Prof Bjorn R Olsen
Since he obtained his MD and PhD degrees from the University of Oslo, Norway in 1967, Olsen has made contributions to the fields of extracellular matrix biology, genetics, and cell and developmental biology. By covering fundamental aspects of extracellular matrix structure and function, and skeletal and vascular cell and molecular biology his research has furthered our understanding of diseases from dwarfism to congenital vascular anomalies, osteoarthritis, corneal dystrophy and retinal degeneration.
These contributions have earned him international recognition and acclaim, membership in the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and the ScanBalt Academy, and honorary doctoral degrees from the University of Oslo and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He has received several prizes for his work, including the Humboldt Research Award, the H.C. Jacobæus Prize and the Senior Research prize of the American Society of Matrix Biology.
This is an exciting time for research in the life sciences. Major discoveries providing deep insights into disease mechanisms and the basis for preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic strategies are coming at a fast and furious pace. Problems that only a few years ago were beyond technical limits, can now be successfully addressed and “old” questions can be re-examined with increasingly powerful methods. Open access journals provide the ideal environment for the rapid dissemination and discussion of all aspects of the results of this research.
