Bjarnheiður K. Guðmundsdóttir
Administrator for Post Graduate Studies of Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland.
Bjarnheidur obtained a BSc degree in biology from the Faculty of Sciences, University of Iceland in 1972 and a BSc honours degree in molecular biology from the same Faculty in 1973. She obtained a BEd degree from the University College of Education, Reykjavík, in 1981 and worked as a science teacher in elementary schools from 1974-1985. She was involved in genetic research at the Institute of Biology, University of Iceland, 1985-1986. She was employed at the Institute for Experimental Pathology, University of Iceland, Keldur, 1996, as an investigator in research involving fish diseases besides, diagnostic work and fish health control. She completed her PhD degree in biomedical sciencefrom the Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland in 1997. The topic of her dissertation was the virulence of the fish pathogenic bacterium Aeromonas salmonicida. She was appointed Principal Investigator 1999. Since 2002 she has also been an Adjunct in postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland.
Research:
1986-present: In research the main interests are fish pathogenic bacteria and prophylaxis in aquaculture. The emphasis is on characterization of bacterial exotoxins and bacterial pathogenicity, especially the nature and role of metallo proteinases. Vaccinology of various fish species and side effects of vaccination have also been studied. Bjarnheidur and her collaborators isolated and characterized a new bacterial toxin from the fish pathogen Aeromonas salmonicida, which is developmentally a conserved protein with interesting biological activity. The research projects have been performed at the Institute for Experimental Pathology, University of Iceland, Keldur. Collaboration has been with various national and foreign Universities and Institutes.
Main research areas:
- Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. achromogenes: genetic and molecular studies of bacterial virulence.
- Moritella viscosa: genetic and molecular studies of bacterial virulence.
- Prophylaxis in aquaculture: studies involving fish immunity and vaccinology.
- Yersinia ruckeri: studies involving pathogenicity for Atlantic cod and epidemiology.
Publications: PubMed