Dr. Bjorn R. Olsen has made major contributions to the fields of extracellular matrix biology, genetics, and cell and developmental biology. These contributions have earned him international recognition and acclaim.

A native of Skien, Norway, Dr. Olsen received his medical and doctoral degrees from the University of Oslo in 1967, where he became a faculty member at the Anatomical lnstitute and conducted molecular studies on the structure of collagen. In 1971, he came to the United States to work with Dr. Darwin Prockop, and one year later joined the faculty of the Department of Biochemistry, chaired by Dr. Prockop, at Rutgers Medical School, now UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, where he was promoted to the rank of professor in 1976.

In 1985 Dr. Olsen was appointed the Hersey professor of anatomy and cellular biology at Harvard Medical School; this was changed to Hersey professor of cell biology when the Anatomy and Physiology departments were merged to form the Department of Cell Biology. Since 1996 he has also been senior member of the staff at the Forsyth Institute and professor of developmental biology at HSDM, where he is now dean for research.

Dr. Olsen has published more than 400 papers. He is a member of and has held leadership positions in several professional organizations, including the International Society for Matrix Biology (as one of the founders and as president), and serves or has served on the editorial boards of several major journals, including the Journal of Cell Biology, Molecular Biology of the Cell, Calcified Tissue International, Current Opinion in Cell Biology, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Developmental Dynamics, Bone and Development. He has been editor-in-chief of Matrix Biology, and founder and editor-in-chief of BioMed Central’s Journal of Negative Results in Biomedicine.

Fields of Interest

Over the past 35 years, Dr. Olsen has made groundbreaking contributions to research into the roles of the extracellular matrix in embryonic development, and skeletal and vascular cell and molecular biology. His research has furthered our understanding of diseases from dwarfism to congenital vascular anomalies, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, corneal dystrophy and retinal degeneration. His studies have uncovered fundamental roles of collagens, transcription factors, and receptors that affect not only skeletal development, but also angiogenesis and blood vessel morphogenesis.

Professional Awards and Recognition

Dr. Olsen’s honors include election to the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and ScanBalt Academy, honorary doctoral degrees from the University of Oslo, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and Okayama University, Japan; the Humboldt Research Award from Germany, the H.C. Jacobæus Prize, the Senior Research Prize of the American Society of Matrix Biology, IADR Distinguished Scientist Award for Craniofacial Biology Research, ISMB Distinguished Investigator Award, Fellow from American Association for the Advancement of Science, Henry Gray Award from American Association of Anatomists, Fellow from American Association of Anatomists, Fell-Muir Award from British Society for Matrix Biology.

Olsen Laboratory

Since 1985, the Olsen Laboratory has used molecular, genetic, and cell biological approaches to identify and characterize mechanisms of skeletal development and disease in humans and mice. The discoveries range from the identification of “founding” members of novel families of collagenous proteins with critical functions in skeletal tissues to the identification of mutations in matrix molecules, transcription factors, and receptors/signaling components responsible for several inherited cartilage and bone diseases in humans and mice. Apart from providing insights into pathological processes in disorders that are individually rare, but quite common as a group, these discoveries have contributed significantly to the understanding of mechanisms of development and postnatal maintenance of cartilage and bone. 

Contributing to the success of the work is the fact that the laboratory is simultaneously pursuing genetic and biochemical studies of both skeletal and vascular disorders and processes. This interdisciplinary work environment provides ideal conditions for current studies of the roles of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling in vascular anomalies, bone and cartilage development, and common diseases, such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and ectopic bone formation. The research has also extended to investigating the causes of more rare inherited disorders characterized by retarded skeletal growth, progressive loss of joint cartilage and bone, and fibrosis of skin and other organs.