At SVA, I work in the Department of Animal Health and Antibiotics, within the fish section. In this section, I am responsible for all our research projects, which include drafting applications for external funding, compiling scientific data for publication, and conducting laboratory work. The role also occasionally involves writing popular science articles and representing SVA at various exhibitions. Working with fish is very challenging but stimulating, as it often requires a high level of creativity since few published methods are adapted for fish. In addition to research-related activities, I participate in SVA's government mandate as an expert authority. This involves analyzing clinical samples from private individuals or fish farms, liaising with the Swedish Board of Agriculture and the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management, and responding to inquiries from the public regarding fish and shellfish. I also participate in various focus projects at SVA. Since 2021, I have also served as a co-supervisor for a PhD student who defended their dissertation in Nov 2024. Working with them is extremely enjoyable, and I truly take pleasure in seeing their development and success.

My research aimed to understand how respiratory viruses bind to host cells and how this influences tropism and disease. I also studied how primary infection activates the nonspecific immune response and its impact on the plasticity of the respiratory epithelium. Primarily, I worked with RSV and respiratory adenoviruses, but my work also included Hantavirus, Influenza virus, Zika virus, and Coronavirus. I developed several independent research projects to establish a personal research identity, where RSV and Coronavirus infections were examined in a primary cell culture model. The goal of my research was to identify cellular mechanisms involved in disease progression that can be modulated with small molecules or biological substances to increase the tolerance to infection. By increasing tolerance, symptoms of infection, especially in young children and patients with COPD, where airways are already narrow or partially obstructed, are reduced. To advance my research, I relied heavily on the knowledge of students, which also gave me some experience as a group leader/manager. As a senior researcher, I also participated in supervising doctoral students and technical staff.

Performed in vitro based assays for Adenovir pharma to determine the efficacy for novel viral inhibitors.

Designed and participated in several research projects investigating how RSV causes disease, with a focus on understanding why patients with underlying lung conditions, such as COPD and asthma, develop more severe symptoms. Among other projects, I developed a method to evaluate the role of over 700 different cellular kinases in RSV infection. I also contributed to the pipeline work for data analysis within the group’s efforts to identify new treatments for COPD and asthma. Routinely worked with small molecular inhibitors, siRNA, shRNA, and antibodies to inhibit infection or modulate cellular processes. I regularly presented research data, both internally and externally.

Continued to study adenovirus-receptor interactions. Solved the structure of a large fragment of the cellular receptor CD46 in complex with the adenovirus type 11 fiber knob. This structure greatly helped us to understand how CD46 works in protecting the host cells against complement destruction and was published in PLOS Pathogens in 2010.

Studied adenovirus: receptor interactions by x-ray crystallography. More specifically the project aimed to understand how adenovirus type 11 binds the cellular receptor CD46. This structure was published already after just one year in Nature structure and molecular biology. Through additional studies, a structure-based model was generated describing how some adenoviruses bind CD46 with a high affinity that subsequently allows them to use CD46 as a primary receptor for infection.