Our team

Many Abliva employees are active in preclinical and clinical development, as well as a number of external consultants engaged on the company’s projects. The company possesses a high level of expertise. All employees are science graduates, with five holding PhDs in medical sciences. The company’s researchers are engaged in identifying segments with unmet medical needs, early basic research and clinical research towards approval of drug candidates.

Management team

Ellen K. Donnelly

CEO

Ellen K. Donnelly, born 1974, is a highly experienced and strategic drug development executive. She has held leading positions in both large and small pharma/biotech companies, including as CEO of Modus Therapeutics AB (Sweden), CEO of Souvien Therapeutics (US), CEO of the Epigenetics Division of Juvenescence (UK) and she has spent almost a decade at Pfizer, Inc. (US) in a variety of leadership positions. Ellen’s expertise includes business and clinical development strategies, as well as interacting with specialized investors, especially in the US. She also has experience in management consulting. Ellen has a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Yale University.

Holdings in Abliva: 374,652 shares, 4,600,000 employee stock options of series 2021/2025, and 17,500,000 employee stock options of series 2023/2027:1.

Catharina Jz. Johansson

Deputy CEO, CFO & VP Investor Relations

Catharina Jz Johansson, born 1967, possesses experience from work on medtech growth enterprises with multinational operations. Catharina Johansson holds a bachelor’s degree in Business and Economics from Mid Sweden University. Her previous experience includes serving as interim CFO for medical device company Cellavision, which is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm, and Accounting Manager for Bong and Alfa Laval Europe. Employed since 2013.

Holdings in Abliva: 314,994 shares and 3,000,000 warrants of series 2023/2027:2.

Eskil Elmér

CSO & Vice President Discovery

Eskil Elmér, born 1970, is a consultant physician and adjunct professor of basal and clinical neurophysiology at Lund University (Sweden) and group leader of the Mitochondrial Medicine lab at the department of Clinical Neurophysiology. Dr Elmér is patentee and co-founder of both Maas Biolab, LLC and Abliva AB (former NeuroVive Pharmaceutical AB), and CSO of Abliva, with overall charge of the company’s pre-clinical research. In addition, Eskil Elmér is a practicing physician in the department of clinical neurophysiology at Skåne University Hospital in Lund, Sweden. Employed since 2000.

Holdings in Abliva: 735,155 shares privately owned (including family), 277,850 warrants of series 2023/2027:2, and 16.2% of Maas Biolab, LLC who owns 0.37% of Abliva.

Magnus Hansson

CMO & VP Preclinical and Clinical Development

Magnus Hansson, born 1976, has extensive experience in the area of Mitochondrial Medicine. He has previously been serving as a Senior Scientist in NeuroVive since 2008 and as a consultant physician and associate professor in medical imaging and physiology at Skåne University Hospital, Sweden. Dr Hansson has overall charge of the company’s pre-clinical and clinical development programs. He holds a PhD in Experimental brain research from Lund University, Sweden and has authored more than 30 scientific publications and 10 patent applications. Employed since 2008.

Holdings in Abliva: 852,131 shares (including family) and 3,000,000 warrants of series 2023/2027:2.

Dag Nesse

Vice President Clinical Operations

Dag Nesse, born 1966, has extensive experience in clinical operations across all stages of development, including leadership from pivotal study to data readout, marketing authorization, and launch. Before joining Abliva, Dag served as Director, Clinical Operations at EpiEndo, and was previously Head of Clinical Operations at Calliditas Therapeutics AB and earlier the Head of Clinical Operations at Modus Therapeutics AB. Dag is a registered nurse and has a degree from the Norwegian Business School and a degree in Sociology from the University of Oslo. Employed since 2023.

Holdings in Abliva: 21,650 shares and 2,000,000 warrants of series 2023/2027:2.

Additional members in core team

Eleonor Åsander Frostner

Communications Officer/Lab Manager

Eleonor Åsander Frostner, born 1981, has more than ten years of experience in the area of mitochondrial physiology/medicine and research, serving as laboratory engineer and manager in the Mitochondrial Medicine lab at Lund University, Sweden, and Abliva. She holds a master’s degree in Biomedicine from Lund University and has studied strategic communications at Berghs School of Communication in Stockholm. Eleonor is part of Abliva’s Investor Relations team and manages the company’s external communications. Employed since 2011.

Imen Chamkha

Researcher

Imen Chamkha, born 1983, has ten years of experience in mitochondrial genetics and physiology. She is a postdoctoral fellow at the Mitochondrial Medicine research group at Lund University, Sweden and is a part of Abliva’s preclinical development team. Imen holds a PhD in Biological Sciences from Sfax University Tunisia. Employed since 2015.