The program encompasses six weeks of intensive travel across the United States where fellows meet with experts in their respective fields. This year’s Global Fellows thereby join a vibrant worldwide network of more than 2,500 leaders in some 115 countries.

Eisenhower Fellowships 

Eisenhower Fellowships identify, empower and connect innovative leaders through a transformative fellowship experience and lifelong engagement in a global network of dynamic change agents committed to creating a more peaceful, prosperous and just world. The Fellowships exists to inspire leaders to challenge themselves to accomplish even more positive change, to engage in networks beyond their existing, and to collaborate with other like-minded leaders across national borders for the betterment of the world. For Vågesjö, the program aims to create a collaborative stakeholder strategy for Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) pathogen testing, treatment and policy reform.

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Evelina Vågesjö: ”I want to see my work go beyond the lab”

What began as a project for Evelina Vågesjö’s doctoral thesis grew into groundbreaking drug candidates and delivery methods, followed not long afterwards, by a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. Fascinated by the workings of the human body, Evelina Vågesjö, born and raised in Småland, Sweden, began researching a way to help the body heal hard-to-heal wounds as […]

About antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and MDR infections

The rise and spread of antibiotic resistance poses a global threat, further exacerbated by geopolitical conflicts. In Europe, MDR pathogens are now spreading to and at each hospital treating Ukrainian war victims, and the ongoing spread within and from hospitals is not systematically monitored or measured. There are few incentives to perform testing, and the liability of spread to other patients, staff or citizens is today not established or tested despite that about five million deaths in 2019 was directly or indirectly caused by of AMRs, whereas 3 million people lost their lives to COVID-19 being closely monitored and reported, according to the World Health Organization.

Evelina Vågesjö, CEO, Ilya Pharma. Photo: Ilya Pharma

Local-acting immunotherapies

Ilya Pharma’s mission is to develop local-acting immunotherapies and fighting disease by instructions to immune cells and killing of multi drug resistant pathogens. Limosilactobacillus reuteri genetically modified to produce human CXCL12 (ILP100) has previously been shown to accelerate wound healing in a double blinded placebo controlled clinical trial. Limosilactobacillus reuteri genetically modified to produce human CXCL17 (ILP101) is being explored for lung indications. Both ILP100 and ILP101 has potent bactericidal effects against MDR pathogens isolated from Ukrainian war victims, suggesting ILP-drug candidates with the dual actions as important therapeutic alternative for eradication of MDR infections and restoring of the damaged tissue.