Lena-Mari Tamminen

I am a veterinarian (degree 2013) and defended my PhD at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in 2020 with the thesis “Transmission and dynamics of VTEC O157:H7: a story about the complex associations between pathogen, host and environment.”
My doctoral research examined how VTEC O157:H7 is transmitted and maintained in cattle populations. By combining epidemiological analyses with studies of infection dynamics and environmental factors, the work improved understanding of how biological and management-related factors influence the risk of zoonotic transmission.

I currently work as a researcher at the Department of Clinical Sciences, where I lead the epidemiology group as Deputy Subject Leader for Veterinary Epidemiology.

My research focuses on how environmental, management, and biological factors interact to influence animal health, welfare, and the sustainability of production systems. I work in an interdisciplinary setting and combine classical and molecular epidemiology with both quantitative and qualitative methods to understand complex relationships and develop practical, evidence-based solutions.

Ongoing projects include studies on heat stress and extreme weather in dairy cows, biosecurity and disease control, and the opportunities of digitalization for sustainable dairy production and advanced welfare assessment.

Current Research Projects
Bridging the gap between biosecurity and animal welfare for resilient animal production systems
Identifies and analyzes trade-offs between biosecurity and animal welfare. Combines epidemiological methods, welfare assessments, and farmer interviews to develop strategies that promote both animal health and system resilience.
From sensitive to robust athlete – genomic selection to help dairy cows cope with heat stress
Investigates how genetic traits can improve dairy cows’ resilience to heat stress in a changing climate. Integrates production data, welfare indicators, and genomic analyses.
Animal protection and welfare monitoring using multi-sensor technology and computer vision
Develops digital tools for automated welfare monitoring using sensor and image data. Conducted in collaboration with industry and research partners including Sony Nordic, DeLaval, RISE, and Växa.
Mapping the road for a sustainable digitalization within dairy production
Explores how digital technologies and data flows can support sustainable, transparent, and welfare-oriented dairy production by linking technology, management, and animal health.
Sources and transmission routes for shigatoxigenic E. coli in foods of plant origin
Examines how E. coli O157:H7 can spread to plant-based foods through environmental and livestock-related pathways, using molecular epidemiology and environmental monitoring.
Are Swedish cows cool enough?
Studies how heat stress affects dairy cow health, fertility, and welfare under Swedish production conditions, aiming to identify management strategies to reduce climate-related stress.
Maximising the use of sensors for a successful transition period in dairy cows
Evaluates how sensor technology can detect early health problems and improve the transition period after calving by combining production, health, and behavior data.

I teach within the veterinary program and postgraduate education in scientific methodology, basic and applied epidemiology, and veterinary public health. Since my PhD, I have been continuously involved in epidemiology teaching and currently serve as Deputy Subject Leader for Veterinary Epidemiology at the Department of Clinical Sciences.

My teaching philosophy is to inspire students to use epidemiology as a tool to understand and address complex problems at the interface of animals, humans, and the environment — integrating digital tools, interactive learning, and real-world examples.

As course leader for Veterinary Public Health with Applied Epidemiology and Epizootiology (VPZ), I have modernized the course through case-based and asynchronous learning, strengthening students’ ability to apply epidemiological concepts in clinical and societal contexts.

I have also participated in international educational collaborations, including the Erasmus+ project that led to the development of the Outbreak Investigation Game, a game-based learning tool for epidemiology education.

At the doctoral level, I have planned and taught courses such as Multilevel Modelling (4 ECTS), One Health – Concept, Cases and Methodology (3 ECTS), and Understanding Infectious Diseases by Fusing Epidemiology, Genetics and Modelling (3 ECTS). I have supervised master’s and PhD students and contributed to researcher training at the Swedish National Veterinary Institute (SVA) and in the SIDA-funded program Healthy Animals – Safe Food.

I collaborate actively with industry, governmental agencies, and academia in several ongoing research projects, including partners such as Sony Nordic, DeLaval, Dalarna University, RISE, Växa, and the Swedish National Veterinary Institute (SVA).

Internationally, I participate in research networks such as BIOSECURE and BETTER (COST Action), focusing on improved biosecurity and sustainable livestock production in Europe. Also an active collaborator in the European Partnership for Animal Health and Welfare. In 2024, I conducted a research exchange at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, focusing on biosecurity and international collaboration in veterinary epidemiology. 

Selected Research Grants
1. Sources and transmission routes for shigatoxigenic E. coli in foods of plant origin
Funder: Formas (Ref. 2023-00852)
Main applicant: Robert Söderlund
Co-applicants: Lena-Mari Tamminen (SLU), Hedvig Gröndal (SLU), Beatrix Alsanius (SLU), Maria Karlsson (SLU), Johan Månsson (SLU), Lovisa Nilsson (SLU), Stefan Widgren (SVA)
Budget: 3,998,948 SEK (2024–2027)

 
2. Bridging the gap between biosecurity and animal welfare for resilient animal production systems
Funder: Formas (Ref. 2022-02779)
Main applicant: Lena-Mari Tamminen (SLU)
Co-applicants: –
Budget: 4,556,424 SEK (2023–2027)

 
3. From sensitive to robust athlete – exploring the opportunities of genomic selection to help dairy cows cope with increasing temperatures
Funder: Formas (Ref. 2022-01486)
Main applicant: Lena-Mari Tamminen (SLU)
Co-applicants: Haseeb Ahmed (SLU), Lisa Ekman (Växa/SLU), Martin Johnsson (SLU), Tomas Klingström (SLU), Gabriela Olmos Antillón (SLU), Lars Rönnegård (SLU)
Budget: 3,987,172 SEK (2023–2026)

 
4. Animal protection and welfare monitoring using multi-sensor technology and computer vision
Funder: Formas (Ref. 2021-02254)
Main applicant: Ulf Emanuelson (SLU)
Co-applicants: Lena-Mari Tamminen (SLU), Marc Ahlsell (Sony Nordic), Elin Hernlund (SLU), Per Nielsen (RISE), Gabriela Olmos Antillón (SLU), Lars Rönnegård (SLU/DU), Louise Winblad (Växa)
Budget: 7,957,453 SEK (2022–2025)

 
5. Mapping the road for a sustainable digitalization within dairy production
Funder: Formas (Ref. 2021-02348)
Main applicant: Ulf Emanuelson (SLU)
Co-applicants: Lena-Mari Tamminen (SLU), Gabriela Olmos Antillón (SLU), Lisa Ekman (Växa/SLU), Haseeb Ahmed (SLU), Nina Lind (SLU)
Budget: 6,210,277 SEK (2022–2026)

 
6. Are Swedish cows cool enough?
Funder: Seydlitz MP-bolagen Foundation
Main applicant: Renée Båge (SLU)
Co-applicants: Lena-Mari Tamminen (SLU), Niclas Högberg (SLU)
Budget: 4,000,000 SEK (2024–2028)

 
7. Maximising the use of sensors for a successful transition period in dairy cows
Funder: Swedish Farmers’ Foundation for Agricultural Research (Ref. R-23-20-860)
Main applicant: Nils Fall (SLU)
Co-applicants: Lena-Mari Tamminen (SLU), Niclas Högberg (SLU), Ilka Klaas (DeLaval)
Budget: 2,492,000 SEK (2024–2028)

For full list of pucliations, click here: Full publication list

Tamminen L.-M., Båge R., Åkerlind M. & Olmos Antillón G. (2024) Farmers’ sense of the biological impact of extreme heat and seasonality on Swedish high-yielding dairy cows – A mixed methods approach. Preventive Veterinary Medicine. doi:10.1016/j.prevetmed.2024.106131

Duarte F., Tamminen L.-M., Kjosevski M. et al. (2025) Methods to assess on-farm biosecurity in Europe and beyond. Preventive Veterinary Medicine. doi:10.1016/j.prevetmed.2025.106486 repository.ukim.mk+1

Tuominen K., Hansson I., Söderlund R., Bertilsson S., Belaghi R. & Tamminen L.-M. (2025) Comparison of culture-based methods for detecting Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter hyointestinalis in dairy cattle feces. Microbiology Spectrum. doi:10.1128/spectrum.01475-25 

Tamminen L-M., Dicksved J., Eriksson E., Keeling L.J., Emanuelson U. Untangling the role of environmental and host‐related determinants for on‐farm transmission of verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O157. Infect Ecol Epidemiol. 2024. https://res.slu.se/id/publ/123640 SLU publication database (SLUpub)+1
Tamminen L-M., Dahlberg J. Evaluation of an automatic image classifier for analysis of bacterial growth on a multiple-agar plate developed for bovine mastitis. 2025. 

Ahmed H., Tamminen L-M., Emanuelson U. Temperature, productivity, and heat tolerance: Evidence from Swedish dairy production. Climatic Change. 2022;175(1):1-18. DOI: 10.1007/s10584-022-03461-5 

Tamminen L-M. Transmission and dynamics of VTEC O157:H7: a story about the complex associations between pathogen, host and environment. Doctoral thesis, SLU 2020. https://res.slu.se/id/publ/104817 

Tamminen L-M., Keeling L.J., Svensson A. Unraveling the Complexity to Observe Associations Between Welfare Indicators and Hair Cortisol Concentration in Dairy Calves. 2021. Frontiers in animal science, volume: 2, article number: 793558