QureTech Bio’s vision is to develop first-in-class drugs to combat infectious diseases and the occurrence of antibiotic resistance
QureTech Bio is founded on world-leading research out of Umeå University, Sweden and Washington University, St Louis, USA. Read more about the history behind here.
Team
Markus Thor
CEO
MARKUS THOR | CEO
Markus Thor, CEO, has 30 years of experience from the pharmaceutical/biotech industry and roles within R&D, business/corporate development and executive leadership functions. Previous positions include VP & Head of Business Development at Biovitrum, Senior Investment Advisor Life Sciences at Business Sweden, Chief Business Officer at Kancera and Chief Business Officer at XNK Therapeutics. Markus has a MSc in Chemistry from University of Umeå and an MBA from Stockholm School of Economics.
Annica Rönnbäck
COO
ANNICA RÖNNBÄCK | COO
Annica Rönnbäck, COO, received her Ph.D. at Umeå University in 2004 and continued as a researcher at the Alzheimer Disease Research Center at Karolinska Institutet. Prior to her role at QureTech Bio she had the responsibility of Project Manager for incubator cases at Umeå Biotech Incubator (including QureTech Bio from Jan-Dec 2018).
Mari Bonde
Senior Scientist, Molecular biology
MARI BONDE | PHD
Mari Bonde, PhD, Senior Scientist, Molecular Biology. Mari has a broad knowledge of the GmPcides as she has been involved in the development of the GmPcides from the very early examples. She has been working with GmPcide SAR determination primarily in S. aureus and E. faecalis as well as studying the cytotoxicity of the compounds. GmPcide target and MoA studies is also within her expertise. In her academic career, basic research of the gram-negative bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi was her focus.
Souvik Sarkar
Senior Scientist, Chemisty
SOUVIK SARKAR | SENIOR SCIENTIST, CHEMISTRY
Souvik Sarkar, PhD, Senior Scientist, Chemistry. Prior to his position at QureTech Bio, Souvik served as a Postdoctoral Researcher in the laboratory of Fredrik Almqvist. Throughout his academic journey, his expertise has been on the advancement of inhibitors targeting M. tuberculosis. His skill set encompasses the development of novel transformations facilitating the synthesis of pharmaceutically relevant compounds. His works with the strategic design and synthesis of novel chemical entities specifically tailored to combat the challenges posed by methicillin-resistant S. aureus and E. faecalis.
Hasan Tükenmez
Senior Scientist,
Molecular biology
HASAN TUKENMEZ | SENIOR SCIENTIST, MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Hasan Tükenmez, PhD, Senior Scientist, Molecular Biology. Hasan has a strong background in yeast genetics and previous working experience with Mycobacterium marinum and biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. He has also worked with pathogenic gram-positive bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis as well as gram-negative uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) UTI89.
Fredrik Almqvist
CSO
FREDRIK ALMQVIST | BOARD MEMBER
Fredrik Almqvist is the Research Director and co-founder of QureTech Bio AB. Fredrik Almqvist is currently Professor in Organic Chemistry at Umeå University Sweden and Director of Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR). His research program focuses on method development in organic synthesis and design of molecules that interact with macromolecules, in particular, inhibition of protein-protein interactions. Dr. Almqvist has been awarded the prestigious Göran Gustafsson Award by the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences, Ulla and Stig Holmquist Science Prize in Organic Chemistry and the Norblad Ekstrand Medal in Chemistry. Author of 120+ peer-reviewed publications and founder of the company SpinChem AB (previously named Nordic ChemQuest AB).
Jörgen Johansson
Scientific Advisor
JÖRGEN JOHANSSON | PROFESSOR
Jörgen Johansson is Professor in Molecular Microbiology at the Department of Molecular Biology and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS) at Umeå University and a co-founder of QureTech Bio. The Johansson group uses the Gram-positive bacterial pathogen Listeria monocytogenes as a model system to study RNA-biology, stress-regulation and to identify novel antivirulence compounds. The group has identified and characterized several aspects of RNA regulation resulting in high impact publications (Cell, Nature, PNAS). The group recently described a blue-light receptor that Listeria uses to sense light and adjust its stress-response. Together with Prof. Almqvist, the Johansson group has identified several 2-pyridone compounds able to block Listeria virulence gene expression by binding the main transcriptional regulator. In 2010, Prof. Johansson received the prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant.
Sven Bergström
Scientific Advisor
SVEN BERGSTRÖM | PROFESSOR
The Bergström group is studying the infectious and virulence properties of Borrelia spirochete and the intracellular parasite Chlamydia.
Board of Directors
Lennart Hansson
Chairman
LENNART HANSSON | CHAIRMAN
Board member since 2023. Chairman of the Board since 2024.
Lennart Hansson is former head of Life Science Investments at Industrifonden, one of Sweden’s largest venture funds. Previously he has more than 30 years’ experience in the pharma and biotech industry in executive positions at KabiGen, Symbicom AB, AstraZeneca AB, Karolinska Development AB and BioVitrum AB and as CEO for Arexis AB. He has a PhD in Genetics from Umeå University.
Other current assignments: Hansson is chairman of the board of Cinclus Pharma Holding AB, Sixera Pharma AB and Ignitus AB, as well as board member of Medivir AB.
Ulf Björklund
Board member
ULF BJÖRKLUND | BOARD MEMBER
Board member since 2023.
Ulf Björklund has more than 35 years of experience from the pharmaceutical industry from research, development and marketing of pharmaceuticals to diagnostics. Previous engagements include CEO of Aprea in oncology and CEO of OxyPharma in autoimmune diseases. Prior to that, he held several senior positions at Pharmacia in clinical research covering many therapeutic areas. Ulf Björklund has additional experience in organization partner collaborations, financing and communication with regulatory authorities in Europe and the USA.
Ulf is currently chairman of the board of Lipum AB and Stayble Therapeutics AB, CEO at UB-consulting AB, CMO at Redwood Pharma AB. Ulf has a Pharmacy degree at Uppsala University.
Yijing Sun Hultgren
Board member
YIJING SUN HULTGREN | BOARD MEMBER
Board member since 2023.
Yijing Sun Hultgren has over a decade of experience in finance. In her most recent role, she ran $350mm as a portfolio manager for Millennium, a US hedge fund with $58bn assets under management. Her background is in public equity investing and investment banking. Yijing graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Math and Economics.
Erik Gozzi
Board member
ERIK GOZZI | BOARD MEMBER
Board member since 2021.
Erik Gozzi is the CEO at Nascent Invest, an early-stage investor with a focus on the Life Science sector that invest in high performance teams with a unique position in a global strong revenue growth market.
Scott Hultgren
Board member
SCOTT HULTGREN | BOARD MEMBER
Scott Hultgren, one of the co-founders of QureTech Bio, is the Helen Lehbrink Stoever Professor of Molecular Microbiology at Washington University in St. Louis where he also serves as the inaugural Director of the Center for Women’s Infectious Disease Research. He has received a number of accomplishment awards, including a Distinguished Investigator Award at Washington University, the Eli Lilly Microbiology Award, and ”The Fellows Award” that recognizes distinguished individuals for outstanding achievements in science by the St. Louis Science Academy. He was elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2009, the National Academy of Sciences in 2011, the National Academy of Medicine in 2017, the National Academy of Inventors in 2020 and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2023. Author of 235+ peer-reviewed publications, 95 invited publications, 2 books and holder of more than 35 patents. Serves on Scientific Advisory Board, Roche Pharmaceuticals and NIH ORWH Advisory Committee on Research on Women’s Health.
The Hultgren lab are blending multiple scientific disciplines to elucidate bacterial and host mechanisms that determine the onset, course and outcome of interactions between the host urinary tract and bacterial pathogens
Fredrik Almqvist
Board member
FREDRIK ALMQVIST | BOARD MEMBER
Fredrik Almqvist is the Research Director and co-founder of QureTech Bio AB. Fredrik Almqvist is currently Professor in Organic Chemistry at Umeå University Sweden and Director of Umeå Centre for Microbial Research (UCMR). His research program focuses on method development in organic synthesis and design of molecules that interact with macromolecules, in particular, inhibition of protein-protein interactions. Dr. Almqvist has been awarded the prestigious Göran Gustafsson Award by the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences, Ulla and Stig Holmquist Science Prize in Organic Chemistry and the Norblad Ekstrand Medal in Chemistry. Author of 120+ peer-reviewed publications and founder of the company SpinChem AB (previously named Nordic ChemQuest AB).
Mikael Sellin
Adjunct board member
MIKAEL SELLIN | ADJUNCT BOARD MEMBER
Board member since 2024.
Mikael Sellin is professor of molecular medicine, with a focus on infection biology, at Uppsala University. He is also affiliated with Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab) and Uppsala Antibiotic Center. Mikael´s research group studies mechanisms of bacterial pathogenesis and novel anti-infective therapies, using a combination of organoid modelling, bacterial genetics technologies, and live-cell imaging. Mikael has authored >60 peer-reviewed research articles. He has been awarded the Lennart Philipson Award, the Ingvar Carlsson Award, appointed SciLifeLab Fellow, and named one of Sweden´s Future Research Leaders (by SSF). Mikael, moreover, serves as director for research studies at the MedPharm domain of Uppsala University, and as board member of Kempestiftelserna.
Affiliated Scientists
Scott Hultgren
Professor
SCOTT HULTGREN | PROFESSOR
Scott Hultgren, one of the co-founders of QureTech Bio, is the Helen Lehbrink Stoever Professor of Molecular Microbiology at Washington University in St. Louis where he also serves as the inaugural Director of the Center for Women’s Infectious Disease Research. He has received a number of accomplishment awards, including a Distinguished Investigator Award at Washington University, the Eli Lilly Microbiology Award, and ”The Fellows Award” that recognizes distinguished individuals for outstanding achievements in science by the St. Louis Science Academy. He was elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2009, the National Academy of Sciences in 2011, the National Academy of Medicine in 2017, the National Academy of Inventors in 2020 and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2023.
The Hultgren lab are blending multiple scientific disciplines to elucidate bacterial and host mechanisms that determine the onset, course and outcome of interactions between the host urinary tract and bacterial pathogens
Christina Stallings
Professor
CHRISTINA STALLINGS | PROFESSOR
The Stallings Laboratory is focusing on the molecular details of Mycobacterium tuberculosis pathogenesis, from the perspective of both the host and the pathogen
Michael Caparon
Professor
MICHAEL CAPARON | PROFESSOR
Michael Caparon is currently a Professor of Molecular Microbiology at Washington University St. Louis, and in 2009 co-founded the Center for Women’s Infectious Disease Research (cWIDR) with Scott Hultgren and serves as its Associate Director. Michael’s work has been highly collaborative and interdisciplinary, and has focused on applying newly developed molecular tools to understanding how virulence factors interact with host cells and tissues and how bacterial adhesins, toxins and their transcriptional regulatory programs contribute to pathogenesis through the temporal and spatial remodelling of the host-pathogen interaction.
Ana Flores-Mireles
Assistant Professor
ANA FLORES-MIRELES | ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Ana Flores-Mireles is Assistant Professor at the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Notre Dame. Her research specialties include CAUTI. Her lab is interested in understanding how urinary catheterization-induced inflammation renders the host susceptible to microbial infection of the urinary tract and subsequent dissemination.
Jerry Pinkner
M.S.
JERRY PINKNER | M.S.
Jerome Pinkner has been Lab Manager at the Hultgren labs for more than 25 years. He is Director of the Protein Purification Facility and has a long experience of running industrial collaborations and technology transfer processes. He is a well recognized Pilicide, Curlicide, Mannoside program specialist.
Björn Olsen
Professor
BJÖRN OLSEN | PROFESSOR
Björn Olsen is Head Physician at Uppsala University Hospital, and a Professor and senior consultant at the Department of Medical Sciences, Infectious Diseases and Co-Director of Zoonosis Science Center, Uppsala University. Olsen has a profound experience of media contact and well-functioning networks. He has published 150 popular scientific papers on primarily infectious diseases in various journals.
Matthew Chapman
Professor
MATTHEW CHAPMAN | PROFESSOR
Matthew Chapman is Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He received his Ph.D. from Indiana University in 1999 and was a Keck and NIH Fellow at Washington University in St. Louis from 1999- 2003. He is a specialist within protein mis-folding and amyloid formation.
Member of
BEAM Alliance represents over 70 European small and medium-sized companies that develop solutions to fight antimicrobial resistance at a European and national level. The goal of the BEAM Alliance is to maintain and promote awareness of SME driven innovation in the field and to support policymakers in understanding economic business models around AMR.
SwedenBIO is the national trade organization for life sciences in Sweden. The member companies develop biotechnology, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals and medical devices or are experts in business development, IP and law, among others. SwedenBIO also bring together financiers, incubators, science parks, regional investment promoters and many more.