Organisation and governance

Contributing partners from seven regions and seven universities

Genomic Medicine Sweden builds upon a broad national commitment and consists of a collaboration between Sweden’s seven regional authorities with university healthcare and Sweden’s seven universities with medical faculties. The initiative is coordinated by Region Skåne in close collaboration with Karolinska Institutet.

Participating regions
Region Skåne (Host Region)
Region Stockholm
Region Uppsala
Region Västerbotten
Region Västra Götaland
Region Örebro CountyRegion Östergötland

Participating Universities
University of Gothenburg
Linköping University
Lund University
Karolinska Institutet
Umeå University
Uppsala University
Örebro University

In broad cooperation with healthcare and the life science sector

GMS works together with a wide range of actors within healthcare and life science including Biobank Sweden, Sweden’s Regional Cancer Centres, Clinical Studies Sweden, SciLifeLab, universities, patient organisations, industry, and other public authorities. By working together we develop the best model for introducing improved diagnostics and personalised treatment into to the healthcare system at the same time as we bolster research and innovation in precision medicine.

With regional centres as the driving force

In each of Sweden’s seven regions with university healthcare we have established regional centres for genomic medicine, so called GMCs (Genomic Medicine Centres) as collaborations between healthcare regions and universities. These centres act as primary contact points for conducting gene sequencing of patient samples within the healthcare system as well as facilitating excellent research through their connection to universities. Every GMC is responsible for introducing new diagnostics that improve the healthcare system’s ability to deliver individualised treatment. Each centre is also responsible for including other neighbouring healthcare regions (without university hospitals) in the GMS initiative to ensure that genomic medicine is provided to patients across the whole of Sweden irrespective of location.

A management group with nationwide representation

The activities of GMS are led by a management group consisting of members from each region.

• Richard Rosenquist Brandell, Chair
• Anders Edsjö, Vice chair
• Marene Landström, North (substitute Richard Palmqvist)
• Malin Melin, Uppsala (substitute Panagiotis Baliakas)
• Valtteri Wirta, Karolinska (substitute Anna Lindstrand)
• Bianca Stenmark, Örebro (substitute Paula Mölling)
• Tobias Strid, Souteast (substitute Colum Walsh)
• Kina Höglund, West
• Thoas Fioretos, South (substitute Sofia Gruvberger Saal)
• Per Sikora, National Genomics Plattform (NGP)

GMS Strategic collaboration group

The strategic collaboration group is supporting the work of the GMS management team. The GMS strategic collaboration group is composed of representatives from the seven GMCs and each area of ​​activity within GMS.

• Richard Rosenquist Brandell, Chair
• Anders Edsjö, Vice chair, Co-chair Solid tumours
• Anna Lindstrand, Co-chair Rare diseases
• Anna Wedell, GMC Karolinska
• Åsa Johansson, Co-chair Complex diseases
• Bianca Stenmark, GMC Örebro
• Bo Jacobsson, Co-chair Complex diseases
• Christian Giske, Co-chair Microbiology
• Column Walsh, GMC Southeast
• Craig Wheelock, Co-chair Complex diseases
• Fulya Taylan, Co-chair Childhood cancer
• Hannes Olausson, Co-chair GMS Solid tumours
• Hans Ehrencrona, Co-chair Rare diseases
• Henrik Green, Co-chair Pharmacogenomics
• Kina Höglund, GMC West
• Lars Palmqvist, Co-chair Legal aspects
• Lovisa Lovmar, Co-chair Rare diseases
• Lucia Cavelier, Co-chair Hematology
• Magnus Sabel, Co-chair Childhood cancer
• Marene Landström, GMC North
• Maria Johansson, Co-chair Innovation and industry collaboration
• Maria Johansson Soller, Co-chair Communication and education
• Mia Wadelius, GMC Uppsala
• Mikaela Friedman, Co-chair Communication and education
• Oskar Frisell, Co-chair Health economics
• Panagiotis Baliakas, GMC Uppsala
• Paula Mölling, Co-chair Microbiology
• Per Sikora, Co-chair National Genomics Plattform, Co-chair Microbiology
• Richard Palmqvist, GMC North
• Sofia Gruvberger Saal, GMC South
• Therese Fagerqvist, Co-chair Innovation and industry collaboration
• Thoas Fioretos, Co-chair Hematology
• Tobias Strid, Co-chair Bioinformatics
• Valtteri Wirta, Co-chair Bioinformatics

A strong and representative steering committee

The steering committee for GMS works with ensuring the best possible conditions for a national infrastructure for precision medicine, deciding on strategic questions regarding an effective collaboration between healthcare regions and universities, and for ensuring sustainable funding for GMS. The steering committee consists of seven members appointed by each of Sweden’s seven regions with university hospitals, two members jointly appointed by the remaining fourteen Swedish regions, seven members appointed by each of Sweden’s seven universities with medical faculties, two members appointed by industry, and two members appointed by patient organisations.

• Mats Ulfendahl, Chair, Research Director, Region Östergötland
• Björn Arvidsson, Director of Research and Innovation, Region Uppsala
• Martin Bergö, Vice President, Karolinska Institutet
• Ann Ekberg-Jansson, Research Director, Region Västra Götaland
• Karin Blomberg, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University
• Cecilia Fagerström, Research Director, Region Kalmar
• Margareta Haag, Network against cancer, Patient organisation representative,
• Jan Holgersson, Vice Dean for infrastructure, University of Gothenburg
• Martin Hallbeck, Vice Dean, Linköping University
• David Gisselsson Nord, Vice Dean Faculty of Medicine, Lund University
• Frida Lundmark, Swedish Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry (LIF), Branch organisation representative
• Beatrice Melin, Director of Research Development and Innovation, Region Västerbotten
• Andreas Muranyi Scheutz, Research Director, Region Stockholm
• Kent Nilsson, Head of Department, Region Västmanland
• Jesper Olsson, Swedish Medtech, Branch organisation representative
• Jens Enoksson, Head of Operations, Region Skåne
• Malin Sund, Umeå University
• Birgitta Termander, The Swedish National Organization for Rare Diseases, patient organisation representative, 
• Eva Tiensuu Janson, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Uppsala University
  
• Mats G Karlsson, Director of Research and Education, Region Örebro län

Coopted members:

• Linda Blomquist​, Swedish Labtech
• Jonas Claesson, Region Örebro län
• Sonja Eaker, Biobank Sweden
• Anders Edsjö, Genomic Medicine Sweden
• Stephanie Juran, Rare Diseases Sweden
• Jessica Martinsson, SwedenBio
• Richard Rosenquist Brandell, Genomic Medicine Sweden
• Päivi Östling, SciLifeLab
• Tatjana Åkerblom, Genomic Medicine Sweden

Scientific Advisory Board

GMS has a Scientific Advisory Board consisting of world-leading experts in fields relevant to GMS activities. The Scientific Advisory Board evaluates the activities and provides support and advice to GMS steering committee and management group.

• Dame Sue Hill, Chief Scientific Officer and Senior Responsible Officer for Genomics in NHS England
• Bettina Lundgren, CEO, Danish National Genome Center, Denmark
• Samuli Ripatti, Director of the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Professor of Biometry at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, and Affiliated Faculty member at Massachusetts General Hospital and Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.
• Albrecht Stenzinger, Head of the Center for Molecular Pathology (CMP), Head of the Section for Biomarker Development and Molecular Diagnostics and Senior Consultant Pathologist at the Institute of Pathology (IPH), University Hospital Heidelberg, Germany
• Dag Undlien, Head of Department of Medical Genetics at Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, Norway

Informatics Advisory Board

GMS has an Informatics Advisory Board consisting of experts in bioinformatics and informatics. The main tasks of the Informatics Advisory Board are to provide operational and strategic advice on the development of bioinformatics and data analysis methods as well as on data management, data structuring and data sharing approaches used within GMS.

• Samuli Ripatti, Director of the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Professor of Biometry at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, and Affiliated Faculty member at Massachusetts General Hospital and Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.
• Christian Gilissen, Professor of Genome Bioinformatics, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud University.
• Jayne Hehir-Kwa, Co-PI Big Data Core, Princess Máxima Center.
• Augusto Rendon, Chief Bioinformatician, Genomics England.
• Tony Håndstaad, Head engineer, Development manager at Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital.
• Mathias Ekman, Director Digital Health Platforms & Partner Ecosystems, Microsoft.