Presenters' biography

Speaker 1 - Dr. Jette Sejer Kjelgaard (Technical University of Denmark - DTU)
		Dr. Jette Kjeldgaard is a microbiologist with a background in food safety and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), supporting multidisciplinary disease and AMR surveillance and capacity building in a One Health context. At DTU, she actively contributes to the EU Reference Laboratory (EURL), the WHO Collaborating Centre, and the FAO Reference Laboratory for AMR, advising partners on integrated AMR monitoring strategies, methodologies, and applied research. She also supports the development of training programs in applied microbiology, AMR, and genomics for outbreak management and AMR surveillance. She performs simulated exercises and proficiency tests to enhance outbreak management, food safety and AMR surveillance capacity worldwide.

Speaker 2 - João Cardoso (Technical University of Denmark - DTU)
		João Cardoso holds a Bachelor’s degree in Dietetics and Nutrition from Coimbra Health School and a Master’s degree in Food Safety from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon. His work sits at the intersection of bioinformatics and public health, with a focus on advancing the detection of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and strengthening large-scale genomic surveillance systems. He brings extensive experience designing reproducible, containerized bioinformatics workflows using Snakemake, Docker, and Conda, with a strong track record in genome assembly and complex omics data analysis across high-performance computing (HPC) and cloud environments. Currently, João works as a Bioinformatician and Research Assistant at DTU Food, Technical University of Denmark, within the Research Group for Global Capacity Building. In this role, he contributes to the optimization of whole genome sequencing (WGS) workflows applied to AMR surveillance at a global scale.

Speaker 2 - João Cardoso (Technical University of Denmark - DTU)

João Cardoso holds a Bachelor’s degree in Dietetics and Nutrition from Coimbra Health School and a Master’s degree in Food Safety from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon. His work sits at the intersection of bioinformatics and public health, with a focus on advancing the detection of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and strengthening large-scale genomic surveillance systems.

He brings extensive experience designing reproducible, containerized bioinformatics workflows using Snakemake, Docker, and Conda, with a strong track record in genome assembly and complex omics data analysis across high-performance computing (HPC) and cloud environments.

Currently, João works as a Bioinformatician and Research Assistant at DTU Food, Technical University of Denmark, within the Research Group for Global Capacity Building. In this role, he contributes to the optimization of whole genome sequencing (WGS) workflows applied to AMR surveillance at a global scale.

Speaker 3 - Emily Dibba White (Statens Serum Institut - SSI))
		Emily Dibba White is an epidemiologist with a background in outbreak investigations, surveillance of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), and applied public health practice. She holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Copenhagen and completed the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET, Cohort 2022), coordinated by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). At Statens Serum Institut (SSI), she is a member of the Outbreak Response Unit, where she contributes to the investigation and management of food- and waterborne disease outbreaks. She supports national surveillance activities, epidemiological analyses, and cross-sectoral collaboration to strengthen outbreak preparedness and response.

Speaker 3 - Emily Dibba White (Statens Serum Institut - SSI))

Emily Dibba White is an epidemiologist with a background in outbreak investigations, surveillance of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), and applied public health practice. She holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Copenhagen and completed the European Programme for Intervention Epidemiology Training (EPIET, Cohort 2022), coordinated by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

At Statens Serum Institut (SSI), she is a member of the Outbreak Response Unit, where she contributes to the investigation and management of food- and waterborne disease outbreaks. She supports national surveillance activities, epidemiological analyses, and cross-sectoral collaboration to strengthen outbreak preparedness and response.

Speaker 4 - Cecilia Jernberg (ECDC)
		Cecilia Jernberg is an expert in Food-, Waterborne-, and Zoonotic Diseases at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). She has a PhD in Bacteriology and over 15 years of professional experience in public health microbiology. At ECDC, she coordinates genomic surveillance for food- and waterborne diseases, working closely with epidemiologists and bioinformaticians at ECDC, as well as with national public health experts. She works with outbreak investigations and assessments. Furthermore, she collaborates with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) through the ECDC–EFSA One Health Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) system, which serves as the hub for EU-level cross-sectoral genomic surveillance for cluster detection and outbreak investigation. The system is open to country-nominated experts. Before joining ECDC, she worked as a national expert in foodborne diseases.

Speaker 4 - Cecilia Jernberg (ECDC)
Cecilia Jernberg is an expert in Food-, Waterborne-, and Zoonotic Diseases at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). She has a PhD in Bacteriology and over 15 years of professional experience in public health microbiology. At ECDC, she coordinates genomic surveillance for food- and waterborne diseases, working closely with epidemiologists and bioinformaticians at ECDC, as well as with national public health experts. She works with outbreak investigations and assessments. Furthermore, she collaborates with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) through the ECDC–EFSA One Health Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) system, which serves as the hub for EU-level cross-sectoral genomic surveillance for cluster detection and outbreak investigation. The system is open to country-nominated experts. Before joining ECDC, she worked as a national expert in foodborne diseases.

Last modified: Friday, 27 February 2026, 1:10 PM