Our goal is to catalyse more research across Europe to improve the understanding of psychedelic-assisted treatments. Norrsken Mind was founded with the conviction that supporting research is the single most important factor to drive the development of more effective mental health treatments.
We have awarded grants to two studies in 2023 at Karolinska Institutet and Umeå University. Norrsken Mind is a continuation of Osmond Foundation, which was founded in 2020 and funded the first Swedish modern clinical trial using psilocybin-assisted therapy to treat depression at the Karolinska Institute.
While our primary focus is on raising funds and funding research, we also aim to provide education and engage with mental health stakeholders and decision makers to facilitate a fact-based understanding of psychedelics and their treatment potential.
Helena Dandenell is the Chair of Norrsken Mind. Helena is a lawyer with a former practice as arbitrator and litigator, currently chairing multiple research foundations. Helena has received several governmental appointments, including as member of the Disciplinary Board of Public Accountants within the Swedish Inspectorate of Auditors, and was formerly a member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, Paris.
Mikael Horal began his career as a Medical Doctor at Huddinge Hospital, specialising in paediatrics. He subsequently spent close to a decade working in finance, including as Managing Director for Investor Growth Capital with a focus on investments in early-stage life science companies. He was appointed Head of Fundraising at Karolinska Institutet in 2007, leading the university’s fundraising efforts for more than ten years. Mikael is today the Executive President of Bohemia Properties which owns and operates hotels in the Czech Republic.
Funda Sezgi is co-CEO of Norrsken Foundation, a non-profit founded by Klarna co-founder Niklas Adalberth. Funda previously co-founded the Norrsken Accelerator, an early-stage accelerator program for early-stage impact startups. Since 2016, Norrsken has grown into a global impact ecosystem of 2000+ members and 100+ portfolio companies, five venture capital funds, three Norrsken Houses, and numerous impact-focused events.
Christina Rångemark Åkerman is a Medical Doctor, specialist in Clinical Pharmacology, with extensive experience from the public and private healthcare sector. She served for six years as Director General of the Swedish Medical Products Agency and as board member of the European Medicines Agency. Previously she held positions as Vice President Medical at AstraZeneca Sweden and Marketing Company President at AstraZeneca Philippines. Her focus on the unmet needs of patients led to Boston as President of the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement. Christina is currently a member of Gilde Healthcare’s Impact Council, among other assignments.
Carl Johan Fürst is senior professor of palliative medicine and formerly director of the Institute for Palliative Care at Lund University and Region Skåne. He is a specialist in oncology with extensive clinical and academic experience, having dedicated most of his career to improving care at the last stages of life for patients with incurable cancer. Carl Johan has served as a member of the Ethics Committee of The Swedish Society of Medicine, an expert advisor on palliative care for the Swedish government, and board member of several national and international professional organizations.
Marcus Stråth is co-Managing Director of Norrsken Mind. Marcus previously worked with strategic communication at Brunswick Group and has served as Head of Communication of Norrsken Mind. He has been active in the psychedelic non-profit sector since 2018 and has advised Norrsken Mind, and formerly Osmond Foundation, since its inception. Marcus was previously a board member of the Swedish Network for Psychedelic Science and deputy board member of Osmond Labs. Marcus holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in journalism from Barton College.
Emma Christersson is co-Managing Director of Norrsken Mind. Emma has been active in the psychedelic non-profit sector since 2017 and was previously board member and interim chair of Osmond Foundation, board member and strategist for Osmond Labs, and deputy chair of the Swedish Network for Psychedelic Science. Emma holds a bachelor's degree in cognitive neuroscience and has a specific interest in neuropsychology and consciousness.
