Dr. Elín Þórdís Björnsdóttir
40’s • Iceland – Akar Labs
Dr. Elín is in her early 40s but has the vigor and energy of someone much younger. She stands at 5’7″, with shoulder-length auburn hair tinged with streaks of blonde, usually pulled back in a loose bun when in the lab. Her eyes are a striking gray, accentuated by the minimalist eyeglasses she wears. Her skin is fair, tinged by the cold Icelandic air, but her presence is warm and disarming. Her wardrobe is functional yet elegant, consisting of high-quality, eco-friendly materials that echo her concern for bioethics, despite the nature of her work.
AI-Generated Image
AI-Generated Image
Elín is the very image of a scientific pioneer. Her field of expertise is in genetic engineering and synthetic biology, making her an ideal fit for Akar Laboratories’ ambitious projects. With a background in molecular biology and bioinformatics, she also has an understanding of advanced computational methods, an asset for Akar Labs’ collaboration with HyperDyne.
Born and raised in Reykjavik, Iceland, Elín showed a penchant for the sciences from a young age. Her parents, both academics in their own right—her mother a literature professor and her father an oceanographer—fostered her intellectual curiosities. She pursued her undergraduate studies in Molecular Biology at the University of Iceland before heading to Cambridge for her PhD, specializing in Genetic Engineering.
Her groundbreaking research caught the attention of academic journals and research facilities alike. After a brief tenure as a researcher at a leading Swiss biotech company, she returned to Iceland to be close to her family and joined the Icelandic Institute for Intelligent Machines (IIIM). Here she delved into the intersection of advanced computing and synthetic biology.
It was her work at IIIM that put her on Lucian Miller’s radar. After a vetting process shrouded in as much intrigue as science—complete with discreet background checks and even more discreet negotiations—she was offered the position at Akar Laboratories. The allure of practically unlimited resources and the freedom to push the scientific envelope was too enticing to pass up.
