For the latest publications of this PI visit Douwe Visser – Amsterdam UMC
Visser, D.H. (Douwe) d.h.visser@amsterdamumc.nl
| Research line | Paediatric IBD with focus on nutritional therapy |
|---|---|
| Department | Pediatric immunology, rheumatology and infectious disseases |
| Research Institute(s) | AR&D Amsterdam Institute for Immunology and Infectious Disease |
| Description | 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 with GBS and E. coli (>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 bacteria. We are currently performing the largest GBS 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. |
| Seniors | • Prof. dr. D. van de Beek • Prof. dr. M. C. Brouwer • Prof. dr. Michael Boele van Hensbroek • Dr. Liesbeth van Leeuwen • Dr. DH Visser • Prof. dr. N van Sorge |
| Projects | |
| The NOGBS study | Marleen Groenveld contributes to this study 1) to investigate the clinical presentation, risk factors, and outcomes following GBS and E. coli infections in children under 3 months of age in the Netherlands, 2) to determine the genetic properties of the GBS bacterium that contribute to disease severity. 3) to compare protective antibodies against GBS among patients, healthy controls, and their mothers. This research will contribute to the further development of GBS vaccines |
| IPACE-KIDS | Nina Groeneveld improves the causal diagnosis in patients suspected of neurological infections |
| EOScalcNL | Sanne Janssen (Erasmus MC) contributes to this tailor-made Dutch neonatal early-onset sepsis calculator: towards precision medicine at birth |
| Immunogenicity and Safety Assessment of an Earlier Prime and Boost Measles Vaccination Schedule in High Burden setting | Gerald Businge (Uganda) contributes to Immunogenicity and Safety Assessment of an Earlier Prime and Boost Measles Vaccination Schedule in High Burden setting |
Last edited: 05-03-2026