PedResp Group at the Dutch Society for Immunology (NVVI) annual congress
The Paediatric Respiratory Infection & Immunity Group was strongly represented at this year’s NVVI Congress, with contributions spanning keynote, oral presentation, and poster sessions.
Keynote Lecture: putting the respiratory mucosa at the centre
Lilly Verhagen delivered a keynote lecture entitled “At the Frontline: The Overlooked Mucosal Immune System in Childhood Respiratory Infections.”
In her lecture, she highlighted the critical yet underappreciated role of the respiratory mucosa in shaping immune responses during early life. While clinical practice and research often rely on blood-based diagnostics, the site of pathogen entry, the mucosa, is where infection is first encountered and controlled. She discussed emerging insights from our work into mucosal immune architecture, niche-specific responses, and the implications for diagnostics, prevention strategies, and mucosal interventions in children. The talk stimulated lively discussion on how to translate mucosal immunology into clinical practice.
Oral Presentation: mapping immune niches in the upper respiratory tract
PhD candidate Nafsika Kardomatea presented results from her Respiratory Toolbox project in a parallel oral session: “Niche-specific immune signatures across the healthy upper respiratory tract mucosa associate with microbial profiles.”
Her work demonstrates that distinct anatomical niches within the healthy upper respiratory tract harbour unique immune signatures that correlate with local microbial communities. These findings underscore that the mucosa is not a uniform surface, but a collection of specialised microenvironments. Understanding these baseline patterns is essential for interpreting immune responses during respiratory infections and for developing targeted mucosal diagnostics.
Poster Presentation: mucosal Immunity in South African children
PhD candidate Geert van Weelden presented a poster on his work within the COVID-Kids study in South Africa, focusing on mucosal immune responses in children. His research explores how mucosal immune profiles relate to SARS-CoV-2 infection in paediatric populations and contributes to a broader understanding of local immune protection in respiratory viral disease.
Together, these presentations reflect the group’s commitment to advancing a mucosa-first perspective in paediatric infectious diseases, bridging fundamental immunology with clinically relevant questions. We thank the NVVI for a stimulating congress and the opportunity to share our work with colleagues across the field.
