Board of Trustees

Our Board of Trustees is comprised by eminent leaders from divers fields who provide strategic guidance and stewardship for the foundation. They share a passion for driving positive change in healthcare and lend their expertise to ensure the successful execution of our mission and goals.

Olivia
Olivia Higueras Loma, MD
President

I hold a Medical Doctorate, specializing in Medicine and Surgery, and I have a Master's degree in Tropical Medicine and International Health. My international experience spans over 25 countries, amassing more than 25 years of emergency medicine practice including critical situations, remote areas, and underserved communities. I excel in project management, particularly in establishing and operating emergency units. My passion for professional education and capacity building is evident through my dedication to teaching medical staff. I am skilled in leading diverse teams, and my strong analytical abilities are rooted in extensive medical evaluation experience. In 2011, I was honored with the 'Mateu-Orfila Prize' in Life Science & Biomedicine, reflecting my unwavering dedication to the medical field, marked by excellence and global impact.

Andreas
Andreas Gotthardt, PhD
Vicepresident & Director

I am an entrepreneur and generalist with a 20-year management journey, spanning corporate finance, business consulting and C- level management in diverse industries. My career is characterized by unwavering dedication to enhancing organizational success through strategic insights and transformative methodologies. My academic foundation includes a Master's in Mechanical Engineering (M. Eng.) and an MBA, alongside a doctorate in economy with a doctoral thesis focused on the valuation of digital business models.

Bertram
Bertram Müller, PhD
Secretary

With a Ph.D. in medical science and three technical degrees in precision mechanics and electronics, I am passionate about integrating these diverse fields with information technology and physics to develop practical, science-based solutions. My extensive professional journey spans over three decades, encompassing a wide range of responsibilities and environments. These include device design and manufacturing, patient diagnostics and rehabilitation, sports science, and forensic biomechanics.
My fascination with measuring human function, whether from a scientific perspective or hands-on experience, has culminated in a significant contribution: the publication of the "Handbook of Human Motion" by Springer. Beyond my research and contributions to the scientific community, I've dedicated the last two decades to sharing my expertise through teaching. I've had the privilege of teaching in four different languages, engaging with students through international seminars and full university courses.
Throughout my career, I've had the opportunity to work in various countries, which made me a European by feeling at home not only in my native Germany but also in Spain, where I currently reside with my wife and two sons.

Scientific Committee

The Scientific Committee comprises leading scientist, researchers and healthcare experts who guide our research initiatives and ensure that our projects are at the forefront of scientific advancements. Their insights and expertise play a vitale role in shaping our approach to healthcare innovation.

Santiago
Santiago Dexeus
Member of The Royal European
Academy of Doctors

Santiago Dexeus i Trias de Bes, con más de 60 años de experiencia como promotor de la salud de la mujer, es un reconocido ginecólogo que, actualmente, es director científico de Women’s Health Institute Barcelona, y fundador y Presidente de la Fundación SOMDEX.Hijo de Santiago Dexeus Font, el Doctor Santiago Dexeus se licencia en 1959 por la Facultad de Medicina de Barcelona y, en 1964, obtiene el premio extraordinario de Doctorado por la Facultad de Medicina de Madrid. Inicia su vida profesional como médico residente en la Maternidad Provincial de Barcelona. Entre los años 1964 y 1972 dirige el Centro de lucha contra el cáncer de dicha Institución. De 1973 al 2004 fue Director del Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología del Instituto Universitario Dexeus.Desarrolla su especialización en Barcelona y la completa en Inglaterra, Suiza, Francia e Italia aportando a la ginecología española una serie de hitos científicos que cambiaron el panorama de la especialidad en diversos aspectos como el diagnóstico precoz del cáncer, la colposcopia, la cirugía oncológica, la primera laparoscopia ginecológica y la mastología. Además, Santiago Dexeus fue uno de los pioneros en la defensa del derecho de la mujer al uso de la píldora anticonceptiva y de las técnicas de reproducción asistida. En 1984 dirigió el equipo que consiguió el nacimiento del primer bebé probeta en nuestro país.Desde 1998 hasta 2008 dirigió la Cátedra de Investigación en Obstetricia y Ginecología de la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. Es co-director de la revista mensual Progresos de Obstetricia y Ginecología y miembro de la Real Academia de Medicina de Cataluña y de la Real Academia de Doctores.De 1992 a 2002 ha sido presidente de la Comisión Nacional de Obstetricia y Ginecología. Es presidente de honor de la Sociedad Española de Citología y entre 2007 y 2010 fue presidente de la European Federation of Colposcopy. También ha presidido la Société Francophone de Chirurgie Pelvienne y la International Federation of Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy (2005‑2007). Entre otros cargos y nombramientos, el Profesor Santiago Dexeus es Doctor Honoris Causa por la Universidad de Coimbra, Portugal (febrero de 1996), Miembro de Honor del “American College of Surgeons” (octubre de 1996), Miembro de Honor del “American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists” (1999), ha recibido la concesión de la “Founders’ Medal of the British Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology” (noviembre de 2005), el Diploma de Miembro de Mérito del Instituto Barraquer (marzo de 2010), la Medalla Mérito Académico del Bicentenario (septiembre de 2010), otorgado por “The World Forum of Gynaecological Oncology”, la Placa de Reconocimiento(septiembre de  2010) otorgada por el Gobierno del Estado de Mexico y el galardón a la excelencia médica y mérito académico (septiembre 2010), otorgado por la Asociación Nacional de Médicos Mexicanos. Recibió la Medalla de Oro del Institut Medicofarmacèutic de Catalunya (2016). Fue Director de la Cátedra de Investigación en Obstetricia y Ginecología de la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona (1998 -2008). Miembro de honor de la Sociedad Española de Ginecología y Obstetricia, Mestre de la Ginecología Catalana, miembro de la Acadèmia de Ciències Mèdiques de Catalunya i Balears.A lo largo de su vida, ha recibido diversos reconocimientos de la sociedad civil entre los que destacan la Gran Cruz del Mérito Civil en Sanidad (1999), otorgada por el rey Juan Carlos de España, la Medalla de Oro al Trabajo enero 2004), concedida por el Estado español, así como la Medalla del President Francesc Macià (octubre de 2006) y la Creu Sant Jordi (abril de 2009), máxima distinción civil de Cataluña, otorgadas por el gobierno de la Generalitat.El Profesor Santiago Dexeus ha sido invitado a numerosos cursos, symposiums, congresos y reuniones científicas. Es autor de más de 20 libros sobre ginecología y coautor de otros tantos. También ha escrito infinidad de artículos científicos y de divulgación médica, así como para la prensa no especializada (El País, El Periódico, La Vanguardia, El Mundo, etc.).Desde el punto de vista humanista fue miembro de la Comisión Internacional de la cultura Catalana y fue nombrado ciudadano de Honor de la Villa de Toulouse.

Alexander
Alexander Ludwig
Professor of Economics
Goethe Universität Frankfurt

Alexander Ludwig is professor for Public Finance and Macroeconomics Dynamics at Goethe University Frankfurt, director of the International Center for Insurance Regulation (ICIR), Research Fellow at the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) and member of the board of scientific advisors of the insurance company Alte Leipziger-Hallesche. Prior to joining Goethe University in 2014, he was Professor of Macroeconomics at University of Cologne (since 2009). He received his Ph.D. from University of Mannheim in 2005. He has studied the effects of demographic change on growth, on the inter- and intra-generational distribution of wealth, and worked on the optimal design of social insurance schemes including health insurance. Alexander Ludwig was part of a group of researchers who issued influential scholarly papers warning early on about the negative long-run consequences of the Covid 19-related school closures for the affected children. His research is widely recognized and published in numerous international journals.

International Advisory Board

The International Advisory Committee is a cadre of esteemed global leaders and experts, providing pivotal guidance and strategic advice to shape the Foundation's international initiatives. Members leverage their diverse knowledge and expertise to foster global collaborations, navigate international challenges, and ensure the universal relevance and impact of the Foundation's endeavors. Their collective insights amplify the Foundation’s global reach, ensuring our projects are strategically aligned and culturally resonant across borders.

Carmen
Carmen Omonte Durand
Ambassador Public-institutions LATAM
Helmuth
Helmuth Obilcnik
Industrial Ambassador
Patrick
Patrick Knödler
Abassador Start-Ups & Ecosystems

Patrick Knoedler, a forward-thinking, hands-on generalist and entrepreneurial executive with 25+ years of leadership experience in business development from scratch, operations planning, and management consulting within the biology, entertainment, hospitality, consulting, network and IoT wireless technologies domains. He has a proven track record of designing and executing sustainable IoT systems networks and information technologies. Patrick has lived on all continents in various countries and cultures; considering himself as a true global citizen with the passion to give back as much as possible of what he has learned and experienced on all his journeys trough live. Personal statement: I am excited to live now …. “on the cusp of the fastest, deepest, most consequential transformation of human civilization in history”(RethinkX) having the possibility to help shape a new, more human future using all the new technologies and possibility in favour of humanity.