“It’s a great feeling and a huge honour. Getting into something new is exciting, and it’s also an immensely important position, with duties that need to be taken very seriously,” Gisslén says.
His new duties will remain somewhat unclear to him, and he expects to spend some time familiarizing himself with the Agency’s work. He will certainly be able to keep his ties with the University for part of his working time.
“I’ll have a combination of part-time jobs, but the size of the University share isn’t settled yet. I’m delighted about that; for me, it was a precondition of my acceptance of the Chief Epidemiologist position,” Gisslén says.
He has many doctoral students and ongoing research projects at the university he wants to continue with.
Taking office in September
Magnus Gisslén has been a Professor of Infectious Diseases at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, since 2011 and Chief Physician at the Department of Infectious Diseases at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg.
His immediate predecessor in the position of Chief Epidemiologist is Anders Lindblom, whose contract has been extended until Gisslén takes office in September, as announced by the Agency on its website.
Gisslén has been the medical officer in charge of HIV care in Gothenburg for more than 20 years and worked as a clinical consultant at more than 20 infectious disease clinics in Sweden. In recent years, he has also been employed as a medical officer for COVID-19 in Region Västra Götaland.
His research has focused mainly on HIV and the effects of the virus on the central nervous system. He has also implemented several research projects relating to COVID-19, both in Sweden and on international collaborative projects.
Solid expertise
He has experience in both clinical work and, international, capacity development projects. In addition, Gisslén has taken part in several reference and expert assignments to support public agencies, multilateral organizations, academia, the non-profit sector, and business, in Sweden and abroad.
“With his broad background and solid competence, Magnus Gisslén is very well suited to taking on the role of Chief Epidemiologist,” says Karin Tegmark Wisell, Director-General of the Public Health Agency of Sweden, in an official Agency statement.
