Specialization
Meningitis, Paediatrics, Epidemiology, Prediction, Prevention
Focus of research
I am a pediatrician and epidemiologist. I discovered that Group B Streptococcus (GBS) disease, the most common cause of sepsis and meningitis in infants, is increasing and showed that current prevention guidelines are inadequate.
The goal of my research is to develop effective and targeted prevention approaches for sepsis and meningitis in infants. I therefore started the NOGBS prospective nationwide cohort study that investigates GBS colonization and disease. NOGBS has already collected clinical data, blood and bacterial isolates from cases (>500) and controls (>1000).
In collaboration with the Wellcome Sanger Institute, I am identifying new diagnostic targets to improve GBS prevention. I am using a unique dataset that combines clinical data, long-term surveillance data and bacterial sequencing of invasive and colonizing GBS bacteria. We are currently performing the largest bacterial genome-wide association study to date.
Outcome data, essential for cost-effectiveness research, was lacking for GBS disease. I therefore started a collaboration that established long-term outcomes for nearly 3000 Dutch and Danish infants with GBS disease.
Vaccination against GBS during pregnancy is a promising new prevention strategy. NOGBS joined the international PREPARE consortium to establish immune correlates of protection against GBS disease. These correlates will be used in clinical trials.