prof. dr. J.W.A. (John) Rossen

Prof. Dr. John W.A. Rossen (born 1966) has over 30 years of experience in molecular biology, virology, and microbiology, having published more than 225 peer-reviewed research articles. He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Physics from Utrecht University in 1989 and a Master of Science in Biology from the same institution in 1991. In 1996, he completed his Ph.D. in Molecular Virology and Cell Biology at Utrecht University's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, focusing on coronavirus-host cell interactions.

Prof. Rossen is a Professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control at the University of Groningen and the Laboratory for Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at Isala Hospital (Zwolle, the Netherlands). He was an early adopter of next-generation sequencing (NGS) for clinical microbiology and infection prevention, implementing the technology for its routine use in these areas. NGS allows for determining pathogen genetic relationships to guide infection control efforts and enables the molecular detection and characterization of emerging pathogens. Analyses reveal novel antibiotic resistance mechanisms and pathogen virulence factors, improving risk assessment and prevention efforts. Comparative whole genome sequencing is also used to develop tailored diagnostic tests for detecting outbreak strains and assessing bacterial pathogenicity.

Prof. Rossen's research emphasizes the application of translational molecular microbiology, metagenomics, and metatranscriptomics in clinical microbiology and public health. His "Personalized Molecular Microbiology" research group investigates samples from patients, animals, foods, and environmental sources using a One Health approach. From 2020-2021, Prof. Rossen held a sabbatical position at IDbyDNA, a U.S.-based startup, where he further advanced metagenomics methods for elucidating microorganisms' roles in human disease. Since March 2020, he has also served as Adjunct Professor at the University of Utah School of Medicine.

Prof. Rossen holds several leadership roles, including Science Development Coordinator at Isala Hospital (Zwolle, the Netherlands) and Education Officer of the ESCMID Study Group for Genomic and Molecular Diagnostics. He also serves as an Associate Editor for the journal JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance.