Chairs and Speakers – O

Chairs and Speakers – O


A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


Maria Orr
Main position/role:
Head of Precision Medicine, Biopharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca 

Maria is currently Head of Precision Medicine for Biopharmaceuticals in AstraZeneca.  In this role she leads the delivery of precision medicines and their associated companion diagnostics for drugs across a diverse range of therapeutic areas including cardiovascular, renal, metabolism (CVRM), respiratory and immunology (R&I), microbial science and neuroscience. Maria has extensive experience in the field of precision medicine and companion diagnostic development.  She has contributed to the successful launch of three personalised treatments in oncology and the delivery of over 30 companion diagnostic assays to the market to date.


Max Ortiz Catalan
Main position/role:
Director of the Center for Bionics and Pain Research, and Professor of Bionics at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden

Prof. Max Ortiz Catalán, Ph.D., is the Founder and Director of the Center for Bionics and Pain Research (@CBPR.se) and the Professor of Bionics at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, where he also heads the Bionics Research Unit at the Department of Electrical Engineering. He has received several honors for his work, notably the “Swedish Embedded Award” by the Swedish Electronic Association in 2018, the “Brian & Joyce Blatchford Award” by ISPO in 2017, the “Delsys Prize” by Delsys in 2016, and the “European Youth Award” by the European Council in 2014. His research includes bioelectric signals acquisition electronics (analog and digital); bioelectric signal processing and machine learning algorithms for decoding motor volition and control; neuromuscular interfaces; neurostimulation for sensory feedback; bone-anchored prostheses and osseointegration; and virtual and augmented reality for neuromuscular rehabilitation and the treatment of phantom limb pain.

Webpage: www.chalmers.se/en/staff/Pages/max-jair-ortiz-catalan.aspx


Ole Petter Ottersen
Main position/role:
President of Karolinska Institutet, Sweden

I took office as President of Karolinska Institutet on August 1, 2017 after having served eight years (2009-2017) as President of the University of Oslo (UiO). From 2002 to 2009 I was Director of Centre for Molecular Biology and Neuroscience – one of Norway’s Centres of Excellence. I have served as Chief Editor of Neuroscience (2006-2009) – the official journal of the International brain research organization (IBRO) – and as panel leader in the European research Council (ERC Advanced Grants) from the start to 2012. I was Founding Chair (2016-2017) of a newly established European university network (the Guild of Research Intensive Universities) and chaired the Lancet Commission that studied the political determinants of global health inequalities (The Lancet-University of Oslo Commission on Global Governance for Health). I have had a strong research interest in the field of neuroscience, with a particular focus on synaptic structure and function and on the molecular mechanisms underlying edema formation and water transport in brain. In recent years I have been engaged in global health, much inspired by my experiences gained as Chair of the Lancet-University of Oslo Commission.