Prof. Dr. Staffan Svärd

Current Position: Professor, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

Education and Training:

INSTITUTION AND LOCATION	DEGREE (if applicable)	Completion Date	FIELD OF STUDY
Uppsala University, Sweden	Msc	06/1990	Molecular biology
Uppsala University, Sweden	PhD	1/1995	Microbiology
UCSD, San Diego, USA	Postdoc	1995-1997	Medical Parasitology
Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden	Postdoc	1998-2000	Medical Parasitology

 

Positions and Honors

Position

Current positions

• Professor in Microbiology, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Sweden (since 2008)
• Director, the Swedish pandemic laboratory preparedness program, (since 2021)
• Scientific Director, SciLifeLab, Uppsala (since 2021)

Former positions

             2019-2021                    Dean of Biology, Uppsala University

2018                            Evaluator Clinical Microbiology, Akademiska Hospital, UU

2017-2019                    Vice head of Department, Biological Education, UU

2011-2017                   Head of Department, Dep. of Cell and Molecular Biology, UU

2008-2011                    Vice head of Department, Dep. of Cell and Molecular Biology, UU

2003-2004                    Head of PMV (Avdelningschef), SMI

2001-2004                    Section head, Protozoan diseases, SMI

2000-2002        Study councellor Infection Biology, Karolinska Institutet

2000-2004        Research assistant at Karolinska Institutet, MTC, Sweden

• Microbiologist, Swedish Institute for Infectious Disease Control (SMI)

Honors and Awards

• EMBO and HFSP Post-doctoral Fellowships   

  1995 Bjurzon’s award for excellent thesis, Uppsala University

  2000 NFR Young Researcher extra grant

  2009 Uppsala University Pedagogic Prize

  2011 Ranked as world-leading researcher in KoF evaluation

  2013 Promoted to Excellent teacher UU

  2015 Royal Society of Sciences Uppsala

  2020 Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

Member of Swedish Research Council grant evaluation group C3 and C1 (Infection) during 6 years. Chairman 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2016.

- Chairman in Distinguished Professor Grant Board, Swedish Research Council -Medicine, 2019 and 2021

- Currently part of the editorial board of Pathogens and Virulence. Eukaryotic Cell (2010-2016). 

- Prof. Svärd reviews manuscripts for numerous international journals of high impact within their respective disciplines, mainly Infection.

- Prof. Svärd was the president of the Swedish Society of Microbiology (SFM) and member of the Scientific Board of the Swedish Veterinary Agency.

- Evaluator of research grant applications for Swiss National Science Foundation, Karolinska Institutet, Umeå University, USDA, Istituto Pasteur - Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, SVA, NetTropica, SIDA/SAREC, FCT Portugal,Wennergren Foundation, Gates Foundation.

Contribution to Science:

Giardia intestinalis is a major contributor to the enormous burden of diarrheal diseases with 250 million symptomatic human infections per year. The focus of our research group is to understand the biology and pathogenesis of Giardia but also other diarrhea-inducing protozoa. We do this by using several different approaches that are complementary. Genome sequencing of different isolates is one approach. We have participated in the sequencing and annotation of Giardia genomes from parasites in three of the major genetic groups of Giardia (www.giardiadb.org). By using comparative genomics we have identified several putative virulence factors and genotype-specific genes that can be used in diagnosis. Genome sequencing is complemented by gene expression analyses using proteomics, and RNA sequencing. Gene expression in Giardia is studied during different conditions like host cell interactions, differentiation and stress-conditions. This has also identified several new potential virulence genes but also taught us much about the biology of the parasite. Potential virulence factors are studied further in our in vitro system with cell lines and enteroids that mimics host cell interaction in the human small intestine. These in vitro studies are complemented by studies using giardiasis patient material collected in Sweden, Bolivia and Mocambique. We try to study differences and similarities in the genomes of the parasites and we also study differences in the immune responses to the parasite. We also study the biology of other Diplomonads like Giardia muris, Spironucleus and Hexamita. The main focus has been the cytoskeleton, differentiation and the hydrogenosome.  Other research areas in the group are drug resistance in protozoan parasites and worms, microbiomes in malaria mosquitos, diagnostics of tape worm infections.