining Merck, Kristin worked at Amgen for four years, where she was instrumental in enhancing the company’s profile and operations in the Norwegian market. She has a strong background in the pharmaceutical industry, having also worked at the Norwegian Medicines Agency (Legemiddelverket).
Mathias Toft
Board member
Mathias Toft is a professor of neurology at the University of Oslo (UiO) and head of Oslo University Hospital (OUS). He completed his medical degree in Tübingen, Germany, and obtained a PhD in neuroscience in 2007. Toft’s research focuses on the genetics and treatment of movement disorders, particularly Parkinson’s disease.
He has contributed significantly to genetic research, including studies on LRRK2 gene mutations, and has been involved in several international consortia aimed at understanding the genetic factors of Parkinson’s disease. His work also includes advanced treatments such as deep brain stimulation.
Morten Tangnes
Board member
Morten Tangnes is the Managing Director for the Nordic and Baltic Cluster at Biogen Europe. Before his role at Biogen, he held a number of different positions at Pfizer, including Senior Director for Pfizer Essential Health.
Morten has extensive expertise in medical affairs and has contributed significantly to the development and implementation of medical strategies across different therapeutic areas. His career spans several prominent roles within the pharmaceutical industry, demonstrating his ability to lead and manage complex projects and teams effectively. He is also a board member at Legemiddelindustrien (LMI).
Charalampos Tzoulis
Board member
Charalampos (Haris) Tzoulis is a Professor of Neurology and Neurogenetics at the University of Bergen (UiB) and Haukeland University Hospital (HUH). He specializes in neurogenetics and neurodegeneration, with a focus on movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. Tzoulis leads the Neuromics research group, dedicated to studying the molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases and developing neuroprotective therapies.
Haris is also the co-director of the Neuro-SysMed Center of Excellence for Clinical Research in Neurological Diseases, as well as the director of the K.G. Jebsen Center for Translational Research in Parkinson’s Disease at UiB and HUH. His research primarily explores the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease, aiming to improve diagnostics and personalized treatments
Nils Gamlem
Board member
Nils Gamlem is currently working as Medical Advisor at BioArctic, a Swedish biopharmaceutical company specializing in development of innovative treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. He has a medical background as a veterinarian (Cand. med. vet.) with clinical and laboratory experience.
He has extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry with innovative biological therapeutics in several therapeutic areas including the field of neurology. Nils’s expertise spans clinical research, medical affairs, team management, commercialization and implementation of advanced pharmaceuticals and medical solutions.
He previously held the position of Country Medical Manager at Teva Norway, where he was responsible for medical operations and strategic planning.
Eelke Snoeren
Board member
Eelke Snoeren is a professor in behavioral neuroscience at the Department of Psychology at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. Her research focuses on investigating the neurobiological basis of natural rewarding behaviors, both in healthy and pathological conditions, using mainly animal models. To achieve this goal, she combines traditional behavioral testing, advanced imaging techniques, and modern manipulation methods to gain a deeper understanding of the key moments when the brain transitions from desire to pursuit, consumption, and fulfillment.
For her translational research, she studies mainly sexual behavior, because this is one of the most natural incentive-driven behaviors that does not occur without an intrinsic state of motivation, making it an ideal behavioral model to study the mechanisms behind natural reward. In addition, she studies how excessive junk food consumption can change these states of motivation.