Profile

The global spread of infectious pathogenic bacteria, including those resistant to antimicrobial agents, is one of the greatest human health problems.

My research has primarily targeted the association between use of antimicrobial agents to farm animals and the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance including the human health consequences.

It has become increasingly clear that bacteria do not respect traditional borders and with the increased globalisation a problem in one country has become a problem for all countries. Thus, the research has increasingly been directed towards global spread of initially foodborne, but now also other pathogenic bacteria.

The research has contributed to the internatioanl standards for detection and monitoring of antimicrobial resistance in food borne pathogens and had major influence on the ways antimicrobial agents are used worldwide.

The global focus is also documented by the fact that the research has been conducted with more than 400 co-authors, in more than 135 institutions in more than 35 countries. Furthermore, DTU-Food has partly based on the research been appointed WHO and EU reference laboratory for antimicrobial resistance in foodborne pathogens.

Other information

SÆRLIGE UDNÆVNELSER:
Leder af Community Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance for EU, 2006 -

Leder af WHO Collaborating Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance among Food borne pathogens, 2006 -

KOMMITEER MV.:
Medlem af NCCLS working group on non-therapeutic use of antimicrobials, 1997.

Formand i Danmarks Mikrobiologiske Selskab, 1997 - 2003.

NCCLS Working Group for Susceptibility testing of Campylobacter, 1998 - 2002.

Medlem af Ad Hoc Working group on antimicrobial resistance under the Safety Working Party, European Medicine Agency (EMEA), EU, 2000-2002.

Co-ordinator for WHO Global Salmonella Survey, External Quality Assurance System, 2000 - 2006.

Advicer for the Taiwanese government on antimicrobial resistance among food animals, juni 2000.

Ekspert vidne for EU-domstolen i forbindelse med sag omkring anvendelse af virginiamycin som vækstfremmer, juli 2001.

Ekspert vidne for Food and Drug Administration, USA i relation til domstolshøring omkring anvendelse af fluoroquinoloner til fjerkræ, 2002.

Medlem af tilsætningsstofudvalget, 2003 - 2008.

Bestyrelsesmedlem i Danmarks Mikrobiologiske Selskab 2003 - 2005.

Scientific Advisory Board of the EU funded Strategic Council on Resistance in Europe, 2003 - 2005.

Member of scientific advisory group on antimicrobial resistance (SAGAM) for the CVMP, European Medicine Agency (EMEA), EU, 2004-2007.

Medlem WG on antimicrobial resistance, Biohazard panel, EFSA, EU. 2007-2008.

Medlem WG on Developing Harmonized Schemes for Monitoring Antimicrobial Resistance in Zoonotic Agents, Biohazard panel, EFSA, EU. 2007-

Secretary, 2nd WHO expert meeting on critically important antimicrobials. Copenhagen May 29-31, 2007.

EU-kommissionens ekspert på The First Session of the Codex ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance, Seoul, Korea, October 23-27, 2007.

Invited expert for the Joint FAO/WHO/OIE expert meeting on critical important antimicorbials, Rome, Italy, 26-30 November 2007.

Member of the WG on Antimicrobial resistance in 4 biocide substances, Biohazard panel, EFSA, EU, 2008.

Member of the ESCO Working Group emerging risks. EFSA, EU, 2008-.

MEDLEM AF FORSNINGSFINANCIELLE UDVALG, ETC.:
Medlem af programkomitéen for Større Tværgående Forskergrupper, Videnskabsministeriet, 2003 - 2004.

Tilforordnet i Forskningsudvalget for kvæg, 2003 - 2006.

Medlem af bestyrelsen for Mejeribrugets forskningsfond, 2004 - 2008.

Medlem af skrivegruppen for Fødevaresikkerhed og det veterinære beredskab, Fødevareforskningsprogrammet 2007, Direktoratet for Fødevareerhverv, Ministeriet for Fødevarer, Landbrug og Fiskeri.

Formand for Fødevareinstituttets Forsknings-, udviklings- og innovationsudvalg, 2007-2008.

EDITOR OG EDITORIAL BOARDS:
Editorial Board of Microbial Drug Resistance, 1999 -.

Editorial Board of Veterinary Microbiology, 2000 - 2008.

Editorial Board of Foodborne Pathogens & Disease, 2003 -.

Editor of Antimicrobial resistance in bacteria of animal origin ASM Press, Washington DC, USA (ISBN 1-55581-306-2), 2006.

STØRRE UNDERVISNINGS- OG UDDANNELSESOPGAVER:
Censor in Veterinary Microbiology at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, since 1999 (approx. 30 veterinary students for oral examination, 5-8 master thesis and 1-2 PhD thesis per year).

Chief trainer and responsible for development of the course curriculum and examination for ”WHO training course on salmonellosis and antimicrobial resistance in food pathogens”. Heraklion, Crete, Greece, 3-8 juli 2000.

Chief trainer and responsible for development of the course curriculum and examination for ”WHO training course on campylobacteriosis and antimicrobial resistance”. Bangkok, Thailand, 23-28 jan. 2001.

Ekstern Censor i kemi på Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, 2001.

Ekstern censor i Folkesundhedsvidenskab på Københavns Universitet, 2001.

Underviser i ”Microbiological risk in food” på International Master program ”Nutrition and safety along the food production chain”, University of Bologna, Marts 2003.

Ansvarlig for planlægning og gennemførsel af tre moduler af tre timer om Mastitis diagnostik for dyrlæger, November 2005.

Ansvarlig for “Study visit on antimicrobial resistance”. One week training in susceptibility testing for three participants, Sep. 2007.

Ansvarlig for “Training course in antimicrobial susceptibility testing”. A one week training course for 15 participants conducted as part of the Community Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance, March 2008.

PRISER, PRÆMIER, UDNÆVNELSER:
1997: Belønning fra C. O. Jensens Mindefond for arbejde vedrørende antibiotikaresistens og molekylære typningsmetoder.

2003: The 2003 APUA Leadership Award in recognition of investigations of the feasibility of food animal production without the use of antibiotic growth promoters.

2008: Advisory Committee of National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service, Republic of Korea (Jan. 2008-Dec. 2009).

International Erfaring:
Aug. 1993 til Marts 1994, gæsteforsker ved Center for Mastitis Research, Department of Veterinary Science, Pennsylvania State University, USA.

Research areas

Siden 1995 leder af antibiotikaresistensgruppen I DTU Fødevareinstituttet. Jeg har siden jeg blev færdig som dyrlæge arbejdet med mange forskellige aspekter af mikrobiologi og epidemiologi. Dette har inkluderet arbejde med såvel dyre- og human-patogene bakterier. I de seneste 13 år har forskningsaktiviteterne primært været fokuseret på overvågning og spredning af antibiotikaresistens og karakterisering af resistente bakterier og resistensgener, samt optimeret anvendelse af antibiotika. Det primære fokus har været på fødevarebårne patogener, specielt i et globalt perspektiv, men er inden for de sidste år udvidet til andre problemstillinger. Jeg er ansvarlig for resistensbestemmelser i forbindelse med monitoreringen af antibiotikaresistens blandt dyr i Danmark. Jeg har været eller er projektleder af adskillige nationale projekter som involverer adskillige institutioner herunder koordinator af en EU-finansieret concerted action som involverede 19 laboratorier i 18 europæiske lande. I alt har jeg hjemskaffet fondsmidler for >60 mill. Dkr.

Fra 2006 leder af såvel WHO Collaborating Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance among Foodborne Pathogens og Community Reference Laboratory for Antimicrobial Resistance among bacteria from animals and food. Jeg har holdt >200 foredrag på konferencer, kurser og i andre sammenhænge. Vejleder for 8 ph.d.-studerende og 7 specialestuderende, samt adskillige udenlandske gæsteforskere. Forfatter af 148 originale artikler i internationale peer-reviewed tidsskrifter, 48 som førsteforfatter, 54 som sidsteforfatter og 117 om forskellige aspekter af antibiotikaresistens. Forfatter af 35 internationale oversigtsartikler eller bogkapitler, alle om antibiotikaresistens og 20 som førsteforfatter. Forfatter af 56 andre artikler, 35 som førsteforfatter og 46 om antibiotikaresistens.