Rolf Lood

Introduction:

Rolf Lood is a Principal Investigator and Coordinator of project ODIN & ODIN-Mpox, based in Lund, Sweden. His main scientific interests lies within experimental infection medicine, host-pathogen interactions, and the cross-section where medical research can be developed into applications within biotechnology or biopharma. Dr. Lood coordinates the research efforts within ODIN and ODIN-Mpox to integrate advanced molecular tools and surveillance strategies for waterborne infections and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) across sub-Saharan Africa. With a passion for translational science and innovation, he coordinates this interdisciplinary team to transform cutting-edge research into tangible global health solutions.

Full Name:

Rolf Lood, PhD (Associate Professor)

Institutional Affiliation and Professional Experience:

Dr. Lood is currently affiliated with Lund University, a top-100 university, based in Sweden. Dr. Lood is acting as a Principal Investigator and leads his group within Experimental Infection Medicine, elucidating the molecular mechanisms and clinical relevance of how antibiotic resistance is spread through bacteriophage transduction. Dr. Lood has worked as a consultant and scientific advisor for several international companies, outlining their research strategies in relevant areas.

Educational Background:

Dr. Lood has a MSc in Biomedicine from Lund University (2007), and a PhD from Lund University within Experimental Infection Medicine (2011). Dr. Lood then spent over three years at the notable Rockefeller University, New York, as a post-doctoral associate before starting his own laboratory in 2015 (Lund University) and receiving the degree of Associate Professor in 2018.

Role in the ODIN Project:

Dr. Lood’s role in the project is to coordinate the beneficiaries, to align our efforts enabling us to reach our goals. On a practical note, Dr. Lood facilitates the interaction between all partners and our funders, as well as setting up legal agreements. On top of the activities dedicated for enabling project ODIN to be successful, Dr. Lood is also responsible for representing project ODIN in the broader collaboration GenEpi, a consortium of Gates and EDCTP3 funded projects with the broad ambition to build genomics capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Together with the other ODIN beneficiaries, Dr. Lood has facilitated the ongoing discussions to also implement the ODIN platform in countries currently not part of the ODIN project. We are encouraged by the interest and willingness to support our project, and share a unified vision to implement the platform as broadly as possible since we believe that the platform itself can be a key public health infrastructure.

Professional and Personal Interests:

Hobbies and Leisure Activities

Outside of work, I invest a lot of time in my family (wife and two kids), as well as some gardening. I have an ambition to come back to playing saxophone (jazz) again, which I used to do in a semi-professional manner during my youth.

Future Research Aspirations:

Outside of project ODIN, my research currently focuses on the impact of bacteriophages in spread of AMR, in particular in a clinical, but also One Health, setting.

Contact Details:

Email: Rolf.Lood@med.lu.se
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolf-lood-94958a3b/