René S. Hendriksen

René S. Hendriksen is a Professor and Head of the Research Group for Global Capacity Building at the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark (DTU Food). He leads WHO Collaborating Centres for AMR and Genomics, the EU Reference Laboratory for AMR in feed/food/animal health, and the FAO Reference Laboratory. His expertise spans antimicrobial resistance surveillance, foodborne pathogens, and global capacity building. He oversees 26 employees and manages projects like SeqAfrica and EQASIA, funded by UK Aid Fleming Fund and the EU.

Education:

• PhD in Microbiology, DTU Food (2010)
• Lab Technician qualifications from Roskilde Slagteriskole and Statens Veterinære Serumlaboratorium

Research Interests: Focuses on genomic epidemiology of foodborne pathogens (e.g., Salmonella, Campylobacter), AMR surveillance, and WGS applications. His work addresses UN SDGs 3 (Health), 6 (Water), and 14 (Marine Life). Notable contributions include linking Haiti’s cholera outbreak to Nepal via WGS and identifying ESBL-producing Salmonella in adopted children.

Advocacy & Funding: Secures €1.25M annually for EURL activities. Oversees Fleming Fund grants totaling £11.6M. Leads international initiatives like the WHO Global Foodborne Infections Network (GFN) and chairs Quadripartite Technical Groups on AMR Surveillance.

Labs & Collaborations: Hosts the ESCMID Collaborative Centre, enabling observerships for global professionals. Collaborates with WHO, ECDC, FAO, and ISO on standards for AMR typing via WGS.