Paediatric Respiratory
Infection & Immunity (PedResp) Group

Welcome

Welcome to the website of our Paediatric Respiratory Infection & Immunity Group. Our translational research is focused on the mucosal immune system of the respiratory tract in vulnerable paediatric populations. Established through long-standing collaborations between The Netherlands, South Africa, and the Caribbean region of the Dutch Kingdom, our group is dedicated to advancing paediatric respiratory health through a multidisciplinary approach.

As a paediatrician specialized in infectious diseases and immunology, I have the privilege of leading this dynamic group. Spending time in The Netherlands, South Africa, and the Caribbean region of the Dutch Kingdom as both a clinician and researcher, I continuously gain invaluable insights into the diverse challenges facing paediatric respiratory health worldwide.

Our group‘s strength lies in our collective expertise and collaborative spirit. Together, we strive to bridge the gap between clinical practice and research, aiming to shape the future of paediatric healthcare for children with respiratory tract infections.

Explore our website to learn more about our group’s impact on patient care. We embrace unconventional ideas and have three mottos that are often repeated during our meetings:

  • “Shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars” – Norman Vincent Peale
  • “We should always explore the things that we are a little afraid of” – Andrea Ghez
  • “The secret of getting ahead is getting started” – Mark Twain

If you share our passion for advancing paediatric respiratory health and wish to join us or collaborate, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Kind regards,

Lilly Verhagen

Ongoing projects and patient cohorts

Mucosal measurements to target Mucosal therapies:

Use respiratory samples as biosensor

We use respiratory samples as biosensors, offering real-time insights into the mucosal immune response, to improve clinical decision-making in paediatric respiratory infections.

Analyzing proteins, pathogens, and immune cells in these samples unveils the dynamic interplay between host defenses and pathogens. Moreover, respiratory sampling (e.g. saliva collection) is child-friendly, unlike blood draws.

Our goal is to integrate respiratory sampling into routine practice, improving prognosis and tailoring treatment for individual patients, thereby optimizing clinical care.

Identify mucosal immune-based therapies

We explore the respiratory mucosa’s immunological landscape in children to discover innovative immune-based therapies for paediatric respiratory tract infections.

These therapies aim to enhance local immune defence against respiratory pathogens.

Through a combination of preclinical studies, translational research and clinical studies including patients we strive to develop targeted interventions that improve respiratory tract infection outcomes for vulnerable children worldwide.

Check out our projects

Meet the team

Our team brings together expertise from diverse backgrounds in biomedical sciences, clinical practice, practical application, and epidemiology. Operating primarily from the Radboudumc in The Netherlands, and maintaining very close collaborations with our colleagues and friends in South Africa and the Caribbean region of the Dutch Kingdom, we are united by a common purpose: to improve outcomes for children with respiratory tract infections.

This geographical spread enables us to explore a broad range of factors influencing respiratory tract infection immunity, from nutrition and environmental impacts to ethnic disparities in susceptibility and immunological response. Our collaborative setup fosters knowledge-sharing and cross-cultural learning among team members, enhancing our collective understanding.

In addition, our collaborative framework across these three countries offers valuable opportunities for (PhD) students to engage in international exchanges, enriching their perspectives on paediatric respiratory health on a global scale.

Meet the team

Teaching & Consultation

Together with other professionals, Lilly and her team members participate in the organisation of several courses and conferences, and provide consultations to patients and colleagues.

About teaching & consultation

News

Welcome Luna, Sophie and Renée to the PedResp group

We are happy to welcome three new students to the PedResp group at the start of the new academic year!
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Julia finished her research internship in Cape Town

I’m Julia Kiefmann, and I recently completed the first year of my Master’s in Medical Biology at Radboud University in Nijmegen, The Netherlands. As part of my first year internship, I joined the Muco-Kids study under the supervision of Lilly Verhagen and Marieke van der Zalm.
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Visit from our South African colleagues

In June and July, we were delighted to welcome three colleagues from Stellenbosch University to the Radboudumc in Nijmegen.
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Podcast episode in Global Health Taks featuring Lilly Verhagen: curiosity, resilience and child health

In a new episode of Global Health Talks, hosted by Niki Stastny, Lilly Verhagen talks about her work as a paediatrician-scientist and her research on respiratory infections and mucosal immunity in children across different parts of the world.
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Research group locations

Lilly is primarily based at the Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, where she spends 8/12 months per year. For four months each year, she works at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and St. Maarten Medical Centre, the Caribbean region of the Dutch Kingdom.

This tri-country practice is particularly meaningful as South Africa and the Caribbean region of the Dutch Kingdom share multi-ethnic populations and a high prevalence of respiratory infections.

Check out our Research Group Locations
© Copyright Lilly Verhagen