Staff and affiliated researchers – Bandim Health Project

Steering Group

Peter Aaby

Professor / Founder and International director

Peter is involved in most things.

(+45) 60543964

p.aaby@bandim.org

Christine Stabell Benn

Professor / Representative from SDU, Head of Department at SDU

Christine's research focuses on epidemiological studies of health interventions and their effect on overall health in real life. We have observed that that vitamins and vaccines affect the immune system in much more general ways than previously thought. Vitamins and vaccines have so-called non-specific effects.

(+45) 25883964

cbenn@health.sdu.dk

Ane Bærent Fisker, MD, PhD

Professor / Leader of HDSS

Ane is responsible for overseeing the data collection of health and demographic surveillance data in urban and rural Guinea-Bissau. Based on this platform (and beyond), her research describes the real-life implementation and effects of health programmes with the objective to improve future programmes and measurement of health outcomes. Ane’s research is described at www.measureeffects.org.

afisker@health.sdu.dk

Cesário Lourenço Martins, MD, PhD

Senior Researcher / Representative from Minsap

Cesário is a senior researcher at the Bandim Health Project, INASA, Member of the National Committee of Ethics in Health, member of the Coordination Committee Entra Agencia for Vaccines and member of the Technical Committee for Vaccines.

c.martins@bandim.org

Amabelia Rodrigues

Senior Researcher

Leader of National surveys and capacity building

Carlos Manuel Moreira Cabral

National Administrator

Carlos is overall responsible for local staff and day-to-day operations in Guinea-Bissau.

(+245) 955485064

c.cabral@bandim.org

Administration - Guinea-Bissau

Fábio Alexandre Gomes

Accountant

Fábio is responsible for the accounts of the Bandim Health Project. He assure accounting and finance duties, support administrative tasks.

(+245) 955463725

f.gomes@bandim.org

Naianca Vaz

Office Assistant, Dept. Finance

Naianca is helping with organizing documents and general administrative work. is helping with organizing documents and general administrative work. helping with organizing documents and general administrative work.

(+245) 955468054

rulzavazsanty@gmail.com

Vaccines

Peter Aaby

Professor / Founder and International director

Peter is involved in most things.

(+45) 60543964

p.aaby@bandim.org

Christine Stabell Benn

Professor / Representative from SDU, Head of Department at SDU

(+45) 25883964

cbenn@health.sdu.dk

Frederik Schaltz-Buchholzer, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor

Research area: Working with trials of different BCG strains to newborns, trials of BCG against COVID-19, BCG skin reactions and maternal priming effects on perinatal and infant mortality risk.

(+45) 42702170

fschaltz-buchholzer@health.sdu.dk

Sebastian Nielsen, PhD

Assistant Professor

Sebastian investigates the impact of Oral Polio Vaccine campaigns on child health and the recent marked decline in low- and middle-income countries. Sebastian is also part of several randomised controlled trial, including an EDCTP-funded multi-centre trial with collaborators from Portugal, Cape Verde and Mozambique.

senielsen@health.sdu.dk

Julie Odgaard Vedel, MD, PhD

Postdoctoral researcher

Project: Providing BCG revaccination with the third dose of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine to improve female survival in Africa

jvedel@health.sdu.dk

Isaquel B Silva, MD

PhD student

Isaquel is the principal investigator for the MAT-VAC study, and studies the specific and non-specific effects of measles and BCG vaccines effect on maternal and child health.

(+245) 969002400

i.silva@bandim.org

Elsi José Ca Silva, MD

Researcher, coordinator and supervisor

Elsi is a researcher, coordinator and supervisor of a vaccine-related clinical trial in the implementation phase at the Bandim Health Project. She is interested in the monitoring and application of clinical trials related to vaccines.

(+245) 966907010

elsijosecarlosca@gmail.com

Adam Spragge Abdalla, Stud Med

Research Year student 01.08.2025 - 31.07.2026

Project: The effect of early BCG skin reactions by three days post-vaccination on infant mortality risk – observational study from Guinea-Bissau

(+45) 30228863

adab@health.sdu.dk

Ebba Emilie Flach de Neergaard, Stud Med

Research Year Student 06.01.2026 – 05.01.2027

Project: Non-specific effects of BCG vaccination at birth: A target trial emulation from Guinea-Bissau (BCG-Emulate)

Measure Effects Team

Ane Bærent Fisker, MD, PhD

Professor / Leader of HDSS

afisker@health.sdu.dk

Sabine Margarete Damerow, PhD

Postdoctoral researcher

Graduate of Business Sciences, MSc Global Health, PhD. Sabine's current work focusses on how health system strengthening initiatives affect access to essential maternal and child health services in rural Guinea-Bissau.

sdamerow@health.sdu.dk

Kimberly Nehal

PhD student

Project: Exploring (patterns in) health and MenAfriVac campaigns in infants and children

(+316) 4831 8085 / (+245) 95 6978 557

knehal@health.sdu.dk

Justiniano S. D. Martins

PhD student

Justiniano assesses the impact of using hospital contacts to provide missing doses of measles vaccine

j.martins@bandim.org

Paula Marise Silva, Nurse, MPH

Research assistant

(+351)965878458/ (+245) 956517593

psilva@health.sdu.dk

Anna Linulf, Stud Med

Research Year Student 04.02.2026 - 03.02.2027

Project: Timing and reporting accuracy of postnatal care attainment in a high-mortality setting: a mixed-methods study in rural Guinea-Bissau

anlinu@health.sdu.dk

Tuberculosis & HIV

Christian Morberg Wejse Cand. med, PhD

Professor

Professor in Global Health and co-director of GloHAU, Center for Global Health at Aarhus University. Pri-mary areas of research: Migrant Health, Tuberculosis, HIV, COVID

wejse@clin.au.dk

Frauke Rudolf

Clinical Associated Professor at Aarhus University and Infectious diseases specialist at Aarhus University Hospital. Main research focus: Tuberculosis, Mycobacteria, Immunocompromised Hosts, Capacity Building, Case Finding, Cascade of Care.

frauke.rudolf@clin.au.dk

Bo Langhoff Hønge, MD PhD

Associate Professor

Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark Interested in various areas of HIV research including epidemiology, immunology, genetics, co-infections, and co-morbidities.

bohonge@clin.au.dk

Anita Magdalena Zalisz

PhD Student

Anita is currently running two clinical trials focused on increasing diagnostic yield for tuberculosis. Trial 1: Increased Tuberculosis Case Detection – a cluster-randomised trial combining available resources and novel strategies for high endemic areas (DiOpTB). Trial 2: Assessing the burden of tuberculosis among pregnant and postpartum women: Implications for integrating tuberculosis screening into routine antenatal care in Guinea-Bissau (TIPP) – PhD project.

(+45) 52 79 23 02 l / (+245) 95 700 77 23

anita.magdalena.zalisz@clin.au.dk

Francisca Gaifém

PhD student

Francisca Gaifém is a PhD student from the Department of Clinical Medicine at Aarhus University. She is working on a mixed-methods project that explores interconnections between mental and reproductive health, with a focus on an HIV endemic population in Bissau

(+45) 53 35 76 87 l / (+245) 95 779 96 95

fraga@clin.au.dk

Natasja Løland, Stud Med

Research Year student 01.09.2025 - 31.08.2026

Project: Characteristics and Risk Factors Associated with Treatment Outcome and Delay in Extra Pulmonary Patients in High-Incidence Country.

(+45) 20168513

nnl00@hotmail.com

Diabetes

Morten Bjerregaard-Andersen

MD, PhD, Associate Professor

University Hospital of South Denmark, Esbjerg / Steno Diabetes Center Odense, Denmark.

mbjerreandersen@health.sdu.dk

Eugenia Carvalho

MD, PhD

Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Portugal

ecarvalho@cnc.uc.pt

Lilica Sanca

MSc, PhD

National Public Health Laboratory (LNSP), Bissau, Guinea-Bissau

lilica.hulile.sanca2014@gmail.com

Caroline Hauberg Ramussen, Stud Med

Research Year student 01.09.2025 - 31.08.2026

Project: Characteristics and mortality among diabetes patients in Guinea-Bissau – perspectives for treatment guidelines

(+45) 29378689

caharasmussen@health.sdu.dk

Administration & IT - Denmark

Maj Sundenæs

Administrative coordinator

Maj provides administrative support for the researchers. Maj helps with accounts, communication and general administrative procedures and is also the website administrator.

(+45) 65502878

msundenaes@health.sdu.dk

Arthur Diness, Stud.Polyt

Student Assistant

Arthur is working on transitioning from paper-based data collection to digital systems, focusing on the implementation of server infrastructure and ODK-X surveys

adiness@health.sdu.dk

Affiliated researchers

Noemi Perobelli, MSc in Public Health student

Research Year Student at the Bandim Health Project 01.02.2025 – 31.01.2026

Project: Estimating gestational age and preterm birth rates in a low resource setting

Adrian Falbe Maier, Stud.Med.

Research Year Student at the Bandim Health Project 01.02.2025 – 31.01.2026

Project: Assessing potential advantages and disadvantages of replacing body weight measurement with middle upper arm circumference as marker of nutritional status in the Bandim TBscore.

Stine Skovbo Hoffmann, PhD

Postdoc working with the research into non-specific effect of mRNA COVID vaccines in Danish children.

Bastiaan Geelhoed, PhD

Postdoc working with statistical analyses of the research into non-specific effect of mRNA COVID vaccines in Danish children.

Matias Metcalf-Clausen, Stud.Med.

Research Year Student at the Bandim Health Project 01.07.2024 – 30.06.2025

Project: Examining the association between the time of day at BCG vaccination and health outcomes – A hospital-based study from Guinea-Bissau (BCG Circadian).

Freja Winther, Stud.Scient.San.Publ.

Research Year Student at the Bandim Health Project 01.09.2024 – 31.07.2025

Project: Coverage and determinants of modern contraceptive use in rural Guinea-Bissau.

Anum Ilyas, PhD Student

Project: Health Capital as a Lens for Contextualizing Health-Related Practices across the Globe.

Karen Lise Neergaard, Stud. Med.

Research Year Student at the Bandim Health Project 01.02.2024 – 31.01.2025

Project: Place of death and risk factors associated with home deaths amongst children in rural Guinea-Bissau.

Linea Olga Karlqvist, Stud. Med.

Research Year Student at the Bandim Health Project 01.02.2024 – 31.01.2025.

Project: Mortality of Women of Reproductive Age in Guinea-Bissau.

Jannifer Jasmin Thavarajah, Stud. Med.

Research Year Student at the Bandim Health Project 01.02.2024 – 31.01.2025.

Project: HIV Reservoir Size & Neutralization Efficacy of bNAbs in HIV-2 in Guinea-Bissau.

Anne Marie Rosendahl Madsen, MD, PhD

Link to PhD dissertation: Effects of BCG vaccination on the immune system and health of adults in Denmark: Exploring non-specific effects of BCG

Emma Elisabeth Poulsen, Stud.Med

Research Year Student at the Bandim Health Project 01.09.2023 – 31.08.2024.

Project: Assessing the effects of tuberculosis on lung function, physical ability, and quality of life during treatment.

Nikita Sepopo Dzegle, Stud.Scient.San.Publ.

Research Year Student at the Bandim Health Project 01.08.2023 – 30.06.2024.

Simon Hoff Moesgaard Jensen, Stud. Med

Research Year Student at the Bandim Health Project 01.01.2023 – 31.01.2024.

Kia Lærke Madsen, Stud. Med

Research Year Student at the Bandim Health Project 01.02.2023 – 31.01.2024.

Anna Memborg Toft, BSc. Med

Research Year Student at the Bandim Health Project 01.02.2023 – 31.01.2024.

Martin Schjødt Foged. Cand. Soc.

Volunteer researcher at the Bandim Health Project 01.02.2023 – 31.01.2024.

Inês Fronteira, RN, MSc, PhD Hab

Inês is a public health professor and researcher with a soft spot for epidemiology and health policy. She is employed at NOVA National School of Public Health, Public Health Research Center, Comprehensive Health Research Center, CHRC, NOVA University Lisbon, Lisbon Portugal.

Matilde Ferraz Pacheco, PhD student

Matilde is a PhD student in public health. Her main area of research is maternal and child health, mainly on the African continent.

Martin Kunc, PhD student

Martin is a Postdoc from Aarhus University and is in Guinea-Bissau 25.09.2023 – 01.02.2024. His research is focused on efficacy of Covid vaccination technologies (mRNA vaccine, Viral vector vaccine, Subunit vaccine) in helminth positive patients.

Line Møller Nanque, MSc Global Health, PhD

Link to PhD dissertation: Evaluating the effects of polio vaccines on general child health in Guinea-Bissau

Andreas M. Jensen, MSc Global Health, PhD

Link to PhD dissertation: Measuring early neonatal mortality in low-income countries

Lise Gehrt, MSc Global Health, PhD

Link to PhD dissertation: Non-specific effects of vaccination against MeaslesMumps-Rubella on vaccine non-targeted infections in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden

Signe Sørup, MSc Global Health, PhD

PhD dissertation: Childhood vaccinations in Denmark: Non-specific effects on morbidity

Tobias R. Kollmann, MD, PhD

Professor in paediatric infectious diseases and honorary Research Associate with the Immunology and Breast Feeding at Telethon Kids Institute, Australia

Nelly Amenyogbe, BSc, PhD

Postdoctoral Researcher

Dalhouise University,

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Anu Kantele, MD, PhD

Professor of Infectious Diseases,

Helsinki University, Finland

Senior Medical Officer,

Helsinki University Hospital, Finland

Marianne Skytte Jakobsen, MD, PhD

Chief Medical Officer,

HC Andersen Childrens- and young People’s Hospital, OUH, Denmark

Kristoffer Jarlov Jensen, MSc, PhD

Pharmacoepidemiologist,

Copenhagen Phase IV Unit, Center for Clinical Research and Prevention &

Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Bispebjerg-Frederiksberg Hospital, Denmark

Victor Francisco Gomes, MSc, PhD

Universidade Federal do Ceará

Sanne Jespersen, MD, PhD

Senior consultant
Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital

Poul-Erik Lund Kofoed, MD

Professor in Paediatrics, The Institute of Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark,
Senior Consultant in Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics, Kolding Hospital /Sygehus Lillebælt.

Morten Sodemann, MD, PhD

Professor of Global and Migrant Health, The Migrant Health Clinic at Odense University Hospital
Senior Consultant in Infectious Diseases, Institute of Clinical Research, Infectious Diseases, University of Southern Denmark

Sanne Marie Thysen, MD, PhD

Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Bispebjerg Hospital, Denmark

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.