Rolf Lood

Introduction:

Dr. Rolf Lood, based in Lund, Sweden, is the Principal Investigator and Coordinator of the ODIN and ODIN-Mpox projects. His main scientific interests lie in the field of experimental infection medicine, host-pathogen interactions, and at the interface between medical research and its applications in biotechnology or biopharmaceuticals. Dr. Lood coordinates research efforts within the ODIN and ODIN-Mpox projects to integrate advanced molecular tools and surveillance strategies for waterborne infections and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in sub-Saharan Africa. Driven by a passion for translational science and innovation, he leads this interdisciplinary team with the ambition of transforming cutting-edge research into concrete solutions for global health.

Full Name:

Rolf Lood, PhD (Senior Lecturer)

Institutional affiliation and professional experience:

Dr. Lood is currently affiliated with Lund University, Sweden, a world-renowned university ranked among the top 100 in the world. He serves as a Principal Investigator and leads a research group in experimental infection medicine, investigating the molecular mechanisms and clinical relevance of antibiotic resistance transmission through phage transduction. Dr. Lood has also worked as a consultant and scientific advisor for several international companies, defining their research strategies in relevant areas.

Academic background:

Dr. Lood holds a Master's degree in Biomedicine from Lund University (2007) and a PhD in Experimental Infection Medicine (2011) from the same university. He then spent more than three years at the prestigious Rockefeller University in New York as a postdoctoral researcher, before establishing his own laboratory at Lund University in 2015. He was appointed Associate Professor in 2018.

Role in the ODIN project:

As part of the ODIN project, Dr. Lood coordinates grantees to align efforts to achieve set objectives. Specifically, he facilitates exchanges between partners and funders and oversees the implementation of legal agreements. In addition to his activities specific to the smooth running of the ODIN project, he also represents the project within the broader GenEpi collaboration, a consortium of projects funded by the Gates Foundation and EDCTP3, whose ambition is to build genomics capacity in sub-Saharan Africa. Alongside other ODIN grantees, Dr. Lood has actively participated in discussions aimed at expanding the implementation of the ODIN platform to countries not yet included in the project. The interest and support expressed for this initiative are very encouraging, and we share a common vision to deploy this platform as widely as possible, convinced of its potential as a key infrastructure for public health.

Professional and personal interests:

Leisure and activities

Outside of work, Dr. Lood devotes much of his time to his family (his wife and their two children), as well as to gardening. He also hopes to resume playing jazz saxophone, which he once played semi-professionally in his youth.

Future research aspirations:

Outside of the ODIN project, his current research focuses on the role of bacteriophages in the spread of AMR, particularly in a clinical context, but also from a One Health perspective.

Contact details:

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