Driving Innovation.
Delivering Impact.
Our leadership team has a proven track record for translating science into impact
Team
Team
Annbjørg Falck
Chief Executive Officer
and Co-founder
Annbjørg Falck
Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder
Key Focus: Experienced biotech leader in drug development, specializing in regulatory strategy and commercialization and advancing novel therapies to patients.
Education:
- PharmD, University of Oslo/University of Southern California
- MBA, Open University, UK
Worth mentioning:
- Leadership roles in drug development since 2010, with a strong track record in executing regulatory strategies and advancing therapies from preclinical through clinical milestones.
- Co-founded NaDeNo after serving as Entrepreneur in Residence for SINTEF TTO & Venture, driving the commercialization of SINTEF’s nanomedicine technology.
- Broad experience across biotech and pharmaceutical sectors, including GE Healthcare, Pfizer, Boots Limited, and biotech startups: Pronova Biopharma, Targovax, and Zelluna Immunotherapy.
Driven by: The belief that groundbreaking science should reach patients faster. Annbjørg is committed to navigating the complex path from innovation to real-world impact—building the right strategies, partnerships, and regulatory pathways to make it happen.
Ýrr Mørch
Chief Technology Officer
and Co-founder
Ýrr Mørch
Chief Technology Officer & Co-founder
Key Focus: As co-inventor of NaDeNo’s nanoparticle technology, Ýrr is the lead scientist behind NaDeNo’s nanoformulation platform, driving the engineering and optimization of advanced drug delivery systems that enhance therapeutic efficacy and address key pharmacokinetic and bioavailability challenges in cancer treatment.
Education:
- PhD in Biopolymer Chemistry, NTNU
- Post doc at Dept of Physics, Division of Biophysics and Medical Technology
- MSc in Chemical Engineering (Biotechnology), NTNU
Worth mentioning:
- Rewarded with Tekna’s top PhD thesis, 2008
- Led SINTEF’s Nanomedicine strategic area; project leader for >10 international R&D projects.
- Author of 50+ peer-reviewed publications and inventor of 10 patents.
- Invited speaker at global conferences and other media on nanomedicine.
Driven by: Ýrr’s drive for better cancer therapy began in the years leading up to her PhD in biopolymer chemistry. Since then, she has been committed to harnessing nanotechnology to overcome drug delivery challenges—engineering smarter, more effective ways to get life-saving drugs directly to tumors.
Jens Bjørheim
Chief Medical Officer
Jens Bjørheim
Chief Medical Officer
Key Focus:
- Jens is the clinical strategist behind NaDeNo’s development pathway—guiding trial design, regulatory strategy, and translational planning to bring nanomedicine-based cancer therapies from preclinical promise to patient impact.
Education:
- PhD in Cancer Genetics and Immunology, University of Oslo Cand. Med., University of Oslo
Worth mentioning:
- Extensive leadership experience across Nordic, Baltic, and HQ roles at Pronova Biopharma (BASF), Novartis, Clavis Pharma, AstraZeneca, and Ultimovacs
- Jens has been instrumental in clinical development, fundraising, and the public listing of three biotech companies
- Author of 20+ peer-reviewed publications
Driven by: Jens is driven by the urgency to deliver better treatment options for cancer patients. With a physician’s perspective and a scientist’s precision, he is committed to accelerating the development of innovative therapeutics that improve survival and quality of life for patients with few or no options.
Tore Kvam
Chief Financial Officer
Tore Kvam
Chief Financial Officer
Key Focus: Business-oriented and strategic CFO with significant technological knowledge and biotech experience. Experience and strong interest within investor relations and international investor markets.
Education:
- Master of Business and Economics, BI Norwegian Business School
- MSc in Computer Science, The George Washington University
Worth mentioning:
- Over 20 years of combined experience in finance and biotech as CFO
- Management consultant at KPMG, advising clients on high-impact business strategies and operational improvements.
- Proven track record in securing funding, navigating complex financial landscapes, and driving strategic growth for biotech startups.
- Recognized for his ability to align financial strategy with scientific innovation, enabling sustainable growth and successful execution of business plans.
Driven by: Bridging the gap between science and business, ensuring innovative life science ventures are well-capitalized to achieve their goals.
Gudrun Trøite
Head of Operations
Gudrun Trøite
Head of Operations
Key Focus: Expert in clinical operations, regulatory affairs, and quality assurance with 20+ years of experience in drug development.
Education:
- PhD in Medical Physics, University of Oslo
- M.Sc. Physics
Highlights:
- Successfully led multi-national clinical studies across all phases of development, including pivotal trials resulting in regulatory approvals.
- Extensive expertise in clinical operations, regulatory strategy, and quality assurance in biotech companies.
- Former management team member responsible for shaping and executing corporate strategy.
- Known for her ability to streamline project design and execution, ensuring successful outcomes and reliable data for drug development.
Driven by: A commitment to designing clinical trials that turn scientific breakthroughs into real treatment options. Gudrun thrives on ensuring high-quality, reliable data that brings innovative therapies one step closer to patients.
Sofie Snipstad
Senior Scientist
Sofie Snipstad
Senior Scientist
Key Focus:
- Accomplished researcher and science communicator specializing in nanoparticle-based drug delivery and biophysics.
Education:
- MSc in (Bio)nanotechnology, NTNU (2013).
- PhD in Biophysics, NTNU (2017)
Worth mentioning:
- Awarded Best Ph.D Thesis of the Year, NV Faculty
- Extensive experience in nanoparticle-based drug delivery, leading multiple research projects at NTNU and SINTEF since 2013.
- Author of 36+ peer-reviewed scientific articles and 75+ abstracts presented at international conferences.
- Editorial board member of the Journal of Controlled Release, reflecting her leadership in the field.
- Winner of the Research Grand Prix (2016).
- Communicator of the Year (2021, NV Faculty, NTNU).
- Recipient of The Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters’ Award for Young Researchers (2024).
- Featured in 90+ popular science interviews, talks, and articles across TV, radio, blogs, and newspapers.
- Alumni of The Young Academy of Norway and SIKT (by invitation from the Norwegian Crown Prince).
Driven by: The challenge of engineering nanoparticles that enhance drug delivery, improve therapeutic precision, and break biological barriers—pushing nanotechnology to make cancer treatments more effective.
Erik Møller Steen
Project & Business
Development Manager
Erik Møller Steen
Project & Business Development Manager
Key focus:
- Interest in bridging innovation with market needs, supporting the development of nanoparticle-based technology with potential to create value in the life sciences.
Education:
- MSc in (Bio)nanotechnology, NTNU (2022).
Worth mentioning:
- Former Management Consultant in Capgemini Invent working with digital strategy & transformation, and project & portfolio management.
- Worked with business development in partnering-focused biotech towards medical device manufacturers, identifying and developing partnerships, evaluating high-value applications, and supporting technology integration from early-stage evaluation to commercialization.
Driven by: The potential for engineering nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems that enable drugs with increased efficacy and improved safety.
Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Ole J. Dahlberg
Chair of the Board
Ole J. Dahlberg
Chair of the Board
Ole J. Dahlberg brings over 25 years of experience from the life science industry. In addition to co-founded three start-up companies, Dahlberg worked both on the commercial side, and in R&D leadership roles, inlcuding German Biotech company Qiagen.
Over the past 15 years Dahlberg has been in executive leadership roles in Life Technologies, as CEO of a CDMO, and until 2021 Dahlberg was based in California as VP & General Manager for Cell Biology at Thermo Fisher Scientific.
He was also Managing Director for Dynal Biotech, the SINTEF spin-off that became the gold-standard for particle-based isolation in cell & molecular biology, now part of Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Dahlberg is a sought after board member and holds several biotech company board positions. He has a Master of Science in Genetics and Marine Biology from University of Oslo.
Cristianne Rijcken
Board Member
Cristianne Rijcken
Board Member
Cristianne is a serial life science entrepreneur, with over 16 years strategic and hands-on experience in various biotech companies. With a relentless and creative mindset, Cristianne spearheads startup’s entrepreneurial journeys with primary focus on viable business cases. She seamlessly manages the diverse elements from pure R&D to corporate funding, investor relationship, talent acquisition and team growth, intellectual property strategy, business development, strategic assessments and boardroom alignment. She transforms scientific discoveries into commercially successful applications and drives a highly efficient development of innovative drug products to patient evaluation across diverse disease areas. Her core expertise is in nanomedicines in (immune-)oncology; and nowadays also experience with other advanced products in other therapeutic sectors.
As CEO of Liberates, she tackles complex challenges at life science startups with demonstrated ability to articulate long term strategy and focus, propose organizational change, and deliver operational excellence. Cristianne is founder of Cristal Therapeutics, and serves as Chief Scientific Officer of the company. She is inventor of 8 patents, (co-) author of ~ 50 scientific publications, received numerous awards and is invited speaker at various biopharmaceutical conferences.
Cristianne is driven by curiosity about the human body and how pharmaceutical compounds can modify (the majority of) its functions, hence beneficially shifting into better health and longevity. She is pharmacist by training, holds a PhD degree in Pharmaceutics from Utrecht University and resides in Maastricht (both The Netherlands)
Jostein S. Bjøndal
Board Member
Jostein S. Bjøndal
Board Member
Jostein S. Bjøndal holds a master’s degree in international business from The Norwegian School of Economics (NHH). He has extensive experience in developing and scaling deep-tech companies from NTNU and SINTEF. Currently, he works as an investment director in SINTEF TTO & Venture with the main purpose of building tech start-ups based on SINTEF technology.
Jonas Hallén
Board Member
Jonas Hallén
Board Member
Jonas Hallén is the Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder of Calluna Pharma, a Forbion-backed company that develops monoclonal antibodies targeting innate immune amplifiers for the treatment of chronic inflammatory and fibrotic diseases.
Before joining Calluna, Jonas spent a decade in the pharmaceutical industry in various positions such as Nordic Therapeutic Area Director at Boehringer Ingelheim, Clinical Program Leader at Pronova Biopharma and Region Europe Medical Director (Cardio-Metabolic) at Novartis. His experience spans preclinical, early and late-stage clinical development as well as medical affairs.
Jonas is an MD from the University of Copenhagen and holds a PhD in cardiovascular disease from the University of Oslo.
Jonas is excited about the development of technology and drugs that can address unmet medical needs and improve the lives of patients.
Jan Håbrekke
Board Member
Jan Håbrekke
Board Member
Håbrekke is a highly experienced technology company investor and member of numerous boards. He holds an MSc in Electrical Engineering and Microelectronics from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, (NTNU) Trondheim. Håbrekke has previously been CEO and co-founder of the oil service company Interwell AS, and is currently CEO of Investitude AS, a private wealth management advisory firm.
Scientific partners and advisors
Scientific partners and advisors
Ingrid Boere
Clinical Advisor
Ingrid Boere
Clinical Advisor
Dr. I.A. (Ingrid) Boere has been working as an internist-oncologist at Erasmus MC since 2010. In this role, she is involved in the treatment of patients with various forms of cancer, such as ovarian cancer. Erasmus MC strive to provide the best possible treatment, while simultaneously continuously working on improvements and new developments through research, both nationally and internationally.
Ingrid is also involved in DGOG (Dutch Gynaecological Oncology Group), EORTC (European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer), INCIP (International Network on Cancer, Infertility and Pregnancy), the Advisory Group on Cancer in Pregnancy, and HEBON, among others.
Wim P. Ceelen
Clinical Advisor
Wim P. Ceelen
Clinical Advisor
Prof. Dr. Wim P. Ceelen (MD, PhD) is a surgical oncologist and associate Professor at Ghent University Hospital in Belgium. His interest is within advanced or recurrent GI cancer, soft tissue retroperitoneal cancers, ovarian cancer, and peritoneal metastasis. He leads the experimental surgery lab at Ghent University Hospital in Belgium, and performs clinical, translational, and basic research in the fields of intraperitoneal drug delivery, novel treatments of peritoneal metastasis, biophysical properties of cancer tissue, and lymphatic metastasis in colon cancer.
Ron Mathijssen
Clinical Advisor
Ron Mathijssen
Clinical Advisor
Prof. Ron H.J. Mathijssen, MD, PhD, studied medicine at the Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands for which he received his MD degree in 2000. Two years later he defended his thesis (cum laude) entitled: ‘Irinotecan: from Clinical Pharmacokinetics to Pharmacogenetics’. Subsequently, he became Internist, Medical Oncologist, and Clinical Pharmacologist.
Since 2013, he is a full professor in Individualized Oncological Pharmacotherapy at the Department of Medical Oncology of the Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, part of the Erasmus University, heading the division of Translational Pharmacology. His main research is focused on ‘tailored therapy’ of systemic anti-cancer agents. He is closely collaborating with many national and international groups, supervises multiple PhD students, and published over 400 peer reviewed papers and book chapters. Finally, he is the chair of the Dutch Pharmacology Oncology Group; a national collaboration to individualize the dose of anti-cancer drugs (www.dpog.nl).
S.L.W. (Stijn) Koolen, PhD
Clinical Advisor
S.L.W. (Stijn) Koolen, PhD
Clinical Advisor
Stijn is a pharmacist and associate professor clinical drug development at the departments of Medical oncology and pharmacy of the Erasmus medical center Rotterdam. His main research is focused on the relationship between pharmacokinetics of oncology drugs and toxicity or response. A better understanding of this relationship may lead to a better and more personalized treatment for many oncology drugs.
Kjersti Flatmark
Clinical research and advisor
Kjersti Flatmark
Clinical research and advisor
Prof. Dr. Kjersti Flatmark (MD, PhD) is a clinician-scientist at Oslo University Hospital/Norwegian Radium Hospital, combining clinical work with building translational research projects focusing on treatment of peritoneal surface malignancies, locally advanced, recurrent and metastatic colorectal cancer. These cancers are the main clinical responsibilities of Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Norwegian Radium Hospital.
She is the first clinician to hold a group leader position at Institute for Cancer Research. She has developed broadly collaborative translational and clinical projects spanning a range of medical subjects from evaluation of novel drugs in preclinical models to observational and interventional clinical trials. She has also developed robust national and international collaborations through regional (ACREDIT) and European (Cure4PMP) research networks.
The group of Dr. Flatmark has been highly involved in the development of NaDeNo’s lead candidate.
Andreas Åslund
Nanoformulation development and synthesis
Andreas Åslund
Nanoformulation development and synthesis
Dr. Andreas Åslund is a Research scientist at SINTEF and has a background in organic chemistry with a PhD from Linköping University, Sweden. For the last decade he has worked exclusively on the development of targeted delivery and (nano)formulation of drugs. These activities include the establishment of ultrasound mediated blood-brain barrier opening in Norway and mechanistic studies on ultrasound mediated delivery of drugs and nanoformulations to the brain and other target tissue.
Within formulation he has been part of the team that developed the lead formulation for NaDeNo and in addition he has extensive experience from other polymer nanoformulation technologies. He is at the bord of the European Technology Platform for Nanomedicine and Chair for the working group Nanotherapeutics and Targeted Delivery. At SINTEF he is the project leader for all activities related to NaDeNo.
Geir Klinkenberg
In vitro characterization
Geir Klinkenberg
In vitro characterization
Dr. Geir Klinkenberg is a Research manager at SINTEF with more than 15 years of experience in drug discovery, high throughput screening, in vitro cell-based assays and bioprocess development. Klinkenberg has also more than 15 years’ experience in management of large research projects for national and international biotech and pharma industry and is currently managing a project portfolio of more than 50 MNOK in SINTEF. Furthermore, Klinkenberg coordinated the work of in vitro cell viability and cytotoxicity in EU Nanomedicine Characterization Laboratory (EUNCL) as Assay Group Leader.
Ruth Schmid
Ruth Schmid
Strategic and scientific advice
Ruth Schmid
Strategic and scientific advice
Ruth Schmid has more than 40 years’ experience in the field of preparation and characterization of micro- and nanoparticles by various technologies and from a wide variety of materials, as well as the surface modification of polymers and polymer particles to introduce tailor-made properties. A special focus has been on the encapsulation and immobilisation of liquids and solids from emulsions, for protection and controlled release.
The last 10+ years, she has shown a special interest is the emerging field of nanomedicine, targeted drug delivery and release, nanotechnology-based diagnostics, regenerative medicine, as well as preclinical characterization. Ruth introduced nanomedicine as a new business area at SINTEF and is the main inventor or co-inventor of several patents that are the basis for NaDeNo’s technology.
Ruth has a special focus on applied research and product-oriented solutions. She has long-term experience in translation from laboratory to pilot scale, e.g. through the development of the Dynabeads and SINTEFs various drug delivery platforms.
Ruth is a Swiss citizen living in Norway since 1979. She gained her Diploma (1975) and PhD (1979) in Natural Sciences (physical organic chemistry) at ETH Zürich, Switzerland. She is a member of ACS, CRS (member of the board of directors (2009-2018), President (2016-2017), the European Technology Platform in Nanomedicine (Chair 2019-2021) and the EARTO working group “Emerging Technologies for Healthcare”. She is author/co-author of 59 scientific publications and 18 patents and patent applications. Total number of peer reviewed publications: 77; citations 2543; h-index. 23 (Google Scholar, December 2022).
Arthur Tipton
Business Strategy advisor
Arthur Tipton
Business Strategy advisor
Arthur Tipton, Ph.D., is an independent consultant who aids companies in developing the next generation of drug delivery products. He previously held leadership roles in three drug delivery start-ups and played a key role in each company’s path to a public offering or acquisition.
The first company, Atrix, developed the leading in situ gelling injectable, Atrigel, where Art is on several patents and led the development and manufacturing of the initial products. The technology continues in two companies, Tolmar and Indivior with several injectable products including Eligard for prostate cancer and Perseris for schizophrenia. Following at Durect, Art led all biodegradable injectable programs including initial clinical development of Posimir now marketed by Innocoll for treatment of pain following certain surgeries. For the most recent company, he was founder and chief executive officer of Brookwood Pharmaceuticals, now part of Evonik. Brookwood became a leading supplier of commercial biodegradable polymers as well as developing final product such as Scenessse, an implant that delivers melanotan to treat patients with disabling skin conditions such as erythropoietic protoporphyria.
Immediately before his consulting business, Art was CEO of a 400-person nonprofit R&D group with a range of both life sciences and non-life sciences areas. The life science work included drug discovery with about a million-compound library and specific focus on cancer and infectious disease.
In his consulting business, Art is advising a range of companies developing injectable products including formulation, manufacturing, LCM and IP.
Dr. Tipton holds 43 U.S. patents; his inventive efforts have led to several publications and multiple commercial products. He currently serves as a board member for five organizations and has previous experience on 12 additional boards. His resume also includes induction into the National Academy of Inventors, the College of Fellows for the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and the Controlled Release Society, where he served as president in 2015. Most recently, Dr. Tipton was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2021. He holds a Ph.D. in polymer science and engineering from the University of Massachusetts.
Anton Mat
Business Development
Anton Mat
Business Development
Anton Mat is a skilled business development professional. His 25 years of pharmaceutical industry experience spans business development and commercial roles in big pharma, biotech and CDMO companies. His passion is to help make innovative and effective treatment options reach patients by building the business case and securing partnerships and funding.
Combined with his background in biochemistry, he is excellently equipped to advise, guide and support management in their business development strategy and execution. Previous affiliations include Abbvie (Abbott), GSK (GlaxoWellcome), Teva, OctoPlus, Dr. Reddy’s, Batavia Biosciences, ISA Pharmaceuticals.
