In the field of microbiology and infectious disease control, Professor Jörn Klein is a prominent figure whose work has greatly enhanced our understanding of pathogens and public health. Molecular biologist, Ms. Szava Julia Bansaghi, has now joined Prof. Kleins group as one of its researchers.
Professor Klein is based at the University of South-Eastern Norway (USN), working across the Faculties of Health and Social Sciences and Technology, Natural Sciences and Maritime Sciences. One of his notable contributions is his work on the One Health initiative, which emphasizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.
"This holistic approach is crucial for addressing complex health challenges such as emerging infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance, and the impacts of climate change," says Klein.
His research has also been pivotal in understanding the dynamics of infectious diseases and developing strategies for effective disease control. By integrating microbiology with epidemiology, Professor Klein's work provides valuable insights into pathogen behavior and transmission, which are essential for public health interventions.
Direct impact
Intersectoral and interdisciplinary collaboration in EU funded research projects including Unravelling Data for Rapid Evidence-Based Response to COVID-19 (UnCover) and Prevention, mitigation, management of infectious diseases on cruise ships and passenger ferries (HEALTHY SAILING) has enabled Prof. Klein’s research to both push forward the frontiers of knowledge and have a direct impact on public health practices.
It was as a result of the HEALTHY SAILING project that molecular biologist Ms. Szava Julia Bansaghi joined Prof. Kleins group as one of its researchers.
"Working in EU funded research projects provides a stimulating research environment for early career researchers and enables network building which I will benefit from in my further career," she says.
Previously impossible
Ms. Bansaghi’s results from the EU project led to the groups application to applying through the EDUC-WIDE access to research infrastructure call. Access to world leading research infrastructure such as the at the Hungarian Centre for Genomics and Bioinformatics at the University of Pécs enables state of the art sequencing of the microbial flora of human hands, facilities that are not available at USN.
"Through collaboration with this centre, we can utilise advanced methods for genome analysis and bioinformatics. This will provide a more precise mapping of the microbiome and identify bacterial species that were previously impossible to detect in such studies," says Klein.
Prof. Klein and Ms. Bansaghi see this as a beginning of a fruitful collaboration also involving Masaryk University and Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, which can hopefully lead to further high impact research through EU funded research. Hopefully, EDUC can facilitate further opportunities for collaboration such as further open research proposal calls, joint resources, PhD and early career research mobility programs and increased visibility through publications and events.
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