Forwarded from Lars Østergaard and Sigrid Rasmussen ------------------------------------------------------------- Dear all, It is with great pleasure that we welcome Thomas Rasmussen as a departmental physician in a newly established position starting March 1st. The position is funded by the combined research and development buy-outs in the department and will enable Thomas to engage in clinical practice for about half of the year. The remaining time will be dedicated to research and development. Thomas has been associated with the department since 2009 and has over the years made a significant contribution to the department's core clinical tasks and its research program. His research in HIV has been highly impactful and sustainable. He has shown extraordinary international mobility, including spending more than four years at the University of Melbourne in a research leadership position. With Thomas's future affiliation with our department, we aim to broadly integrate his scientific capacity into the department's strategy for research, innovation, and development to maintain and enhance the specialty functions of infectious medicine. He has particular expertise in HIV and viral hepatitis and is intended to play a central role in the department's future strategy in these disease areas. Additionally, he will also be part of the team managing infections in patients with secondary immunodeficiencies. Thomas has also been involved in the ongoing work with ward round organization and transformation of outpatient operations. We wish to continue his engagement in these challenges and, in dialogue with the department management, undertake selected managerial tasks related to the medical group, and serve as a consistent medical representative in cooperation with the department's other professional groups in development and innovation projects. Besides the above responsibilities, Thomas will also continue his own research program in HIV and hepatitis B and strategically work to establish sustained research support for the department's research from major international funds. Best regards Sigrid and Lars