Albert Osterhaus

Professor Osterhaus has been Head of the Department of Viroscience at Erasmus MC Rotterdam until July 2014, is currently Professor of Wildlife Virology and Virus Discovery at Utrecht University, and Director of the Center of Infection Medicine and Zoonosis Research and Guest-Professor at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover. He has a long track record as a scientific researcher and principal investigator of numerous scientific projects. At Erasmus MC, he ran a diagnostic virology lab with more than 40 staff and a research lab with over 150 collaborators. They followed a novel integrated 'viroscience' concept, bringing together world-leading scientists in molecular virology, immunology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, and intervention studies on human and animal virus infections. Among his accomplishments are the discovery of numerous viruses of humans and animals (e.g. human metapneumovirus, coronaviruses, influenza viruses), elucidation of the pathogenesis of human and animal virus infections, and development of intervention strategies. This enabled health authorities like WHO to effectively combat disease outbreaks like SARS and avian influenza. He is the Chair of ESWI and the One Health Platform. Establishment of spin-off, Viroclinics Biosciences BV, involved in testing of intervention strategies against virus infections, is another of his societally relevant successes. The international recognition of Professor Osterhaus is further highlighted by awards, prizes, guest lecture invitations, (co-)organiserships of international meetings and editorships of scientific journals. Professor Osterhaus has been PhD mentor for more than 70 students, holds several key patents and is the author of more than 1100 papers in peer-reviewed journals, together cited more than 50,000 times. His H index is 97. Most of all, Professor Osterhaus firmly believes that scientists have a role to play in translating their knowledge for the benefit and protection of society.