Statens Serum Institut (SSI), Copenhagen, Denmark

Contact person

MD, DMSc Kåre Mølbak
Director of Department of Epidemiology, Epidemiology Division
Statens Serum Institut
5 Artillerivej
DK-2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark 
Tel. +45 3268 3157
Fax +45 3268 3874

Description of the institute

Statens Serum Institut (SSI) is a governmental research institution under the Danish Ministry of Health and Prevention, situated in the heart of Copenhagen. Based on core competencies within microbiology, immunology and epidemiology, SSI provides a wide range of health care services, nationally as well as internationally. The Institute is involved in various EU-funded surveillance activities and research projects, and houses four international Collaborating Centres for Reference and Research and three national WHO-centres.

Statens Serum Institut:
  • Performs epidemiological monitoring of infectious diseases and a variety of  specialised diagnostic tests; we provide educational, advisory and reference services, all directed mainly towards the Danish market, but frequently more widely applied when we serve as supervisor, adviser or reference function to international health services and organizations. Statens Serum Institut houses several international WHO Collaborating Centres for Reference and Research.
  • Is an international manufacturer of biological products, vaccines and pharmaceutical products.
  • Is a major European research centre engaged in a broad array of collaborations with sister organisations in other countries, institutions, companies and health research centres throughout the world.
  • Carries out a large number of international advisory and reference functions for the WHO and the EU. Foreign health services and individual doctors may request for general advice or special analyses and expert typing of particular micro-organisms which defy identification in their own laboratories. The activities are undertaken by the six international WHO centres at Statens Serum Institut.
  • Is the official Danish contact point – the competent body – of the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, ECDC.
  • Offers investigation of hygiene standards in a quality-certified laboratory which provides a wide range of analyses. Hospital hygiene and hospital infections in Denmark are also being monitored here.
  • Offers monitoring treatment results within i.e. mycobacteriology and virology as well as virus validation for the pharmaceutical industry.

Training Opportunities

EPIET fellows will receive their main training in the Department of Epidemiology which is the national centre for investigation of general outbreaks of infectious diseases in Denmark and other "epidemiology-in-action" activities. The Department of Epidemiology carries out public health activities for the Danish health services and is responsible for the National Board of Health's reporting system for infectious diseases. Moreover, the department monitors the Danish childhood vaccination programme and provides counselling on infectious disease prevention, control and epidemiology, nationally and internationally.

Present number of employees: 25 (including two EPIET fellows).

The EPIET fellow will take part in the day-to-day work in the department. Tasks may include data analysis and publication of high-quality surveillance data, development of evidence-based guidelines, outbreak control assistance to local MHOs, (5 regions), management of general outbreaks, editing the weekly newsletter "EPI-NEWS", research projects, and participation in EU-sponsored surveillance networks. 

Supervision

The main supervision at the Department of Epidemiology, SSI, will be provided by Dr Kåre Mølbak. Other supervisors may include the staff of the department as well as epidemiologists and senior staff from other departments. 

Language requirements

English is widely spoken and understood by almost everyone in Denmark. The EPIET fellow must thus be fluent in written and spoken English. Some language skills in Danish (or other Scandinavian language) may be a great advantage, as the working language is Danish and as the Danish language is necessary to provide services to e.g. local health officials or general practitioners. 

Training History

Number of EPIET fellows trained at institute: 5 (1995, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005)
Number of EPIET fellows currently under training: 2 (cohorts 2006 and 2007)
Number of EPIET alumni working at institute: 2
Available as a training site for cohort 14: Yes 		   
This website -www.epiet.org- is hosted by SMI and updated by ECDC, Sweden.