Patricia Bruijning-Verhagen, PhD

Dr. Bruijning is a pediatrician and epidemiologist. She studies common childhood infections, vaccination and more recently emerging infectious diseases including COVID-19. Her research has a strong focus on Public Health and policy. She was the PI of several large scale vaccine studies, including rotavirus, influenza and pneumococcal vaccines evaluating vaccine effectiveness, timing and implementation. This scientific work has been instrumental in vaccine Advisory Statements from the Dutch Health Counsel, clinical guidelines and vaccine policy decisions. She served as an external advisor for the Dutch Health Counsel and is currently a member of the COVID-19 taskforce of the Dutch Pediatric Society, responsible for COVID-19 prevention -, and clinical guidelines. As well as the taskforce antigen testing in schools installed by the Minister of Education. She holds a cross-appointment at the RIVM Center for Infectious Disease Control, where she contributed to numerous vaccine guidelines. Besides vaccines, she has a strong interest in understanding dynamics of (emerging) infectious diseases and the role of children in transmission, for which she obtained a VENI career grant in 2015 and a VIDI career grant in 2020. She is currently leading three large scale population transmission studies on COVID-19 funded by ZonMw and the European Commission.  With her VIDI career grant she will study interactions between key respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV2, and their implications for vaccination policies. She has published >75 articles including peer-reviewed papers, professional guidelines, scientific reports and publications for the lay public. She has a strong international network as evidenced by her involvement in several international emerging infections research consortia funded by the Innovative Medicine Initiative and the European Commission (ZIKAction, OneHealth-PACT, RECOVER, COVID-RED, Neo-Deco, VACCELERATE). She coordinates and teaches MSc courses in infectious diseases epidemiology and vaccines (Utrecht University, McGill University) and vaccinology masterclasses for healthcare professionals, the latter through an educational foundation where she is a board-member (Stichting Vaccinology Masterclass). She is a member of the Vaccination Alliance installed by the ministry of Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport to promote vaccine knowledge among professionals and parents and improve vaccine coverage.