Statens Serum Institut - EUPHEM

Contact person

Rune Stensvold (main supervisor) and Lasse Dam Rasmussen (co-supervisor)

Tel : +45 3268 8224 / +45 3268 9055

Description of the institute

• Performs epidemiological and microbiological monitoring of infectious diseases and a variety of specialised diagnostic tests.
  Provides diagnostic, educational, advisory and reference services, all of which are directed mainly towards national needs, but which are frequently more widely applied when we serve as supervisors, advisors, or reference for international health services and organisations.
• Is a major European research centre engaged in a broad array of collaborations with organisations, institutions, companies and health research centres throughout the world.
• Carries out a large number of international advisory and reference functions for the WHO and the EU.
  Foreign health services and individual doctors may request general advice or special analyses and expert typing of particular microorganisms that defy identification in their own laboratories.
• Is an official Danish contact point (Competent Body) for the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, ECDC.
• Is the National Focal Point for WHO International Health Regulations 2005.
• Offers investigation of hygiene standards in a quality-certified laboratory, which provides a wide range of analyses.
  Hospital hygiene and hospital infections in Denmark are also being monitored here.
• Offers monitoring treatment results within i.e. mycobacteriology and virology.
• Includes the Danish Centre for Biosecurity and Biopreparedness (CBB), which is the national authority that issues licenses to research institutions, pharmaceutical companies, hospital laboratories, etc. to allow these to work with dual-use biological agents.
  CBB also maintains a 24/7 response capability to counter the effects of a biological incident whether of accidental or intended origin.
• Carries out national veterinary preparedness functions in collaboration with the University of Copenhagen, and is a One Health institute monitoring aspects of both human and animal health.

Training opportunities

EUPHEM fellows will receive their training in the division of Infectious Disease Preparedness, which comprises departments and specialized units covering most aspects of bacteriology including tuberculosis and biohazard-III organisms, virology, parasitology, mycology, epidemiology of infectious diseases and infectious disease hygiene.

Training programs are tailored based on the requirements for the EUPHEM core competencies, previous experience, and personal interests. Training in BSL-3 work is possible on site.

Supervision

EUPHEM fellows will be supervised by the main EUPHEM SSI supervisor (Dr Rune Stensvold) and co-supervisor (Dr Lasse Dam Rasmussen) for the period of their training. For specific tasks and assignments, the fellows will be supervised by appropriate scientists/consultants for each particular project.

Language requirements

EUPHEM fellows are expected to be fluent in written and spoken English. Some language skills in Danish (or other Scandinavian language) is a great advantage, as the working language of the institute is Danish. Learning Danish during the fellowship period is encouraged and supported.

Training history

• EUPHEM fellows trained at the institute: Six
• EUPHEM fellows currently in training at SSI: One (Cohort 2020)
• The SSI also hosts EPIET fellows (both MS-track and EU-track).