During over 20 year’s experience of microbiological research in industry and academia Michael Hoptroff has worked in areas as diverse as oral and skin microbiology and the role of hygiene in reducing communicable disease transmission. Since 2010 he has been at the forefront of microbiomic research at Unilever through the introduction of next generation sequencing techniques and establishing the importance of the microbiome and it’s modulation to improve human health and wellbeing.

Mogens Kilian is Professor of Medical microbiology at Aarhus University (since 1991) and former professor of Oral Biology (1981-1991). He has a DMD degree from 1968 and a D.Sc. degree from 1975. Trained in clinical microbiology and in molecular biology. Visiting professor at the Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA, 1977-79, professor and chairman of Oral Biology, Royal Dental College, Aarhus, 1981-91. Present or previous member of the editorial board of six international scientific journals including Infection and Immunity, Microbiology, Journal of Clinical Microbiology, and Infection. Member of the Danish Medical Research Council and its executive board 1988-91, Scientific Advisory Board, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, 1990-2001, EU expert panels, Board of Scientific Advisers for several biomedical companies and Scandinavian and US research centres, Danish Committee on Scientific Dishonesty, International Committees for evaluation of Scandinavian and UK universities, Senate of Aarhus University.

Dr. Kilian has published more than 250 scientific papers on host-parasite relationships in infectious diseases and commensalism, molecular aspects of bacterial virulence factors of oral and systemic pathogens, and comparative evolution of genomes of bacterial pathogens and commensals. Organizer and co-organizer of 9 international scientific conferences in microbiology and mucosal immunology. Received international and national research awards. Elected fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. Dr Kilian received the European Federation of Periodontology Distinguished Science Award at their General Assembly in Berlin on April 23, 2016.