Flemming Bager and Dorte Lau Baggesen are new heads of divisions at the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark. They will be leading the two new microbiological divisions, formed at the turn of the year to bring in extra focus and to strengthen the institute’s work within the area.
The National Food Institute’s largest division so far with about 120 employees was 1 January 2012 turned into two new divisions: the Division of Epidemiology and Microbial Genomics and the Division of Food Microbiology.
From 1 July 2012 Flemming Bager will be Head of Division of Epidemiology and Microbial Genomics. He was previously employed as chief consultant at the National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark at which he for a number of years also functioned as Research director in the Division of Poultry, Fish and Fur Animals. He graduated as veterinarian from the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Copenhagen and early in his carrier worked as a slaughterhouse veterinarian in New Zealand and for Federation of Danish Pig Producers and slaughterhouses, where he was head of that organization’s zoonoses division. Flemming Bager has also been head of the Zoonosis centre, which today is a part of the division of Epidemiology and Microbial Genomics. Zoonoses are infections that can be transmitted from animals to humans.
Dorte Lau Baggesen is employed by 1 July as Head of Division of Food Microbiology. She graduated as veterinarian from the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University. Dorte Lau Baggesen has since March 2011 functioned as Acting Head of Division of Microbiology and Risk Assessment and has previously functioned as Deputy Head of Division in the same division. She began her career as a researcher at theNational Veterinary Laboratory, Denmark, where she later became Head of section in the then Danish Food and Veterinary Research.
Extra focus on both good and bad bacteria
“We look forward to working with Flemming Bager and to continue working with Dorte Lau Baggesen, who will draw additional managerial attention to epidemiology and microbial genomics at the National Food Institute” says Jørgen Schlundt, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark.
“I also expect that the organizational change will strengthen the institute’s work both within pathogenic and potentially health promoting bacteria, to the benefit of authorities, industry and especially consumers” adds Jørgen Schlundt.
Read more
Read more about the Division of Epidemiology and Microbial Genomics and the Division of Food Microbiology at the National Food Institute’s website.