Myrna de Rooij

Dr. Myrna de Rooij is an Assistant Professor at the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS) within the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Utrecht University. Her work focuses on the intricate connections between human, animal, and environmental health, embodying the One Health approach. She is actively involved in research on environmental sampling techniques for pathogen monitoring at farms and the public health effects of livestock farming.

Her academic background includes:

• PhD in Exposure Science (2019)
• MSc in Veterinary Medicine
• MSc in Epidemiology (GPA: 4.0)
• Master in Companion Animals Medicine (GPA: 4.0)
• Bachelor in Veterinary Medicine (GPA: 3.7)

Dr. de Rooij's research interests span multiple interconnected domains of public health and environmental science. She specializes in One Health approaches to understanding zoonotic disease transmission, with particular focus on how livestock farming affects community health. Her work combines environmental sampling, epidemiological methods, and microbial analysis to assess exposure pathways and health outcomes. She has developed expertise in studying respiratory health effects related to agricultural air pollution, antimicrobial resistance patterns in rural communities, and the environmental transmission of pathogens including SARS-CoV-2 and avian influenza. Her research often involves large-scale population studies and innovative environmental sampling methodologies.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals strong thematic continuity in her research program. Her work consistently examines the intersection of agricultural practices, environmental exposure, and human health outcomes. There's a clear progression from studying historical outbreaks like Q fever to contemporary challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic and avian influenza. Her research increasingly incorporates advanced environmental sampling techniques, microbiome analysis, and sophisticated spatial modeling approaches to understand exposure pathways and health impacts.

Her scientific achievements have been recognized through several prestigious awards:

• Young scientist sponsorship for selected best abstract, European Respiratory Society (2021)
• Key note lecture for selected late-breaking abstract, World One Health Conference (2020)
• Annual award for best PhD thesis in public health, Netherlands Congres of Public Health (2020)
• PhD candidate travel grant for oral scientific presentation, Netherlands Center for One Health (2019)

Dr. de Rooij leads several major research projects including a Veni grant on advanced environmental sampling techniques to reduce infectious disease burden, the ongoing Livestock farming and Neighboring Residents' Health (VGO3) study, and research on respiratory health risks from intensive livestock production. She has been instrumental in studies examining SARS-CoV-2 transmission in mink farms and the role of environmental factors in pandemic spread. Her work often involves multidisciplinary collaborations across veterinary medicine, public health, and environmental science.

Her research is conducted through the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences at Utrecht University, where she contributes to the Population Health Sciences department. This institute provides a collaborative environment for interdisciplinary research that bridges human, animal, and environmental health domains, perfectly aligning with Dr. de Rooij's One Health approach.