At the CBRNE centre I combine my background in biology (molecular biology, microbiology, immunology) with my experience in science organisation and project management.
After I had moved to Sweden in 1997 and until I started at the European CBRNE centre in 2011 I was doing research in the field of innate immunity and host-pathogen interactions using the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster as modell organism. My first affiliation in Sweden was with the group of Dan Hultmark (Stockholm University), who then moved to the Umeå Centre for Molecular Pathogenesis (later merged with the Department of Molecular Biology) at Umeå University. Already during that period I got involved with what can be called science organisation. In my case that meant an appointment as program director of the Biomedical Research School. This engagement was followed by a period at the Department of Clinical Microbiology, where I focused my research on tularemia and the host-pathogen interactions connected with this infectious disease. At the same time I coordinated the involvement of the team of Anders Sjöstedt in an international project on the development of a tularemia vaccine (financed by the United States National Institutes of Health).
With this background and given that a more dangerous type of tularemia than the one we know from Sweden is considered a potential biological weapon, my move to the European CBRNE Centre felt like a natural next step in my career. Since then I have been working in different functions in various projects; e.g. coordination and management of PRACTICE, SLAM, Safety & Security Test Arena and CLINF; work package lead in MELODY and Joint Action TERROR; subject matter expert in CELECTIVE and EDEN. At the same time I have extended my ”B”-horizon to include the other letters in the acronym ”CBRNE” and to include preparedness planning. The journey from curiosity-driven basic scientific research towards innovative applied research and development with a focus on improving societal security and crisis management has been - and is - exciting and educational.
Academic titles:
Dr. rer. nat. (Free University Berlin 1994)
Associate Professor in Molecular Biology (Umeå University 2007)