The Grand Solutions Committee for Health Innovation

The committee is composed of six impact experts with the competencies to assess the commercial and strategic potential for Denmark of Grand Solutions applications, and six internationally recognised researchers with the competencies to assess the quality of the applications’ research and innovation at an international level.

All members possess solid and extensive knowledge and recent experience within one or more specific professional areas related to the committee’s theme, including the following domains:

• Stem cell research and technology
• Drug development
• Clinical outcomes and economic impact of whole-genome sequencing
• Development of personalised medicine
• Development of medical devices
• Application of artificial intelligence within life science and welfare technology
• Insight into the Danish healthcare system, including the development, testing and use of welfare technology within, among other areas, elderly care, social services and healthcare
• Digital prevention and treatment services for people with mental disorders
• Social science and/or humanities approaches, e.g. with a view to strengthening needs assessments, implementation processes and the contextualisation of health and illness behaviours.

The list is not exhaustive.

The professional areas reflect the political priorities under which Innovation Fund Denmark awards funding, which are decided annually in connection with the adoption of the annual Finance Act.

The committee as a whole has also been established with a focus on ensuring diversity in both societal and professional terms.

Committee members

Peter Herskind (Chair)
VP, Product Design&Engeneering, Coloplast, Copenhagen

Jai Prakash (Vice-Chair)
Professor & Research Group Leader – Advanced Bioengineering and Therapeutics, Department of Medical BioSciences, Radboud University Medical Centre, NL

Carsten Gram Hansen
Reader, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, The University of Edinburgh, GB-SCT

Charlotte Vedel
Experienced Senior Executive, Advisor and Board Member, Copenhagen

Egon Toft
Head of Research, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg

Erik Steffensen
Independent consultant within drug development and GMP manufacturing, Spot-on Pharma Consulting ApS

Eugenia Carvalho
Principal Investigator, Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, PT

Ilmo Keskimäki
Professor, The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Finland & Tampere University, FI

Jonas Thinggaard
Life Science Digital, Strategy & Transformation Leader, Devote Consulting

Katrine Thor Andersen
Founder & Principal, Bering Impact LLC, Seattle, WA

Marilisa Boffo
Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology and Digital Behavioral Health, Erasmus University Rotterdam

Randall Johnson
Professor, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institute, Sweden

Trine Rolighed Thomsen
Project Director in Healthcare Technology, Danish Technological Institute, Aarhus
Professor in Healthcare Innovation, Section of Biotechnology, Aalborg University

Wim H. van Harten
Professor, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, NL