Career:

In 1993, I was employed at the National Veterinary Institute (formerly Statens Veterinære Serumlaboratorium) as laboratory technologist working with prevention strategies of bovine mastitis. From 1995 when the issues related to the use of growth promoters in the food animal production emerged, the technical staff increased from one to 14 technicians for whom I became responsible for coordinating all daily duties. In 1999, our institute was appointed as WHO Collaborating Centre and my duties and responsibility were transferred to building up laboratory capacity and developing teaching curricula around the world in relation to the WHO Global Foodborne Infections Network (WHO GFN). During those years, I became actively involved in several research projects and was in 2008 enrolled in a PhD-programme at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). January 2010, I defended my thesis “Global epidemiology of non-typhoidal Salmonella infections in humans”. Currently, I work as senior scientist at the Technical University of Denmark, National Food Institute (DTU Food), Division of Bacterial Genomics and Epidemiology, Research Group of Bacterial Genomics and Antimicrobial Resistance and act as deputy for reference centres; WHO Collaborating Centre and European Union Reference Laboratory. I am responsible for additionally three scientists and two technicians. 

Qualifications:

Since 1999, I have been involved in activities related to Technical University of Denmark, National Food Institute (DTU Food) role as WHO Collaborating Centre and European Union Reference Laboratory.I represent the National Food Institute as steering committee member and lab-subcommittee member in the WHO Global Foodborne Infections Network (WHO GFN) and as steering committee member of the WHO Advisory Group on Integrated Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance (AGISAR) network. Additionally, I have been appointed as INFOSAN and ECDC focal points.

Capacity building / Teaching:

I have facilitated and conducted more than 25 international laboratory training courses for more than 500 scientists from more than 50 countries; primarily in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, China, Eastern Africa, the Middle East, and Europe and in antimicrobial susceptibility testing, detection of foodborne pathogens and molecular techniques. I am also responsible for conducting national and international (WHO / EURL) proficiency test programs (External Quality Assurance Systems (EQAS)) in antimicrobial susceptibility testing, serotyping of Salmonella and Shigella, identification of Campylobacter and mastitis pathogens.

Research:

My main focus is research in global epidemiology, surveillance and population structure of mainly foodbone pathogens and antimicrobial resistance.

I am author of more than 50 international peer-reviewed published and accepted articles in international peer-reviewed journals; I have conducted research with more than 230 scientists in more than 30 countries.