prof.dr. Maria Yazdanbakhsh
Research
My area of research focuses on variation in immune systems across populations and geographies, and the consequences of this variation. Can this be the underlying mechanisms of vaccine hyporesponsiveness; the question of why some populations are less protected than others after vaccination against some pathogens. It has been possible to show how the immune system is strongly modulated by parasites. However, it has also become clear that there are additional factors that shape the immune system – affecting vaccine response. Our aim is to understand which immunological pathways underlie poor vaccine responses; clearing a path to improve vaccine efficacy worldwide.
To understand the characteristics of the immune cells that are responsible for vaccine hypo-responsiveness, our interdisciplinary team uses peripheral blood and tonsil organoids to study the immunological profile and its response to vaccination. Using single-cell technologies and bioinformatic techniques, we compare data sets of cohorts residing in different geographical areas with or without being vaccinated, as well as from controlled human infection models, to identify differences on a cellular level.
I have established many successful collaborations, in particular in the Global South, and I am happy to have contributed to the establishing of controlled human infection models in Leiden, as well as in sites situated in sub-Saharan Africa. In recent years, with the growing importance of data science, we have begun working with data scientists to create an international data warehouse that brings together immunological data from different collaborative centers in a harmonized manner – allowing for collective data analysis.
Key to our work is sustainable equal partnership with institutions in different geographical areas in the world, especially in the Global South. To maintain this, I established the HypoVax knowledge hub; a consortium for researchers around the world who study vaccine hyporesponsiveness (Hypovax.org).
Curriculum Vitae
I have worked at Leiden University Medical Centre for over 35 years as a professor and researcher in the field of parasitology and cellular immunology, having completed my studies at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of Amsterdam.
I am an elected member of KNAW, EMBO, KHMW, and Academia Europaea, as well as a member of grant evaluation committees both nationally and internationally. I am a member of the Scientific and Clinical Leadership Committee of Human Immunome Project. I am a former president of the Dutch Society for Parasitology, the current chair of LUMC Global, and I am a visiting professor in Indonesia (UI) and Gabon (CERMEL).
