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Speakers.
Hear from experts and leaders bringing experience from healthcare, science, technology and public service to the conversations at this year's summit.
Further speaker announcements will follow
Jesper Møller Sørensen
Ambassador of Denmark to the United States
Royal Danish Embassy, Washington, D.C.
Jesper Møller Sørensen is the Ambassador of Denmark to the United States, representing the Danish government in Washington, D.C. A career diplomat since 1997, he previously served as State Secretary for Foreign Policy and Political Director at Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His overseas postings include Ambassador to Pakistan, Deputy Ambassador to Afghanistan, and Minister Counsellor for Political Affairs in Washington. Earlier in his career, he worked on security policy and also served with the EU’s European External Action Service.
Ryan McKindles, PhD
Associate Leader, Human Health and Performance Systems Group
MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Dr. Ryan J. McKindles is Associate Leader of MIT Lincoln Laboratory’s Human Health and Performance Systems Group, where he helps lead research developing medical technologies across areas including neuroscience, biomechanics, medical imaging, wearable technologies, and human performance. Since joining MIT Lincoln Laboratory in 2015, he has helped establish its STRIVE Center and served as the center’s first research director. His recent work includes research on AI-enabled field triage to support early point-of-injury assessment of civilian and military trauma patients and predict critical care needs, including massive transfusion, intensive care, and mechanical ventilation. McKindles holds a PhD in biomedical engineering from Marquette University.
Steen Søndergaard
Chief Scientist
NATO
Steen Søndergaard serves as NATO’s Chief Scientist, acting as senior scientific advisor to NATO leadership, Chair of the Science & Technology Board, and Head of the Office of the Chief Scientist. With more than 30 years of experience in defence science and technology, he previously led Denmark’s Defence Research Center, overseeing work at the intersection of military research, technology, and innovation. His career has focused on translating scientific and technological advances into operational and strategic advantage, including work related to emerging technologies and resilience.
Jeffrey Palmer, PhD
Assistant Division Head, Biotechnology and Human Systems
MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Dr. Jeffrey S. Palmer is Assistant Head of MIT Lincoln Laboratory’s Biotechnology and Human Systems Division, sharing responsibility for research, development, evaluation, and technology transfer across chemical and biological defense, human health and performance, and global resilience to climate, conflict, and disaster threats. Previously, he led the Human Health and Performance Systems Group, overseeing work in AI-enabled biomedical tools, human performance, neurocognitive analytics, and wearable, ingestible, and implantable biosensing. He has also advised U.S. and NATO military studies on health and performance and has contributed extensively to wearable biomedical sensing in extreme environments.
Homer Tien, MD
President and CEO
Ornge
Dr. Homer Tien is President and CEO of Ornge, Ontario’s air ambulance and critical care transport service, and a trauma surgeon at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. A former Canadian Armed Forces colonel and frontline military physician, he served as a surgeon and medical officer in Afghanistan and other international deployments. At Ornge, he has helped advance access to critical care in remote communities, including through Operation Remote Immunity. In 2025, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada for his contributions to trauma care in remote settings and for strengthening connections between civilian and military healthcare.
Luke Apisa
Emergency Medicine Physician & Assistant Fellowship Director
Mass General Brigham & MGH Division of Wilderness Medicine
Luke Apisa is the Assistant Fellowship Director of the MGH Division of Wilderness Medicine and the inaugural fellow of MGH’s Space Medicine program. Dr. Apisa is a Clinical Instructor of Emergency Medicine at Harvard Medical School. He continues to be active in Arctic affairs through the Harvard Kennedy School’s Arctic Initiative and ongoing work with the Maniilaq Health Center in Kotzebue, AK on quality improvement, virtual medicine, and austere healthcare. During his fellowship year he spent a season researching changes in human cardiopulmonary dynamics at altitude in Pheriche, Nepal. Ongoing topics of interest include high altitude pathology and the application of terrestrial hypobaric hypoxia research to space vehicle atmospheric design.
John Aldridge
Associate Leader, Human Resilience Technology GroupMIT Lincoln Laboratory
John Aldridge is Associate Leader of MIT Lincoln Laboratory’s Human Resilience Technology Group, where his work focuses on applying advanced and emerging technologies to human and community resilience. Over more than two decades at the Laboratory, he has led interdisciplinary programs spanning decision-support systems, sensor technologies, disaster response and recovery, airborne remote sensing, tactical sensing, and humanitarian assistance. His work places particular emphasis on adapting technology for challenging and nontraditional environments and translating real-world operational needs into practical capabilities.