KI Alumni Ambassador - New York

Håkan Gadler, M.D., Ph.D., MBA

Degree: M.D. and Ph.D., both from Karolinska Institutet, MBA from NYU (New York University)

Career: Throughout his studies at KI, Håkan worked in parallel at the National Bacteriological Laboratory (Swedish CDC, subsequently renamed Smittskyddsinstitutet, then becoming Folkhälsomyndigheten, The Public Health Agency). After graduating from KI, he joined the Department of Clinical Microbiology at Sahlgrenska University Hospital (Klinisk Mikrobiologi vid Sahlgrenska Universitetssjukhuset) where he was responsible for computerizing the clinical virology laboratory. He subsequently moved to New York for his postdoc studies in neurovirology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). After several years at MSKCC doing research, Håkan obtained his MBA from New York University and then joined the pharmaceutical company Merck & Co., Inc. in the US. After leaving Merck, he has been active as a business consultant in the life sciences industry, as an angel investor investing in early-stage life-science companies in the US, and as an entrepreneur.

Håkan founded a small software company while still living in Sweden focusing on computer training for researchers and laboratory personnel at a time when personal computers were still relatively rare, before the introduction of the first IBM Personal PC. He has also founded HeartHelper Sverige AB, initially the company was selling defibrillators for public use and first-aid training, but now in the process of being refocused on today more promising business opportunities. In addition, he founded a software startup in the US developing and selling shrink-wrapped software to clinical and research laboratories in the US and in Europe.
 

Current employment: Håkan continues to be a business consultant in the life-science industry focusing on corporate development and strategy as well as venture financing and exits. In addition, he has returned to doing research part-time, today with an interest in global public health and infectious diseases. He is also working on a SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) startup that is industry-agnostic.

Connection to KI: Clinical Microbiology under Professor Anders Sönnerborg

Contact: hakan.gadler@afki.org