Meet the team
Our team brings together expertise from diverse backgrounds in biomedical sciences, clinical practice, practical application, and epidemiology.
Lilly VerhagenClinical team MembersCo-Principal InvestigatorsResearch Group MembersPatient representationAlumni
Lilly Verhagen, Group Leader
Education and qualifications
My journey in medicine began with a profound childhood desire to care for the vulnerable, leading me to become a dedicated paediatrician.
My fascination with host-pathogen interactions and my love for “medical detective” work in studying children with recurrent, atypical, or unexplained infections drove me to specialize in infectious diseases and immunology (certified subspecialist since January 2023).
Working in underprivileged populations early in my career taught me that impacting the health of our future generations worldwide requires wearing many hats. This multifaceted approach resonated with me, prompting me to pursue additional academic achievements.
Therefore, in addition to my cum laude Phd (2014), I also earned a Master’s degree in Clinical Epidemiology (2019), while completing my residency in paediatrics (2014 – 2020).
My diverse training, spanning clinical practice, research, and epidemiology, has empowered me to play key roles in global health and public policy. I have served as board member of both the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases (ESPID) and the World Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases (WSPID).
In 2019, I founded Young WSPID, a group of paediatricians (in training) supporting young professionals in low- and middle-income countries. Starting with just 15 Young WSPID members, we have grown to over 600 members worldwide.
Work experience
Over the past 15 years, I have blended patient care with translational research, focusing on global paediatric populations at risk for respiratory infections. I have worked in both urban and rural settings in Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, and South America.
Currently, I am primarily based at the Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, where I spend 8/12 months per year.
Here, I allocate 40% of my time to clinical patient care in the Department of Paediatric Infectious Diseases & Immunology and 60% to translational research as an associate professor and reserach group leader in the Laboratory of Medical Immunology.
For four months each year, I work at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and St. Maarten Medical Centre, the Caribbean. This unique arrangement developed from my longstanding collaborations with both sites and the complementary nature of our research.
Operating as a clinician scientist across three countries serves several purposes. It offers valuable clinical exposure to diverse respiratory infection settings, allowing for the identification of pertinent research questions.
Moreover, it enables a focus on underrepresented populations, recognizing that characteristics of respiratory infections in South African townships or the Caribbean region of the Dutch Kingdom cannot be simply extrapolated from data elsewhere.
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.
This unique demographic allows for a nuanced assessment of factors such as ethnicity, living environment, and nutrition on mucosal respiratory immunity.
Our collective interest in elucidating host factors that shape local epidemiology and mucosal immunology in respiratory infections has fostered collaborative projects, secured grants, and facilitated dual supervision of (PhD) students.
Clinical team members
Department of pediatric infectious diseases and immunology of the Amalia Children’s Hospital & Radboud University Medical Center Expertise Center for Immunodeficiency and Autoinflammation. Starring from left to right:
Stefanie Henriet
Paediatrician infectiologist/immunologist
Lucy Gossens
Nurse Practitioner in immunology/rheumatology
Riet Strik
Nurse Practitioner in paediatric infectious diseases/immunology
Lilly Verhagen
Paediatrician infectiologist/immunologist
Koen van Aerde
Paediatrician infectiologist/immunologist
Kim Stol
Paediatrician infectiologist/immunologist
Our vision is to understand and treat infectious diseases and immunological disorders, whether they occur independently or in combination, with a specific focus on immunological defects in our academic patients and the mucosal immune system.
Our research is centered on the immunology of infectious diseases with a focus on two key goals within four targeted topics (“4xI”):
- Understanding and treating immunological defects in Dutch tertiary patients
- Immature neonatal immune system
- Immunization in pediatric patients
- Inborn errors of immunity
- Combating global respiratory infections by understanding and modulating the host mucosal immune response
- Immunity of the respiratory tract
Our research at the Radboud University Medical Center is integrated within the Amalia and Innate Immunity in Health and Diseases research programs and we have a strong focus on patient participation and education. We are based in the Amalia Children’s Hospital and the Laboratory of Medical Immunology, and we collaborate closely with the departments of Medical Microbiology and Human Genetics.
Research focus of the Radboud University Medical Center Paediatric Infectious Diseases & Immunology team.
Co-Principal Investigators
Research group members
Group leader
Lilly Verhagen
Group leader
Lilly VerhagenPostdoctoral researchers
Rienke Uijen
Postdoctoral researcher, Netherlands
Systemic immunity in respiratory tract infections.
Josephine van de Maat
Postdoctoral researcher, Netherlands
Improving the diagnostic pathway of children with respiratory tract infections.
Myrthe Reiche
Postdoctoral researcher, Netherlands
The impact of maternal respiratory infections and immune activation on offspring development.
Tom Ederveen
Postdoctoral researcher, Netherlands
Bioinformatician Medical BioSciences department.
PhD students
Sam Engels
MSc, PhD student, Netherlands
Respiratory tract infections in children.
Nafsika Kardomatea
MSc, PhD student, Netherlands
Respiratory toolbox for improved diagnosis in mucosal samples.
Geert van Weelden
MSc, PhD student, Netherlands
Respiratory tract infections in children: immune modulation in addition to pathogen eradication.
Mish-Al Barday
PhD student, South Africa
Mucosal pathogen surveillance and characterisation of the mucosal immune response in respiratory tract infections as a predictor of severity of disease and short-term respiratory morbidity in South African children.
Andrew Redfern
PhD student, South Africa
Point of care chest ultrasound to determine aetiology in paediatric acute lower respiratory tract infections in a high TB setting.
Research coordinators
Charlene Maria
Caribbean
Viral respiratory tract infection seasonality modelling.
Sabrina Varsovia
Caribbean
RSV Roadmap CAS-islands.
Claire Fransman
Caribbean
RSV Roadmap CAS-islands.
Fleur Janssen
Netherlands
In vitro models of mucosal immunity.
Technicians
Annemijn Arns
Netherlands
Sample processing
Manon Kolkman
Netherlands
Sample processing
Lesego Rantho
South Africa
Sample processing and analysis
Undergraduate and postgraduate students
Julia Kiefmann
South Africa
Mucosal antibody levels in South African children with acute respiratory tract infections
Laura Palau Grabulosa
Netherlands
Mucosal immunity in children: can tonsillar immune cells explain clinical phenotype?
Nicky de Bie
Netherlands
Polyreactive Antibody Global Evaluation project
Nina Pellenkoft
Caribbean
Evaluation of antibiotic prescription in children admitted with respiratory tract infections in St Maarten
Patient representation
In addition to the involvement of researchers in our studies, patients are additional key players. Over the past years, we have been supported by several patient involvement groups, most notably the Stichting voor Afweerstoornissen (SAS). Patients are actively involved in all phases of our studies.
Alumni
Former PhD students
Daphne Peeters
Recurrent respiratory tract infections in children – Epidemiology, treatment and parents’ perceptions
Mischa Henrieke Koenen
Mucosal immune dynamics in young children with recurrent respiratory tract infections
Ismar Alejandra Rivera-Olivero
Epidemiology of pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage among Amerindian and Mestizo children in Venezuela
Former research nurses and coordinators
- Wieke Vrinds
Inclusion of patients in clinical studies - Suze Loomans
Inclusion of patients in clinical studies & coordination of research tasks - Guus Stoffelen
Inclusion of patients in clinical studies - Eline Smits
Coordination of research tasks - Wendy Jansen
Coordination of research tasks - Joyce Rust
Inclusion of patients in clinical studies - Dayana Martins Gueth
Inclusion of patients in clinical studies & coordination of research tasks - Martine van Engelen
Inclusion of patients in clinical studies & coordination of research tasks - Ester Pots
Inclusion of patients in clinical studies & coordination of research tasks
Former undergraduate and postgraduate students
- Erdem Uyanik
Spatial and compositional distribution of innate lymphoid cells in paediatric tonsils and adenoids across The Netherlands and St. Maarten - Danique Huijbens
The influence of Saharan dust on respiratory diseases - Nora Faro
Prevalence of Innate Lymphoid Cells in paediatric respiratory mucosal immunity - Sanne Olde Olthof, MSc Microbiology (internship #2)
Bifidobacterium strains in probiotics and stool samples of children with recurrent respiratory tract infections - Kaylee Baan, Biology and Medical Laboratory Research student (Saxion, Deventer)
Respiratory infections in SMMC - Emma van der Gaag, MSc Medical Biology
Lymphoid tissue in the respiratory tract: which immune cells are predominant? - Sanne Olde Olthof, MSc Microbiology (internship #1)
Non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae in children with pneumonia: an innocent colonizer or underestimated pathogen? - Boutaina Riffi Acharki, BSc Health and Life Sciences
Respiratory infections in St. Maarten Medical Center – a prospective mucosal diagnostics study - Nika Stastny, MSc Biomedical Sciences
Respiratory infections in St. Maarten Medical Center – a retrospective surveillance study - Tieke Kuijpers, MSc Medical Biology
Proposed mechanisms underlying the causal relation between respiratory tract infections during childhood and chronic respiratory disease later in life; an integrative review - Dagmar Scharff, MSc Biomedical Sciences
Understanding the burden of respiratory tract infections in children in St. Maarten Medical Center: new epidemiological insights - Natasja Roerade, pharmacology student
Antibiotic prescriptions in children with recurrent respiratory tract infections - Marnix Uyterlinde, pharmacology student
The effect of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the health of children with recurrent respiratory infections - Geert van Weelden, MSc Biomedical Sciences
Repurposing drugs for treatment of childhood pneumonia - Rachel van Loo, medical student
Review diagnostic methods in children with recurrent respiratory tract infections - Melanie Haverkamp, medical student
Recurrent respiratory tract infections and IgA deficiency - Dinah Kattat, medical student
Immune deficiencies in children with recurrent respiratory tract infections - Cathy Woldring, MSc student Health Sciences
Mucosal immunity and airway obstruction in young children with recurrent respiratory tract infections and immunoglobulin a deficiency - Charlie van Basten Batenburg, medical student
Correlation between the gut microbiome, IgA and recurrent pneumonia in children with recurrent airway infections and IgA deficiency - Mathilde Feitsma, medical student
Automated real-time surveillance in prospective monitoring of Severe Acute Respiratory Infections in children at the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital in Utrecht: a pilot study - Kris Siegers, medical student
A first insight in the role of metabolic markers in vaccine response - Mandy Spoorenberg, medical student
Secretory IgA and IgA-coating in children screened for IgA deficiency - Mischa Koenen, medical student
Susceptibility to respiratory infections in young children: serum versus mucosal IgA - Romée Court, Health and Life Sciences student
IgA deficiency and recurrent respiratory tract infections in children - Frederieke Vaandrager, medical student
Immunologic screening in children with recurrent respiratory tract infections - Esther Blijleven, medical student
Recurrent respiratory tract infections in the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital - Charlotte van Vliet, medical student
Immunodeficiencies in children with recurrent upper respiratory tract infections - Lars van Scheppingen, medical student
Parental and physician’s point-of-view towards antibiotic prescription and discharge, conversations in the Paediatric Emergency department - Lena Bilger, medical student
The association of birth related factors and feeding characteristics in young infancy with IgA deficiency - Joeri Mul, medical student
De associatie tussen leeftijd en ziektelast bij kinderen met recidiverende luchtweginfecties in een Nederlands prospectieve cohort studie. - Olivier Vanneste, medical student
Prospectieve ziektenlast registratie in kinderen met recidiverende luchtweginfecties. - Fabienne Wopereis, medical student
The clinical presentation of IgA deficiency
The prevalence of IgA deficiency in children with recurrent respiratory tract infections compared to healthy children - Kiki Schraa, biomedical student
Genes essential in the survival of Streptococcus pneumoniae in human saliva - Adriana Marquez, medical student
Effect of PCV13 vaccination on symptoms of acute respiratory tract infections in Warao children - Thor Kuchler, forestry student
Inclusion of indigenous children in Venezuela in clinical studies - Angimar Uriepero, medical student
Childhood vaccine acceptance and refusal among Warao Amerindian caregivers in Venezuela: a qualitative approach - Marcella Overeem, medical student
Recurrent wheezing is associated with intestinal protozoan infections - Enrique Valladares, medical student
Salivary responses after PCV13 vaccination of Warao Amerindian children in Venezuela - Juan Goecke, medical student
Asthma symptoms in Warao Amerindian children in Venezuela - Meyke Hermsen, biomedical student
Nasopharyngeal carriage of respiratory pathogens in Warao Amerindians: significant relationship with stunting. - Stèphan Kraai, medical student
High prevalence of asthma symptoms in Warao Amerindian children in Venezuela is significantly associated with open-fire cooking - Lorena Rasquin, medical student
Serum responses after PCV13 vaccination of Warao Amerindian children in Venezuela - Joaquín Martinez, medical student
PCV13 vaccination of indigenous children in Venezuela - Daniela de Lima, medical student
Chest X-ray reading for signs of tuberculosis in household contacts in the Warao population of Pedernales. - Egenny Dahdah, medical student
Interferon-gamma testing in the Warao population of Pedernales. - Daniella Cárdenas, medical student
Tuberculin skin testing in the Warao population of Pedernales. - Auroramanuela Barreto, medical student
Concordancia entre la prueba de la tuberculina (PPD) y la prueba de Interferón Gamma en la población infantil Warao - Julian Villalba, medical student
Childhood tuberculosis clinical diagnostic systems are useful for selecting paediatric tuberculosis contacts for preventive chemoprophylaxis - Karen H. Vasquez Pinochet, medical student
High prevalence of acute respiratory tract infections among Warao Amerindian children - Carolina Franco Ricardo, medical student
High malnutrition rate in Venezuelan Yanomami compared to Warao Amerindians: associations with intestinal parasites and anemia - Flor Elena MacQuhae Truskowski, medical student
Acute respiratory tract infections and immunization coverage in Warao Amerindian children - Adrian Velasquez, medical student
Acute respiratory tract infections in relation to chronic malnutrition in Warao Amerindian children
