Dr. Arie Hendrik Havelaar
Professor
Microbial Risk Assessment and Epidemiology of Foodborne Diseases
Dr. Arie Havelaar is a Preeminent Professor of Global Food Safety and Zoonoses in the Animal Sciences Department, the Emerging Pathogens Institute and the Global Food Systems Institute of the University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA. He is a honorary professor at Haramaya University in Ethiopia. Before moving to the United Sates in 2014, Arie worked at the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands in various scientific and management roles, most recently as Principal Scientist in the Center for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology. He is an emeritus professor of Microbial Risk Assessment at the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, the Netherlands.
Arie holds an MSc degree in Chemical Engineering with a major in Microbiology from the Delft University of Technology, a PhD in Microbiology from Utrecht University and an MSc in Epidemiology from the Netherlands Institute for Health Sciences at the Erasmus University, all in the Netherlands.
His research focuses on epidemiology and risk assessment of foodborne and zoonotic diseases and their prevention in the USA and globally. He has published extensively on the global burden of foodborne disease, including in his role as chair of the WHO Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group, currently serving as consultant to the World Health Organization to support the process of updating these estimates. He has contributed to the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems and is involved in several projects focusing on food safety in the US and internationally. His current research is funded by the US Department of Agriculture, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Programs
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Research
Research Summary:
Dr. Havelaar conducts research on global food systems and foodborne illnesses. He is affiliated with the Global Food Systems Institute and the Emerging Pathogens Institute.
Contact
Emerging Pathogens Institute
University of Florida
2055 Mowry Road, Gainesville, FL 32611
PO Box 100009
Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
Department of Animal Sciences
2250 Shealy Drive
Gainesville, FL 32611
PO Box 110910
Gainesville, FL 32611
352-294-6986
ariehavelaar@ufl.edu
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Education
Education
- 1986; Ph.D. (Mathematics and Biology), Utrecht State University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- 1996-1998; M.Sc. (Epidemiology and biostatistics), Netherlands Institute for Health Sciences, Rotterdam:, the Netherlands
- 1967-1973; M.Sc. (Chemical Engineering, with honors, majoring in technical microbiology), Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
Academic Positions Since Final Degree:
- 2014-current; Professor, Animal Sciences Department, Institute for Sustainable Food Systems and Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville.
- 2007-current; Professor, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- 1978-2014; Principal scientist, Centre for Zoonoses and Environmental Microbiology, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven, the Netherlands
- 1974-1978; Head, Biology Section, Chemical and Bacteriological Service, Rotterdam Waterworks, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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Publications
- Publications (Google Scholar)
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Professional Service and Awards
International Activities
- Senior Consultant, World Health Organization (2021-current)
- External reviewer, Food Standards Agency, London, UK (2022-current)
- Honorary Professor, Haramaya University, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia
- Member Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards, European Food Safety Authority, Parma, Italy (2006-2015)
- Chair, Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland (2007-2015)
Professional Memberships
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- Nederlandse Vereniging voor Microbiologie
- American Society for Microbiology
- Society for Risk Analysis
- International Association for Food Protection
Honors and Awards
- 2025: Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
- 2024: Honorary Professor, Haramaya University, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia
- 2022: International Association for Food Protection, International Leadership Award
- 2021: University of Florida High impact publication
- 2014: Jenner Medal (RIVM, Bilthoven, the Netherlands)
- 2014: Risk Analysis Best Paper Award (USA)
- 2001: Rudolf Schülke Hygiene Award (Germany)
- 1995: Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (USA)