Kristin E. Thorud is working as Special Advisor in The Research Council of Norway. She acts as national contact point for JPI Oceans in Norway, also working with the secretariat in Brussels and she is an alternate member to the Management Board. She is a veterinarian by education (1984) and holds a PhD in fish diseases from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science (1991). Her first work experience included working as a fish health veterinarian on the west coast of Norway; a work that encouraged her to go into research in fish diseases at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute (1985). After 12 years she left research to start working in the Norwegian Animal Health Authority where she acted as manager of the Norwegian animal surveillance and control programmes; later as head of the Fish Health Section. From 2004-2008 she worked in the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, initially on regulations of fish health and aquaculture issues nationally and internationally (EU,OIE), the rest of the time shared between management of research agencies and facilitation of European and international research cooperation on marine research issues (EU FP7 Theme 2: “Food, agriculture and fisheries, and Biotechnology, USA, Canada, Japan and India). From 2008-2012 she held a position as Head of Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science.