We are delighted to present the invited speakers contributing to the scientific programme of NordCoag 2026, alongside the members of the Local Faculty. Each speaker and faculty member is introduced with a short biography.
Invited Speakers
International
Anna Falanga
Senior Consultant, Department of Immunohematology and Transfusion Medicine and the Thrombosis
and Hemostasis Center, Hospital Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo / Professor of Hematology, University of Milan Bicocca, Italy
Professor Anna Falanga is a Senior Consultant in thrombosis and haemostasis, with expertise in cancer-associated thrombosis. She is a member of the expert panel and co-chair of the guidelines on the prophylaxis and treatment of venous thromboembolism in patients with cancer for the Italian Society of Medical Oncology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the European Society for Medical Oncology. Professor Falanga has chaired 13 editions of the biennial International Conference on Thrombosis and Haemostasis Issues in Cancer (ICTHIC) in Bergamo. She has authored more than 400 publications
Virginia Hernandez-Gea
Senior Consultant, Barcelona Hepatic Hemodynamic Unit, Hospital Clinic Barcelona / Group Leader, Liver Disease & the Vascular System (LiVas), Clínic Barcelona-IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona, Spain
Associate Professor Virginia Hernández‑Gea is an internationally recognized hepatologist and translational researcher specialized in portal hypertension and vascular liver diseases. Her work combines advanced clinical management and hepatic hemodynamics with mechanistic studies on hepatic endothelial dysfunction, fibrosis progression, and portal vein thrombosis. She currently leads the LiVas research group, with a strong emphasis on translating molecular insights into improved risk stratification and therapeutic strategies for patients with portal hypertension and rare vascular liver disorders.
Peter Lenting
Director of Research, Laboratory for Hemostasis, Inflammation and Thrombosis, INSERM, Université Paris-Saclay, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
The research activities of Dr. Peter. Lenting are mainly related to the Factor VIII/von Willebrand factor (FVIII/VWF) complex and the related disorders haemophilia A and von Willebrand disease. His research focuses on structure-function relationships of hemostatic proteins and the translational aspects of novel treatment strategies
Christoph Königs
Professor, Centre for Coagulation Disorders, Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
Professor Christoph Königs’ main clinical interest is the care of people living with bleeding disorders. His research focuses on the immune response to therapeutic proteins in haemophilia. He is member of several research groups including PedNet and is member of the medical advisory council or the European Haemophilia Consortium.
Sofia Ramström
Senior lecturer, School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Sweden
Sofia Ramström’s research focuses on how platelets affect blood coagulation, particularly the mechanisms behind platelet subpopulations such as procoagulant platelets. She develops innovative flow cytometry-based methods to study platelet activation and function for clinical translation. Her clinical interests include hematology, transfusion medicine, and thoracic surgery. Sofia is chair of the ISTH SSC on Platelets in Health and Disease.
Roger Schutgens
Professor and Head of Department, Center for Benign Haematology, Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Van Creverldkliniek, UMC Utrecht, The Netherlands
Professor Roger Schutgens is a Consultant Haematologist at the University Medical Centre Utrecht and Head of the Van Creveldkliniek, an international expertise centre for rare benign haematologic and clotting disorders. His work focuses on bleeding and thrombotic conditions, particularly inherited platelet disorders and haemophilia. He is chair of the EAHAD Glanzmann Thrombasthenia Working Group and has authored over 270 peer-reviewed publications.
Omid Seidizadeh
Research Leader, A. Bianchi Bonomi Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico
Dr. Omid Seidizadeh is the Research Leader at the Angelo Bianchi Bonomi Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center in Milan, specializing in the genetics of coagulation. His research focuses on von Willebrand disease and von Willebrand factor and acts as chair for EAHAD Von Willebrand Disease Working Group. He is also involved in the genetic characterization of coagulation disorders and in applying large-scale genetic data to better understand the epidemiology of bleeding disorders.
Karolinska Institutet
Tatiana von Bahr Greenwood
Senior consultant, Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital / Postdoctoral researcher, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet
Tatiana von Bahr Greenwood is a specialist in pediatric oncology/hematology and part of the Vascular Anomalies Team at Karolinska University Hospital with a focus on pharmaceutical treatment (targeted therapies) of vascular anomalies.
Emma Bendz
Senior Consultant, Department of Emergency Medicine, Sankt Göran’s Hospital / Doctoral student, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet
Emma Bendz is senior consultant in internal medicine and emergency medicine. During her doctoral studies she participated in the Certificate of Advanced Studies in Antithrombotic Management at Maastricht University. Her research focuses on thromboembolic events and cardiac arrest with a specific focus on women and reproductive risk factors.
Karl Björk
Clinical Psychologist, Behavioral Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital
Karl Björk, Lic. Psychologist, PhD in Psychiatry, is a clinical psychologist whose work at the Karolinska University focuses on building psychological resiliency in patients with chronic diseases to increase quality of life. He also regularly treats patients with relational trauma, early life adversity and chronic disease.
Gargi Gautam
Senior Consultant, Department of Medicine, Danderyd Hospital / Associate Researcher, Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd Hospital, Karolinska Institutet
Gargi Gautam is a specialist in internal medicine focusing on intermediary care and venous thromboembolism. Her research interests include diagnostic management strategies and recurrence in venous thromboembolism.
Kristina Gemzell Danielsson
Senior Consultant, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital / Professor, Head of Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet
Kristina Gemzell Danielsson is head of the WHO collaborating centre for Research and Research training in Human Reproduction. Her research is translational “from bench-to bed-to the hands of women” with a focus on reproductive health; endometrial function, embryo implantation, comprehensive abortion care, emergency contraception and development of new contraceptive technology. Kristina has authored over 430 peer-reviewed publications.
Märit Halmin
Senior consultant Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Medical ICU, Södersjukhuset / Expert coordinator, Centre for Health Crises, Karolinska Institutet
Märit Halmin has experience from working with Doctors without Border (MSF) and WHO in conflict zones and humanitarian settings.
Ingrid Lundahl
Specialty Trainee, Department of Hematology, Karolinska University Hospital / Doctoral student, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet
Ingrid Lundahl’ is a haematologist in training. Her doctoral studies are focused on thrombotic markers and risk factors in myeloproliferative neoplasms, predominantly polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia and myelofibrosis, compared to patients with secondary cytosis
Sanna Norén
Consultant, Department of Hepatology Karolinska University Hospital; Doctoral student, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet
Sanna Norén is a hepatologist specializing in cirrhosis and vascular liver disease. Her research focuses on haemostasis in liver cirrhosis.
Johan von Schreeb
Professor, Centre for Health Crises, Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet
Health care needs in disasters and resource adaption of health services in disasters
Mika Skeppholm
Head of the Haemostasis Center, Department of Cardiology Danderyd Hospital /Research group leader, Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd Hospital, Karolinska Institutet
Mika Skeppholm is a senior consultant in cardiology and internal medicine, specializing in arterial and venous thromboembolism and bleeding complications associated with antithrombotic treatment. Her research is focused on the same field, and she is actively involved in clinical trials. She leads the Hemostasis and Thrombosis research group at KIDS.
Jonas Malmstedt
Senior Consultant and Clinical Lead, Center for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Division of Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery Södersjukhuset / Department of Clinical Science and Education, Karolinska Institutet
Jonas Malmstedt is a vascular surgeon with special expertise in the thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). He is founder and clinical lead for the first center for Thoracic Outlet Syndrome in Sweden, treating all forms of TOS. He has together with coagulation specialists developed the care for primary subclavian vein thrombosis in the county of Stockholm.
Marie Sund
Consultant, Department of Pediatric Radiology, Karolinska University Hospital
Pediatric radiologist specializing in abdominal and transplant radiology for children
Per Svensson
Senior Consultant, Department of Cardiology, Södersjukhuset / Senior Lecturer, Department of Clinical Science and Education, Södersjukhuset, Karolinska Institutet
Description
Agneta Wikman
Senior Consultant, Department of Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital / Adjunct Professor, Department of Medicine Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet
Agneta Wikman is a specialist in Clinical Immunology and Transfusion Medicine and works part time for the Swedish Armed Forces with blood preparedness. Her clinical and research focus today is treatment in major bleeding and blood preparedness for emergencies.
Local Faculty
Niklas Bark
Section Head, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Karolinska University Hospital
Nikalas has a general interest in hematological and coagulation analyses, a complicated relationship with functional platelet assays, and a desire to understand what happens in the cuvette
Andries Blokzijl
Consultant, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Karolinska University Hospital
Andries research involves protein chemistry and method development for functional assessment of single amino acids variations in coagulation disorders. His research also includes endocrine marker interference in clinical chemistry and soluble check-point inhibitors. Andries is appointed subject matter expert at Study Centre for Laboratory Medicine, Medical Diagnostics, Karolinska University Hospital.
Julieta Bomfim
Senior Consultant, Coagulation Unit, Department of Hematology, Karolinska University Hospital
Julieta is an Internal Medicine Specialist specializing in venous thromboembolism. She is dedicated to advancing patient care through medical education and clinical leadership. Julieta teaches within the medical programme at Karolinska Institutet and supports the Stockholm Region Drug Committee’s Expert Group on Cardiovascular Disease.
Maria Bruzelius
Senior Consultant, Coagulation Unit, Department of Hematology, Karolinska University Hospital / Associate Professor, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet
Maria has broad expertise in bleeding and thrombotic disorders and is actively involved in clinical trials and research in the field. Her clinical focus is on improving treatment for vulnerable patient groups, particularly elderly patients with acquired haemophilia A and patients with antiphospholipid syndrome. Maria serves as President of NordCoag 2026.
Roza Chaireti
Senior consultant, Department of Hematology, Karolinska University Hospital / Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery and Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet
Roza’s main research areas are cancer-associated thrombosis, with a particular focus on hematological malignancies, global hemostatic methods in patients with acquired and inherited hemophilia with inhibitors, and pregnancies at high risk for thromboembolic complications.
Torsten Dahlén
Head of the Lymphoma and Coagulation Units, Department of Hematology, Karolinska University Hospital / Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet
Torsten is interested in all aspects of benign and malignant hematology, including coagulation disorders. His research focuses on epidemiology, especially large-scale register-based studies. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher in Gustaf Edgren’s group at Karolinska Institutet.
Petra Elfvinge
Registered Nurse, Coagulation Unit, Department of Hematology, Karolinska University Hospital
Petra is a specialist nurse with 26 years of experience in haemophilia care. She is dedicated to improving outcomes for women and girls with bleeding disorders and is an active member of the EAHAD Women and Girls+ Working Group.
Tony Frisk
Senior Consultant, Pediatric Oncology and Coagulation, Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital / Associate Researcher, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet
Tony’s main interest is pediatric thrombosis and rare bleeding disorders.
Charlotte Gran
Senior Consultant, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Karolinska University Hospital / Postdoctoral researcher, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet
Charlotte is responsible for platelet function testing and routine haematology assays at Karolinska University Hospital. Her research is based in Jovan Antovic’s research group at Karolinska Institutet and focuses on the development of extracellular vesicle assays for use as prognostic markers in cancer-associated thromboembolism. Charlotte serves as Vice President of NordCoag 2026.
Maria Farm
Senior Consultant, Department of Clinical Chemistry, Karolinska University Hospital / Associate Researcher, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet
Maria is responsible for routine coagulation assays and point-of-care analyses at Karolinska University Hospital as well as the national analysis for the colorectal cancer screening program. She has active research within the field of thrombosis and hemostasis in the group Clinical Chemistry and Coagulation, Karolinska Institutet. Maria is secretary of the Swedish Society of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, and co-editor of the society’s publication Vasculär Medicin.
Hans Hemmingsson
Consultant, Pediatric Oncology and Coagulation, Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital / Doctoral student, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet
Hans is a specialist in pediatric oncology-hematology with a special interest in pediatric leukemia and coagulation disorders in children. His research focus is on neurotoxicity during and after treatment for childhood leukemia
Details
Margareta Holmström
Senior Consultant, Coagulation Unit, Karolinska University Hospital and Linköping University Hospital / Senior Associate Professor, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University,
Margareta is head of the Division of Diagnostics and Specialist Medicine at Linköping University with expertise areas within venous thromboembolism and bleeding disorders. She servers as Registerhållare (registry lead) for the National Registry for Bleeding Disorders and a board member of the Swedish Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
Natali Karandyszowska
Senior Consultant, Coagulation Unit, Department of Hematology, Karolinska University Hospital / Doctoral student, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet
Natali is a specialist in internal medicine and hematology. Her research focus is on diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in patients with Antiphospholipid syndrome.
Adrian Kimiaei
Consultant, Clinical Chemistry, Karolinska University Hospital / Doctoral student, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet
Adrian is specialist in Clinical Chemistry. His research covers laboratory diagnosis and treatment monitoring in bleeding disorders, with a particular focus on von Willebrand’s disease.
August Lundholm
Clinical chemist, Clinical Chemistry, Karolinska University Hospital / Doctoral student, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet
August Lundholm is a molecular biologist responsible for molecular diagnostics in clinical chemistry at Karolinska University Hospital. He holds a Master’s degree from Uppsala University and is currently a doctoral student at Karolinska Institutet. August is part of Jovan Antovic’s research group in Clinical Chemistry and Coagulation, where his research focuses on hereditary defects of the erythrocyte membrane.
Maria Magnusson
Head of the Department of Hematology, Karolinska University Hospital / Associate Researcher, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery and Division of Pediatrics, Karolinska Institutet
Maria is a senior consultant in pediatric and adult coagulation, with a primary research focus on haemostasis in liver disease. She is also involved in clinical trials and multidisciplinary studies in hemophilia, platelet disorders, and thrombotic diseases, and is co-editor of the recently updated textbook Blombäck’s Essential Guide to Blood Coagulation
Lovisa Malmqvist
Consultant, Pediatric Oncology and Coagulation, Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital / Doctoral student, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet
Lovisa is a pediatric oncologist specializing in pediatric leukemia and coagulation disorders in children. Her research focuses on thrombotic complications during leukemia treatment and hemostatic alterations during early therapy in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Joel Ohm
Senior Consultant, Coagulation Unit, Department of Hematology, Karolinska University Hospital / Associate Researcher, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet
Joel is an internist with emergency and intermediary care background, reshaped into his current position as a senior consultant with expertise on bleeding and thrombotic disorders. His epidemiological research focuses on socioeconomic aspects of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, cardiac arrest aetiologies, and venous thromboembolism, and he is actively engaged in clinical studies on haemophilia.
Susanna Ranta
Senior Consultant, Pediatric Oncology and Coagulation, Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital/ Associate Professor, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet
Susanna is the Team leader of the Childhood Cancer Research Unit. Her research focuses on toxicity during and after treatment for childhood leukemia, with focus on coagulopathy and cognitive complications following leukemia treatment. She has also research on children with hemophilia within PedNet Hemophilia Research Foundation and other bleeding disorders. Susanna serves as Vice President of NordCoag 2026.
Axel Rosell
Specialty Trainee, Department of Hematology, Karolinska University Hospital; Postdoctoral researcher, Karolinska Institutet
Axel is a haematologist in training with a research focus on venous thromboembolism, non-specific symptoms of cancer, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, and myeloproliferative neoplasms. He has particular expertise in neutrophil extracellular trap formation and its role in thrombotic disease. His current work centers on translating omics‑based discoveries into clinically actionable tools for precision medicine.
David Schmidt
Consultant, Pediatric Coagulation, Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital / Associated Researcher, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet
David is a physician-investigator with ongoing studies focusing on improving the diagnostic work-up and prognostication of children and adults with suspected bleeding disorders, by improvements of laboratory testing. He is also an active researcher within the PedNet Hemophilia Research Foundation.
Marjan Shafaati Lambert
Head of Unit, Medical Diagnostics Karolinska, Clinical Chemistry, Karolinska University Hospital
Marjan specializes in clinical laboratory science with a primary focus on clinical chemistry and translational research within healthcare. Her work centers on improving diagnostic workflows, strengthening laboratory operations, and fostering research engagement among biomedical scientists. She is particularly interested in building sustainable, competence-driven teams and integrating innovation into routine clinical practice.
Emma Skau
Consultant, Department of Cardiology Danderyd Hospital / Associate Researcher, Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd Hospital, Karolinska Institutet
Emma is a specialist in internal medicine and a cardiology resident at Danderyd Hospital. She holds a PhD in proteomics and atherosclerosis. Her current research focuses on coagulation disorders, specifically prognostic biomarkers and pulmonary embolism.
Anna Ågren
Senior Consultant, Coagulation Unit, Department of Hematology, Karolinska University Hospital / Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet
Anna’s primary research interest is clinical studies on von Willebrand disease. Her other areas of expertise include global hemostasis assays and fibrinolysis.
Per Öst
Specialty Trainee, Coagulation Unit, Department of Hematology, Karolinska University Hospital
Description
Photo: Drazen Zigic/iStock.com