Our team

As Executive Director, Dr. Sujith J Chandy leads ICARS’ science- and operations teams and works closely with the Board of Directors. Prior to joining ICARS, Sujith was a Professor in Clinical Pharmacology at Christian Medical College, Vellore, India, and Director of ReAct Asia Pacific. Following his MBBS and MD (Pharmacology), he attained a PhD focusing on antibiotic use, from Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Sujith has been on various national expert committees related to medicine use, ethics, pharmacovigilance, pharmacoepidemiology and medical education, and has made key publications on antibiotic use. Sujith has played a significant role as resource person in antibiotic use and stewardship at national and international workshops and meetings and is a member of the WHO Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on AMR. Working at ICARS Sujith retains his passion for researching and advocating responsible antibiotic use and stewardship.

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. Annick Lenglet is an infectious disease field epidemiologist with over 15 years’ work experience in countries across several continents. 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, and is 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.

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.

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 Córdoba is a trained medical doctor with a master’s and PhD degree in Public Health and epidemiology. As Senior Scientific Advisor for ICARS, she coordinates the co-development and implementation of ICARS’ research projects. Gloria has 15 years of experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating context-specific solutions within One Health, Antimicrobial Resistance and Antimicrobial stewardship in Europe and Latin America. She is passionate about strengthening research capacity building in LMICs.

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.

Dr. Jyoti Joshi has over twenty years’ experience working on maternal and child health, public health policy and immunisation and vaccine safety in Asia. Through her career, she has stressed the need for mainstreaming activities aimed to address AMR, 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 that actions to tackle AMR are tailored to local contexts and effectively implemented. Prior to ICARS, she was Head-South Asia for the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy (CDDEP). Jyoti got 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.

Rodolphe Mader is a French veterinarian with a Master of public health. As a Veterinary Advisor for ICARS, he provides technical support to project co-development and implementation. Rodolphe started his career as a large animal practitioner in France. He then joined ANSES (the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety) to coordinate the development of the European Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance network in Veterinary medicine (EARS-Vet). Rodolphe also worked for the FAO Regional office for Asia and the Pacific, where he led activities on the monitoring of antimicrobial use and the promotion of prudent antimicrobial use in farms.

Wesal is a Science Officer at ICARS, where he leverages his extensive academic background to research and assist the Science Team at ICARS with project implementation. He holds a PhD in the political dynamics of Antimicrobial Resistance from Roskilde University and has worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the same institution. Wesal has also served as a consultant at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development. In addition to his academic career, Wesal has worked on international development projects and has experience in journalism as well, having been a correspondent for the Los Angeles Times and worked for the Danish Refugee Council.

Fabian Maza is a trained medical doctor with work experience in primary care and clinical research. He holds a Master of Medical Science in Global Health and was a Swedish Institute scholar between 2020-2022. As a Science Officer at ICARS, he provides support to Science Team with the development and implementation of ICARS’ portfolio of projects in LMICs on AMR mitigation. In the past, he had the opportunity to work as a Young Researcher at the Ministry of Science in Colombia and collaborate with the Pan American Health Organization in different research studies conducted in Latin America. Before joining ICARS, Fabian worked as a project assistant at ReAct – Action on Antibiotic Resistance, where he supported the advocacy and development efforts of projects such as the ReAct Toolbox.

Dr. Sunday Ochai is a veterinarian with experience in the veterinary health sector, One Health domain, and the humanitarian sphere where he worked to build livelihood and resilience in crises regions in Africa. As a Science Officer, he works to support the development and implementation of ICARS projects in LMICs. Sunday holds a Master´s degree of Veterinary Tropical Diseases and is a Mandela Rhodes scholar. Previously, he worked as an academic at the University of Pretoria within the Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases. He also served as Livestock Officer for Christian Aid UK, Nigeria where he was an implementing officer for the World Food Programme (WFP)/ FADAMA 3 programme and for the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). He also completed basic, advanced, and applied epidemiology programmes with the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Antwerp, Belgium.

Dr. Mabel J. Ortiz De Leo is a medical doctor with previous experience in clinical medicine, infectious diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance, and the One Health approach.  She has previously worked in researching and implementing public health campaigns in Sexual and Reproductive Health, focusing on HIV testing and monitoring. She holds a master’s degree as a Chevening Scholar in Antimicrobial Resistance from the University of Sheffield, in which she focused her research on antimicrobial stewardship and heteroresistance patterns of fungi in immunocompromised patients. Mabel has been trained in science communication and knowledge mobilization, which have led her to work as a consultant on this topic internationally. She is a strong advocate for the One Health approach which led her to develop a project to teach and engage young audiences in the One Health spectrum called One Health Action! 

Sarah is a public health professional with extensive experience with the One Health approach. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Health and a PhD in One Health, which analysed policy processes for the institutionalisation of the One Health approach within and across research institutions. In the past, she had the opportunity to work as a public health consultant in the area of Health and Environmental Impact Assessments to strengthen the considerations of health aspects within mandatory environmental assessments. Before joining ICARS, Sarah worked as a project manager at the World Organisation for Animal Health, where she supported the implementation of the One Health Joint Plan of Action and collaborated with the Quadripartite secretariat, regional colleagues and stakeholders on One Health-related issues, such as antimicrobial resistance and zoonotic diseases.

Xafsa Ali is ICARS’ Student Assistant, and a Masters student of Public Health at the University of Copenhagen. She works mostly with the Copenhagen team, assisting whoever needs a hand in the office with organising meetings and solving practical and theoretical tasks. Xafsa also works on outbreak detection in the department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, at Statens Serum Institut. Her interests include improving health at the national and international level.

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.

Edyta brings over 10 years’ experience in administrative work, reporting, project management, finance administration, and customer support. As Finance and HR Assistant at ICARS, she is focusing on tasks related to budgeting, accounting, and financial reporting, as well as HR-administrative matters. Edyta holds a Master’s degree in Polish Philology from the University of Warsaw and a Bachelor’s degree in English Philology from Marie Sklodowska-Curie University.

As Team Lead for Operations, Morten Brandt-Pedersen leads ICARS’ functions in administration and IT, finance, legal affairs and human resources. Morten holds a Master’s degree in Economics and Business Administration from Copenhagen Business School. He has managed and developed several functions and personnel units in organisations in Denmark and abroad. He has experience in the Danish healthcare sector and has headed Northern Denmark’s European office in Brussels, specialising in EU health policy, networks and stakeholders. Morten formerly worked for the Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, where he implemented grant programmes for the development of projects under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fisheries Policy. He also has experience in working with NGOs on programmes in Africa and Asia, implementing humanitarian demining projects in collaboration with local operators and international organisations.

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 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.

Amina Mussawar is a student assistant in the ICARS Operations team. She assists whoever needs a hand in the office with organising meetings and solving practical and theoretical tasks. Amina is a Bachelor of Medicine student at the University of Copenhagen. She is very interested in working in the international healthcare field.

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.

As Senior Programme Manager for Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Theresa Hogenhaug works closely with ICARS’ international partners and donors, both existing and potential partners including country governments, foundations, and the Quadripartite. Her interests include governance and financing in multilateral affairs, global public-private partnerships, policy advocacy for AMR mitigation, and collaboration for progress on the global challenges. She is experienced in life sciences, global health, One Health, health system strengthening, and global health diplomacy from roles in foreign affairs, NGOs, and corporates prior to joining ICARS. Theresa holds a Master of International Governance & Diplomacy from Sciences Po in Paris and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Missouri as well as executive diplomas from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

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.

Anna is a programme officer at ICARS. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Peace- and Development Studies from Uppsala University and a Master’s degree in Global Development from the University of Copenhagen. She has experience with development cooperation and assistance, advocacy, research and fieldwork in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

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.

Julie Cassan is a Communications Officer at ICARS. She coordinates and implements communication strategies across different platforms to disseminate and promote the organisation’s work to the public and relevant stakeholders. Previously, Julie worked as content and PR manager for Nabla, a healthcare artificial intelligence company, and for the French Ministry of Health, on antimicrobial resistance and bioethics. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social sciences and a master’s degree in global health policy from Sciences Po Paris. Julie is particularly interested in medical humanities.

Idan Levy is a Communications Officer at ICARS. He is responsible for promoting ICARS’ work on multiple channels, implementing communication strategies, and assisting ICARS’ teams with various communication tasks. Previously, Idan worked as an International Communications Manager at Copenhagen Capacity, branding Copenhagen as an attractive career and business destination to support Danish businesses. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Film and Television from Tel-Aviv University and a Master’s degree in European Studies from Lund University.

Kira Weisz is a Student Assistant at ICARS and a masters student at Copenhagen Business School, studying International Marketing and Management. She works with Communication, assisting the Communication Officer with everyday tasks, website and social media management. Kira’s main interest is marketing and communications, with a strong passion for addressing and resolving societal problems.

Mads Martinus has a background in economic geography research and extensive experience in the evaluation of government-funded agencies’ compliance and performance. As a Senior Programme Manager and Team Coordinator, Mads is involved in ICARS’ project development, implementation, and evaluation and is responsible for establishing and maintaining ICARS’ monitoring, evaluation and learning framework, extracting learnings across projects and facilitating internal managerial processes. Mads holds a BA in International Development Studies from the University of Roskilde, an MSc in International Business and Politics from Copenhagen Business School, and a PhD in Economic Geography from Copenhagen University.

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.

Simone Charnley is an international development professional with over twenty years of experience working with low- and middle-income countries. She has worked with local and regional NGOs based in southern Africa and south-east Asia, as well as a number of international NGOs spanning the fields of international development, humanitarian aid, and nature conservation. At ICARS, Simone supports the design, monitoring, evaluation and learning in projects and across ICARS’ portfolio. She holds a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne, and a Master of International and Community Development from Deakin University.

John Lakeman has extensive background in working on monitoring and evaluation for a wide range of international humanitarian and development organisations, focussing on developing monitoring frameworks and evaluation strategies at portfolio and project level, working predominantly across lower middle income countries in Africa and Asia. John is responsible for steering and advising on strengthening MEL strategies, frameworks and processes for the ICARS portfolio and individual projects. He holds a bachelors degree in International Studies from the University of Birmingham, UK and a masters degree in International Humanitarian Assistance from the Ruhr University in Germany.

Jule Mau is a Student Assistant at ICARS and is pursuing her master’s degree in Global Development at the University of Copenhagen. She assists the MEL-team in their tasks of coordinating the ICARS project portfolio and supports them in monitoring and evaluating projects. Jule is particularly interested in promoting positive change on a global scale.