As of 1 September 2025, Susan van den Hof is professor by special appointment to the chair of Epidemiology and Surveillance of Infectious Diseases at Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC). She will be holding this chair alongside her role as head of the Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance at the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). The professorship contributes to strengthening epidemiological research on infectious diseases.
Research on infectious diseases
The new chair aims to reinforce scientific research on infectious diseases and efforts to control them. In the upcoming years, the emphasis will be on:
- Improving surveillance of infectious diseases;
- Monitoring vaccination coverage and effectiveness;
- Researching post-infection symptoms, such as post-COVID.
“The COVID-19 pandemic showed how relevant this field is,” says Van den Hof, “and how important it is to be well prepared for new outbreaks. We are researching how we can detect infectious disease outbreaks at an earlier stage, as well as how severe they are, how they spread, and how we can curb that spread as effectively as possible.”
Why has this chair been established?
“LUMC has a robust clinical epidemiology department, but lacked specific expertise on epidemiology and infectious diseases. By establishing this chair, the department brings in additional knowledge on public health and infectious diseases. At the same time, this offers researchers at RIVM the opportunity to pursue a PhD under a professor who is closely involved in their research, while gaining a solid education in epidemiology at LUMC.“
“This chair also offers options for other joint efforts, such as collaborative research on the link between infectious diseases and other health conditions. For example, we know that an HPV infection leads to cervical cancer, which can be prevented by vaccination. We also know that some people have persistent symptoms after an infection, and that chronic heath conditions can affect the severity of illness resulting from infectious diseases.”
About Susan van den Hof
Van den Hof studied Biomedical Sciences in Nijmegen. She earned her doctorate at Utrecht University with research on how the Dutch population is protected against mumps, measles and rubella, as well researching the 1999-2000 measles epidemic. Later in her career, she held various roles at RIVM and worked for the KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation as an epidemiologist and research coordinator. Since July 2018, she has headed the Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Surveillance at RIVM.