Sara Monteiro Pires

Sara Monteiro Pires is a Senior Researcher at the Research Group for Risk Benefit within the National Food Institute of the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). She serves as Head of PhD School at DTU Food and is actively involved in international public health initiatives.

Her educational background includes an MS degree in Veterinary Medicine and a PhD in Epidemiology. Her extensive research experience includes research stays at prestigious institutions including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in the Netherlands, and the Nutritional Research Institute in Lima, Peru.

• Core Group Member of the Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group, WHO (2021-Present), Chair of Source Attribution Task Force
• Member of Core Group and Chair of Infectious Diseases Working Group for European Burden of Disease Network, COST ACTION 18218 (2019-2024)
• FAO-WHO Expert Consultation on Risks and Benefits of Fish Consumption (2023)
• Joint FAO/WHO expert meetings on microbiological risk assessment (JEMRA, 2016-2021)

Her research portfolio demonstrates consistent focus on food safety, burden of disease modeling, and risk-benefit assessment. Recent publications (2024-2025) show particular emphasis on dietary risk factors, foodborne disease quantification, and methodological improvements in risk assessment. Her work spans multiple continents with collaborations across Europe, North America, and South America.

Dr. Pires has supervised multiple PhD students through various projects including:

• Burden of Zoonoses in the EU
• Exploring pathways towards absolute sustainable and healthy diets
• Development of methods and tools for risk assessment of foods and diets
• Health impact of sustainable diets

She is currently involved in the PARC (Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals) project as a Principal Investigator. Her work contributes to several UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health, food safety, and sustainable food systems.