dr. M. (Martin) Beukema

During my doctoral research, I specialized in mucosal immunology. Subsequently, I expanded my expertise to the field of vaccinology, where I focused on developing new vaccination strategies against respiratory viruses, such as influenza and SARS-CoV-2. My research revealed that systemic vaccination methods fail to sufficiently induce mucosal immunity in the lungs, which is crucial for preventing and controlling virus infections. Therefore, I am currently working on developing lung organoid models. With these, I aim to better understand which immune responses are induced in the lungs during respiratory virus infections. Using this knowledge, I aspire to develop improved mucosal vaccines for both healthy individuals and those with underlying (lung) diseases.

Review editor of Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
Outreach commitee of the International Society for Vaccines
Next Generation of Vaccinologist commitee of the International Society for Vaccines