Intervention Strategies: hMPV - the (not so) new kid on the block

Nationality: Dutch

Position: Founding Director of the Center of Infection Medicine and Zoonosis Research and Guest-Professor at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover

Research fields: Virus infections of humans and animals

Professor Osterhaus is the Founding Director of the Center of Infection Medicine and Zoonosis Research at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany, and cofounder/CSO of Viroclinics-DDL BV (currently part of CERBA) and ViroNative BV (both spin-outs of Erasmus MC) and CR2O. He was head of the Department of Viroscience at Erasmus MC Rotterdam until 2014.

He has a long track record as a researcher and project leader of numerous major scientific projects. At Erasmus MC, he has run a diagnostic virology lab with more than 40 staff and a research virology lab with over 150 personnel. His research programme follows an integrated “viroscience” concept, bringing together world-leading scientists in molecular virology, immunology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, and intervention studies for human and animal virus infections.

Among his major accomplishments are the discovery of more than 80 viruses of humans and animals (e.g. human metapneumovirus, coronaviruses, influenza viruses), elucidation of the pathogenesis of major human and animal virus infections, and development of novel intervention strategies. This has enabled health authorities like the WHO to effectively combat disease outbreaks like SARS and avian influenza. The established spin-outs are among his other societally relevant successes, allowing effective testing and refining of diagnostic tools and other intervention strategies.

Professor Osterhaus has acted as mentor for more than 85 PhD students and holds several key patents. He is the author of more than 1360 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals, together cited > 90,000 times with an H index > 145. He holds several senior editorships and has received numerous prestigious awards. He is a member of the Dutch and German National Academies of Sciences, member of the Belgium Academia of Medicine, and Commander of the Order of the Dutch Lion.

After her 3 year research training in the group of Prof. S. Ross, at the Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Bernadette obtained her PhD at the dept. of Viroscience, ErasmusMC Introduction on "the Discovery and Characterization of the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV)". Since then, Bernadette has been investigating all aspects of the interaction between HMPV and the human immune system. She has contributed to the development of a reverse genetics system for HMPV, designed and evaluated several vaccine candidates, and identified Favipiravir (T-705) as a possible antiviral therapy for pneumo-and paramyxoviruses. 

Achievements 

Bernadette has shown that HMPV, just like HRSV, subverts the type I interferon pathway of the host innate immune system and she has shown that HMPV stocks generate defective interfering particles (DIs) quickly upon viral infection and these DIs strongly activate the type I interferon pathway. Using recombinant viruses for RSV, HMPV and chimera of these, the research group of Bernadette is aiming to identify the mechanism HMPV uses to subvert the host innate immune response.

Dr Falsey is a Professor of Medicine at the University Of Rochester School Of Medicine.
The focus of her research has been clinical and translational research in the field of respiratory viral infections in adults. Dr Falsey received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at Providence College and Doctorate in Medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Strong Memorial Hospital at the University of Rochester and infectious disease fellowship at Yale University and the University of Rochester. Initially the focus of her research was defining the epidemiology and impact of respiratory syncytial virus in adult populations. More recently, Dr Falsey has broadened her research to include numerous viral respiratory pathogens including influenza, coronaviruses, parainfluenza viruses and human metapneumovirus. She has conducted numerous adult surveillance and vaccine studies in a variety of settings including ambulatory older adult clinics, nursing homes and senior daycare centers. She has extensive experience in the development and performance of diagnostic and serologic assays for influenza and other respiratory viruses including cell culture, RT-PCR, EIA and neutralization assays. Dr Falsey has been a standing member of the Clinical Studies and Field Research Study Section and has served as an ad hoc reviewer for numerous NIH study section reviews. She is a member of the steering committee for the Global Influenza Initiative, the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Virology Society. Dr Falsey has published over 200 peer reviewed articles, reviews, book chapters and abstracts.