Our team

Dr. Robert Skov has worked in the area of antimicrobial resistance and One Health related issues for more than 25 years. As Scientific Director, Robert is responsible for ICARS’ scientific activities and part of the management team that steers ICARS’ strategic and organisational development. He works closely with the Operations and Partnerships teams to establish and maintain collaborations and partnerships with countries and international stakeholders. Robert is a renowned expert on antimicrobial resistance and has served on several internal working groups and advisory boards in that capacity, he is also a medical doctor and specialist in clinical microbiology.

Helle Krarup holds a background in political science with a focus on international relations. As Director of Operations, Helle is part of ICARS Executive Management and heads the Department of Operations, Partnerships and Communications. Together with the Scientific Director, she leads the work on ICARS strategic and organizational development. Helle holds a Master of Political Science from Aarhus University (DK). She has previously worked with international relations and international cooperation on health in the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Danish Ministry of Health and the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Dr. Per Henriksen is a Senior Consultant at ICARS, responsible for establishing contacts with the agricultural and veterinary sector in low- and middle-income countries. Additionally, Per is advising on development projects in the agricultural and veterinary sector. Per is former Chief Veterinary Officer of the Kingdom of Denmark, with a background in Academia and both Ministry of Health and Ministry of Food and Agriculture of Denmark. He holds a DVM from Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University (Copenhagen).

Prof. Sabiha Essack is the South African Research Chair in Antibiotic Resistance and One Health and Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in Durban, South Africa. She is an independent consultant to ICARS. Using her vast experience in the field of IR, Sabiha offers valuable guidance to ICARS’ country partners throughout the process of conceptualizing and implementing IR projects to mitigate AMR, while providing input to the ICARS strategy as part of the Science team. Sabiha serves as expert consultant on AMR and antimicrobial stewardship to the World Health Organization and its regional offices, as well as on several other advisory boards/groups of national and international organizations.

Dr. Mirfin Mpundu is a public health specialist with over 30 years extensive experience in global health policy and security, developing innovative sustainable financing options for healthcare delivery and strategic development. As an independent consultant for ICARS, Mirfin is expanding our partnerships with LMICs in Africa, while advising on development, implementation and evaluation of projects in Africa. He is also leading our collaboration with React Africa, and working on advocacy and capacity-building in the same region. Mirfin has successfully supported several countries with AMR National Action Plan development and implementation and provided technical support to WHO, FAO, OIE, Africa CDC and Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) on AMR strategies and policies.

Dr. Tine Jørgensen is a biologist with post-graduate training in Global Public Health and Health Economics. As Senior Scientific Advisor, she advises on ICARS’ implementation projects and other activities. Starting February 2021, Tine is seconded to the AMR Global Coordination Department at the WHO in Geneva. She has held various global positions in the public and private sector, specialized in access to medicines, health economics and policy as well as evaluation frameworks for introduction of new technologies. She has been part of the cross-sectoral national group reporting on AMR under the Danish Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Tine is an external lecturer at University of Copenhagen and Copenhagen Business School

Prof. Anders Dalsgaard is a veterinarian and microbiologist who has worked for more than 25-years with research and research capacity building in low- and middle income countries, including on antimicrobial use and resistance. As an independent consultant for ICARS, he provides input to the development, implementation and management of demonstration projects. Anders works closely with the ICARS Science team and local governments. Anders holds a degree in veterinary medicine (DVM) and has a Ph.D. in microbiology and epidemiology from the University of Copenhagen where he also works as a Professor in Veterinary Public Health.

Dr. Gloria Currea is a trained medical doctor with a master and PhD degree in Public Health and epidemiology. As Antimicrobial Research Advisor for ICARS, she is responsible for coordinating and giving technical advice on the drafting of the project proposals from LMICs as well as following-up the execution of the projects. Gloria has 10-years experience using mixed-method design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of cross-national and interdisciplinary research projects within the field of antimicrobial stewardship.

Erica Westwood is a global health researcher and programme manager, with diverse experiences working in infectious disease programmes for low- and middle-income country settings. As an Implementation Research Advisor at ICARS, she brings a critical lens to ensure that programmes are contextually-specific and sustainable with innovative research approaches that can help advance public health preparedness and global knowledge to prevent AMR. Erica holds a Bachelor’s of Health Sciences from the University of Calgary and a Master of Science in Global Health from McMaster University in Canada. Previously, Erica has worked in AMR research and development fund management and public health consulting for governments, industry and multilateral organisations.

Dr. Nandini Sreenivasan is a medical doctor and an epidemiologist with over 10 years of experience working on infectious diseases in global health settings. She has extensive field experience and has previously worked on strengthening surveillance systems, emergency preparedness and response, and implementation, monitoring and evaluation of public health interventions. As an Implementation Research Advisor, she uses her experience from LMICs to ensure that projects are technically sound and operationally feasible. She holds a medical degree from the University of Copenhagen and completed the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) fellowship at the US CDC.

Lisa Haagensen is a Project Manager with extensive experience in the management of large human rights projects in low and middle income countries. At ICARS, she is responsible for coordinating the ICARS project portfolio and, in particular, for establishing efficient processes, methods and practices to ensure the smooth implementation of all ICARS projects. Lisa holds a BA(Hon) in Clinical Psychology from the University of Johannesburg, an MSc in International Relations from the University of Amsterdam, and a second MSc in Global Refugee Studies from Aalborg University.

Dr. Annick Lenglet is an infectious disease field epidemiologist with over 15 years’ work experience in countries in Latin America, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe. She has worked on the design, implementation and evaluation of surveillance systems, led and collaborated largescale outbreak response efforts, led and participated on operational research linked to hepatitis A and E, cholera, noma, antimicrobial resistance, mental health, and non-communicable diseases. As the Science Team Lead, together with the Science Director, she leads on ICARS scientific activities, including the work for co-development and implementation of projects in LMICs. Annick is also responsible for the daily operations of the science team. She holds a masters degree from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Spanish National School of Public Health and a PhD in Medical Sciences from Radboudumc. She also completed the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET). Before joining ICARS, Annick worked for Médecins Sans Frontières, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization.

Dr. Jyoti Joshi has more than twenty years’ experience working on maternal and child health, public health policy and immunisation and vaccine safety in Asia. Over the course of her career, Jyoti has stressed the need for mainstreaming activities aimed to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR). These include AMR-Sensitive and AMR-Specific interventions at the field level in low- and middle-income countries where vertical programs have been the norm. She has forged research collaborations between the public and private sector and strengthened immunization, disease surveillance and outbreak response programs in India and the Gulf region. At ICARS, Jyoti works with partner ministries to ensure actions to tackle AMR are tailored to local contexts and effectively implemented. Prior to ICARS, Jyoti was Head-South Asia for the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy (CDDEP), there she supported the development and implementation of National Action Plans (NAPs) on AMR in six Asian countries. Jyoti received her Doctor of Medicine degree in Community Medicine from Lady Hardinge Medical College in New Delhi, India and her Masters of Sciences degree in Infectious Diseases from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom.

Dr. Kristina Osbjer is a veterinary epidemiologist with over 15-years of working in research, capacity development and management of emerging health threats, including antimicrobial resistance, in low and middle-income countries. As a Veterinary Advisor for ICARS, she provides technical support to project formulation and implementation, and on strengthening the research-policy interface. Kristina holds a degree in veterinary medicine (DVM) and a PhD in One Health and zoonotic diseases from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. In the past, she has served as Team Lead on AMR and animal health for FAO and has worked closely with governments and the Quadripartite on governance and control of AMR and infectious diseases.

Dr. Ghada Zoubiane is a systems thinker with over 20 years’ experience in leading and executing research strategies at a national and international level. As an independent consultant for ICARS, Ghada develops partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders including potential donors, UN bodies, NGOs and the private sector. With a strong appreciation of the science and policy interface, her role includes outreach and advocacy, as well as advising on ICARS strategy and working closely with the ICARS Executive Management. Ghada holds a PhD in Biology from the University of Manchester (UK). In the past, she has served as Science and Innovation lead on AMR and public health in different organizations such as Wellcome and the UK Medical Research Council.

Lisa Larsen is a Programme Manager with background in Political Science. At ICARS she is responsible for supporting the ICARS Interagency Steering Committee as well as for drafting MoUs, policies and guidelines for our projects. She is also overseeing the development of our internal processes and ways of working and supporting our organisational transformation. Lisa holds a Master’s Degree of in Political Science from the University of Aarhus. She has previously worked in the Danish Ministry of Health where she was the focal point for AMR and part of the team that initiated ICARS.

Karina Aglamazova  is Chartered Certified Accountant with background in Biophysics. As a Finance and Grant Manager at ICARS, she uses her expertise in Budgeting, Financial Reporting, Donor Fund management and other financial area to strengthen and support ICARS operations. Karina is a Fellow member of Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and holds a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Tbilisi State University (Ivane Javahišvilis Sakhelobis Tbilisis Sakhelmtsipo Universiteti). She worked previously for UNICEF, UNOPS, Maersk and OSCE and has extensive experience of working in both public and private sectors.

Hannah Aanonsen is ICARS’ Student Assistant, and a master student of Veterinary Medicine. She works mostly with the Copenhagen team, assisting whoever needs a hand in the office with organizing meetings and solving practical and theoretical tasks. Hannah’s main interest within Veterinary Medicine is One Health, hereunder AMR and epidemiology, and hopes to continue working within this field in the future.

Katharina Bieberstein is an international lawyer and global environmental policy expert with over ten years of experience in organisational and administrative development, including working in low- and middle-income country settings. She is working broadly on legal subjects in relation to the organisational transformation of ICARS. In particular, Katharina contributes to the establishment of an efficient and transparent governance structure and effective administrative and legally compliant procedures – both externally when collaborating with countries, organisations and funders as well as internally among ICARS’ staff. Previously, she worked for UNEP-WCMC, GIZ, ClientEarth and IDLO.

Dr. Mads Martinus has a background in economic geography research, and has extensive experience in evaluation of government-funded agencies’ compliance and performance. As a Project Manager, Mads’s focus is to document and support the value of ICARS’ projects, and he is responsible for establishing ICARS’ monitoring and evaluation framework. Mads holds a BA in International Development Studies from the University of Roskilde, a MSc in International Business and Politics from Copenhagen Business School, and a PhD in Economic Geography from Copenhagen University.

Sephy Valuks is a Communications Officer with a wide range of experience in research communications. At ICARS she is responsible for internal and external communications, including developing materials to support and promote ICARS’ work, managing digital channels and coordinating events. Sephy works closely between the Science, Partnerships and Operations teams to align key messages and plan dissemination of project outputs. Previously, Sephy worked as Communications Coordinator at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and in Research Uptake and Communications for two DFID funded research programme consortia. She has a BA in Social Anthropology from the School of Oriental and African Studies.

Vibeke Falkenberg is a Programme Manager with background in Political Science. At ICARS she is responsible for supporting the ICARS Interagency Steering Committee as well as for drafting MoUs, policies and guidelines for our projects. She is also overseeing the development of our internal processes and ways of working and supporting our organisational transformation.

As a Project Coordinator, Mark Latona is working on developing partnerships with potential donors and supporting outreach and advocacy activities. Mark has experience coordinating research projects in academia and the private sector, managing grants and liaising with diverse funding bodies. He holds a BA in International Studies from Carlos III University in Madrid and an MSc in Global Development from the University of Copenhagen.

Beatriz Domínguez has a solid understanding of project development and implementation in low- and middle-income countries due to her experience within International NGOs. At ICARS, she is working on the development and coordination of the ICARS project portfolio, as well as supporting project monitoring and evaluation activities. Beatriz holds a Master´s Degree in Journalism from Universidad Complutense of Madrid and a Master´s Degree in International Development Studies & Cultural Encounters from the University of Roskilde.

As Executive Assistant at ICARS, Lise Emmersen supports the day-to-day running of the office which includes a variety of tasks including organising travel, managing internal IT and archiving systems, and generally supporting the team with everything needed to keep up the good work. Lise holds an education in Health and Nutrition, and previously worked as team assistant at Grundfos where she organised meetings, managed the local facilities, and set up presentations and tenders.