Who we are

Robbert started VaxxCellence in 2024, after working for 2.5 years as Vice-President Translational Science at BioNTech. He brings 16 years of experience in vaccine R&D at BioNTech, GSK and CEPI, covering all aspects from preclinical and discovery to post-licensure and safety studies, exemplified by participation in the VRBPAC meeting on Shingrix (2017)
Academic track record including postdocs at UCLA, Emory University (Dr Rafi Ahmed), CalTech (Dr Jim Strauss), University of Utrecht (Dr Willem van Eden) and University of Western Australia (Dr Bruce Robinson).
Publication record of >100 peer-reviewed publications including top-ranking journals (Cell, Nature, Immunity, Science Translational Medicine)
PhD in molecular virology, cum laude (University of Leiden, 1994)
MSc in Biology (University of Utrecht, 1988)
MSc in Health Economics, Policy and Management, Distinction (London School of Economics, 2021)

LinkedIn cv

Publications

Selected publications

Zuiani A et al, 2024. A multivalent mRNA monkeypox virus vaccine (BNT166) protects mice and macaques from orthopoxvirus disease. Cell 187:1363
Apps R et al, 2024. Acute and persistent responses after H5N1 vaccination in humans. Cell Rep 43(9):114706
Bechtold V et al, 2024. Functional and epigenetic changes in monocytes from adults immunized with an AS01-adjuvanted vaccine. ScienceTransl Med 16:758
Loos C et al, 2023. Systems serology-based comparison of antibody effector functions induced by adjuvanted vaccines to guide vaccine design. NPJ Vaccines 8:34
Buonocore SM & van der Most RG. 2022. Narcolepsy and H1N1 influenza immunology a decade later: What have we learned? Front Immunol 13
Gobeil P et al, 2022. Durability and cross-reactivity of immune responses induced by a plant-based virus-like particle vaccine for COVID-19. Nature Commun 13:6905
De Rosa SC et al. 2022. Whole‐blood cytokine secretion assay as a high‐throughput alternative for assessing the cell‐mediated immunity profile after two doses of an adjuvanted SARS‐CoV‐2 recombinant protein vaccine candidate. Clin Transl Immunology 11:e1360
Bruxvoort KJ et al, 2022. Recombinant Adjuvanted Zoster Vaccine and Reduced Risk of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Diagnosis and Hospitalization in Older Adults. J Inf Dis 225:1915
O’Hagan DT et al, 2021. “World in motion” – emulsion adjuvants rising to meet the pandemic challenges. NPJ Vaccines 6:158
Laupeze B et al, 2021. Vaccination as a preventative measure contributing to immune fitness, Vaccines 6:93
Wimmers F et al, 2021. The single-cell epigenomic and transcriptional landscape of immunity to influenza vaccination Cell 184(15):3915
De Mot L et al, 2020. Transcriptional profiles of adjuvanted hepatitis B vaccines display variable interindividual homogeneity but a shared core signature. Science Transl Med 12:569
Arunachalam PS, et al. 2021. Adjuvanting a subunit COVID-19 vaccine to induce protective immunity Nature 594:253
Van der Most RG et al, 2014. Seeking Help: B Cells Adapting to Flu Variability, Science Transl Med 6(246)
Blattman J et al, 2009. Impact of Epitope Escape on PD-1 Expression and CD8 T-Cell Exhaustion during Chronic Infection. J Virol 83(9):4386
Miller JD, van der Most RG et al, 2008. Human effector and memory CD8+ T cell responses to smallpox and yellow fever vaccines. Immunity 28:710
Currie A et al, 2008. Targeting the Effector Site with IFN-αβ-Inducing TLR Ligands Reactivates Tumor-Resident CD8 T Cell Responses to Eradicate Established Solid Tumors. J Immunol 180(3):1535
Lake R & van der Most R, 2006. A Better Way for a Cancer Cell to Die. NEJM 354:2504
Antonis A et al, 2003. Vaccine-Induced Immunopathology during Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection: Exploring the Parameters of Pathogenesis. J Virol 77(22):12067