Prof. Dr. Albert Osterhaus
- Section Microbiology and Immunology
- Location Hannover, Germany
- Election year 2016
Research
Research Priorities: Zoonoses, highly pathogenic viruses, Ebola, SARS, bird flu (H5N1), development of vaccines
Albert Osterhaus is a Dutch virologist. His research focuses on highly pathogenic viruses and infectious diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans. He managed to demonstrate the transmission of the avian/bird flu virus to humans and was involved in identifying the SARS virus. He also works on committees to develop health policy strategies to tackle the sudden appearance of infectious diseases.
Albert Osterhaus studies infectious diseases that are transmitted between animals and humans, known as zoonoses. Most pathogens that have newly occurred in humans in recent years originate in animals. Albert Osterhaus seeks to understand what makes the viruses so dangerous and subsequently develops strategies to help fight the highly infectious diseases. Albert Osterhaus and his working group managed to demonstrate that the avian flu pathogen (H5N1) can also infect humans. In other studies, he detailed how the virus spreads among cats.
He was closely involved in identifying the SARS virus (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) during the SARS epidemic in 2003. His group discovered that the serious lung disease is caused by a coronavirus that normally only afflicts animals. A coronavirus is also responsible for the dangerous MERS infection (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), which is transmitted primarily by dromedaries. The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 was also the cause of the global coronavirus pandemic from 2020 to 2023. Albert Osterhaus was involved in developing an experimental vaccine that was successfully tested on dromedaries. The substance (MVA-MERS-S) is also considered a vaccine candidate for humans, for example for hospital staff and animal carers.
Albert Osterhaus has also conducted research into hepatitis C, measles, and seal deaths, and worked on the development of a HIV vaccine.
In his role on committees and in projects he pushes for wide-ranging strategies to tackle zoonotic pathogens, with the goal of ensuring that public health systems can react quickly and effectively to outbreaks of infectious pathogens.
Albert Osterhaus is a Dutch virologist. His research focuses on highly pathogenic viruses and infectious diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans. He managed to demonstrate the transmission of the avian/bird flu virus to humans and was involved in identifying the SARS virus. He also works on committees to develop health policy strategies to tackle the sudden appearance of infectious diseases.
Albert Osterhaus studies infectious diseases that are transmitted between animals and humans, known as zoonoses. Most pathogens that have newly occurred in humans in recent years originate in animals. Albert Osterhaus seeks to understand what makes the viruses so dangerous and subsequently develops strategies to help fight the highly infectious diseases. Albert Osterhaus and his working group managed to demonstrate that the avian flu pathogen (H5N1) can also infect humans. In other studies, he detailed how the virus spreads among cats.
He was closely involved in identifying the SARS virus (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) during the SARS epidemic in 2003. His group discovered that the serious lung disease is caused by a coronavirus that normally only afflicts animals. A coronavirus is also responsible for the dangerous MERS infection (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), which is transmitted primarily by dromedaries. The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 was also the cause of the global coronavirus pandemic from 2020 to 2023. Albert Osterhaus was involved in developing an experimental vaccine that was successfully tested on dromedaries. The substance (MVA-MERS-S) is also considered a vaccine candidate for humans, for example for hospital staff and animal carers.
Albert Osterhaus has also conducted research into hepatitis C, measles, and seal deaths, and worked on the development of a HIV vaccine.
In his role on committees and in projects he pushes for wide-ranging strategies to tackle zoonotic pathogens, with the goal of ensuring that public health systems can react quickly and effectively to outbreaks of infectious pathogens.
Career
- since 2014 Founding Director, Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonoses (RIZ), University of Veterinary Medicine Foundation (TiHo) Hannover, Hanover, Germany
- since 2013 Professor, Foundation TiHo Hannover, Hanover, Germany
- 2011-2016 Professor of Wildlife Virology and Virus Discovery, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- 2003-2015 Director, National Reference Laboratory for Measles and Rubella, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Netherlands
- 1995-2015 Director, World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre (WHO-CC) for Arboviruses and Haemorrhagic Fever, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- 1995-2000 Director, WHO Global Reference Laboratory for Measles, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- 1993-2015 Director, National Influenza Center (NIC), Rotterdam, Netherlands
- 1993-2015 Professor of Virology and Head, Department Viroscience, Erasmus-University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- 1990-2010 Professor of Virology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- 1978 PhD in Virology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- 1974 PhD in Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- 1967-1974 Degree in Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
Functions
- since 2018 Editor-in-Chief, One Health Outlook, Springer-Nature
- 2012-2018 Editor-in-Chief, Current Opinion in Virology and ONE HEALTH Journal
- 2008-2015 Chairperson, Master Programme “Infection and Immunity”, Erasmus-University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- 2007-2015 Chairperson, Postgraduate School Molecular Medicine, Erasmus MC Graduate School, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- since 2000 President, European Scientific Working Group on Influenza (ESWI)
- 1998-2003 Member, Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) and Chairperson, TSE/BSE ad hoc Group, European Commission (EC)
- 1998-2003 Member and Chairperson, Scientific Veterinary Committee, EC
- since 1995 Member, Dutch Health Council – Health Council of the Netherlands, The Hague, Netherlands
- 1993-2017 Associate Editor, Vaccine Journal
Projects
- 2002-2005 Head, Project “Novel Vaccination Strategies and vaccine formulations for epidemic and pandemic influenza control (NOVAFLU)”, EC
- 2001-2007 Project “Preparing for an Influenza pandemic (FLUPAN)”, EC
Honours and Memberships
- 2023 Medalla Rectoral, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile
- 2021 Fritz-Hartmann Lecture, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
- 2018 Distinguished Microbiologist Award, American College of Veterinary Microbiologists (ACVM), USA
- since 2016 Member, German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Germany
- 2016 GVN Robert C. Gallo Award, Global Virus Network (GVN), Baltimore, USA
- 2016 Honorary Doctorate, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- 2015 Chanchlani Global Health Research Award, McMaster University, Ontario, Canada
- 2012 WSAVA One Health Award, World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA)
- 2011 NGI Valorisation Award, Next Generation Internet (NGI), EC
- 2010 ESCMID Award for Excellence in Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID)
- 2008 Erasmus Award, Erasmus University Medical Center (Erasmus MC), Rotterdam, Netherlands
- 2007 Allan Granoff Lectureship in Virology, St. Jude Children's Research. Hospital, Memphis, USA
- 2007 Grand Prix scientifique de la Fondation Louis D., Institut de France, France
- 2006 ELF Award, European Lung Foundation (ELF)
- 2004 Dr. Saal van Zwanenberg-Oragon Award, Koninklijke Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen (KHMW), Netherlands
- 2004 James H. Nakano Citation-CDC prize for exceptional scientific publications, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, USA
- since 2003 Commander of the Order, Lion of the Netherlands, Netherlands
- 2002 ESCV Gardner Lecture “Viruses emerging from animal reservoirs”, European Society for Clinical Virology (ESCV)
- 2000 Mulder-Masurel Award on influenza research, Wetsus, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands
- 1998 M.W.Beijerinck Virology Award, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), Netherlands
- 1995 Barry Firkin Oration Award, Thrombosis and Haemostasis Society of Australia and New Zealand (THANZ), Australia
- 1993 Laureate Van Loghem lecture, Dutch Society for Immunology (NVVI), Netherlands
- 1992 Ciba Geigy Prize for Research in Animal Health, Ciba Geigy, Basel, Switzerland
- 1989 Heine Medin Award, European Society for Clinical Virology (ESCV)
- 1985 Schimmel Viruly Award, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands