NLS Profiles

Sesselja Ómarsdóttir has spent her career moving between academia and industry, from lichen chemistry in an Icelandic lab to leading Genis today. She talks about mentorship, curiosity, and what it means to keep one foot in each world.


Finnish Heidi Haikala has a foot in two life science worlds. As a cancer researcher she has established her own research group at the University of Helsinki and Tampere University, and she is also a co-founder of the startup company Solid IO.

Unbeknownst to her, Jessica Martinsson’s long and varied career in research and life sciences was preparing her for her newest and possibly most influential role.

Trine Bartholdy has spent her career at the intersection of science and finance, helping early discoveries grow into companies capable of shaping the future of health. Now, as AI and global competition are reshaping the conditions for European life sciences, she and her colleagues at the BioInnovation Institute (BII) leverage decades of expertise to usher young Nordic companies toward entrepreneurial success.

As HealthCap marks 30 years of life science investing, co-founder Björn Odlander reflects on the firm’s long-term approach, the journey from lab to patient, and Europe’s widening capital gap.

Throughout her career, customer centricity and a passion for addressing unmet medical needs have driven Norwegian Lena Nymo Helli. This year, she joined the Danish company Coloplast as Country Manager for Norway.