Prof. M. (Marion) Koopmans

Prof. Marion Koopmans is director of the Department of Viroscience at Erasmus Medical Centre in The Netherlands, the WHO collaborating centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases, scientific director for Emerging Infectious Diseases of the Netherlands, Centre for One Health NCOH and scientific director of the Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Centre in Rotterdam/Delft The Netherlands.

Her research focuses on emerging infections with special emphasis on unravelling pathways of disease emergence and spread at the human animal interface. Creating global networks to fight infectious diseases systematically and on a large scale is a common thread in Koopmans' work. Koopmans coordinates the EU funded consortium VEO, which develops a risk based innovative early warning surveillance in a One Health context, and is deputy coordinator of a recently awarded HERA funded network of centres of excellence for EID research preparedness. In 2021, Koopmans founded the Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Centre PDPC, a research centre with a focus on the occurrence and prevention of pandemics and climate-related disasters, combining expertise from technical, bio-medical, environmental and social sciences.

During the corona crisis in the Netherlands in 2020, Koopmans was a member of the Outbreak Management Team that advised the national government on measures to stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2. This role brought her national prominence, making her partly a "beacon of reliability" but she also faced growing distrust from a vocal minority of opponents of the Dutch national government's corona policy. 

Prof. Koopmans is also a sought-after speaker in the media (inter)nationally. Some examples of international media appearances include the Economist's Podcast, Al Jazeera and BBC. 

In 2022, her son, Mischa Huijsmans wrote the biography "Marion Koopmans, Virologist in a Changing World" with his mother.

Koopmans has co-authored more than 700 articles that have been cited more than 40,000 times.

• Global population level impact of rapidly spreading zoonotic virus infections.
• Modes of transmission of viruses among animals and between animals and humans.
• Viral infections at the human animal interface.
• Laboratory preparedness and response activities.
• Foodborne viruses.
• Molecular epidemiology.

• 1976: Graduated cum laude, Candidate's degree in Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht State University
• 1979: Graduated with honors, Doctoral degree in Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht State University
• 1983: Graduated with honors, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht State University
• 29-11-1990: Ph.D., Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Virology Division, Veterinary Faculty, Utrecht State University. Dissertation title: Diagnosis and epidemiology of torovirus infections in cattle"
• 1997: Registration as veterinary microbiologists, KNMvD
• Dec 2013 – current Head of Department of Viroscience Erasmus MC. I was recruited to this position to head the Viroscience Department of the Erasmus MC.
  The Viroscience Department is currently internationallty recognized for its standard and state-of-the-art experience.
• Sep 2009 - 2014 National microbiology focal point for the ECDC.
  The contact point for ECDC is a senior microbiologist with excellent knowledge of the organization of microbiology and its applications in the public health arena in the country. This involves knowledge of the structure, roles and responsibilities of the different types of laboratories, of the education, and of the hurdles and possible solutions to support coordinated preparedness for and response to infectious diseases. 
• April 2006 - Sep 2014 Member of the management team of the centre for infectious disease control.
• My role is to advise the director of CIb and the head of LIS on strategic decisions involving the public health laboratory functions, developments in infectious diseases, interaction with relevant stakeholders inside and outside the institute, and representation of the laboratory in scientific audits and international visits.
• April 2006 – Dec 2013 Professor of Public health Virology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam.
  This chair was specifically created to provide an academic backing to the translational research program that has been developed in the past decade, aiming at strengthening the evidence basis in the core mission of CIb
• Sep 2004-Dec 2013 Deputy Laboratory Director, Laboratory for Infectious Diseases.
  Recruitment to the management team by the director of LIS, to provide guidance onstrategic discussions (the director does not have a microbiology background). 
• Jan 2002-Dec 2013 Chief of Virology, Diagnostic Lab for Infectious Diseases, (RIVM).
  I was recruited to this position to reorganize the virology deparment, which had lost contact with state-of-the-art developments in the field. The virology department currently is internationallty recognized for its standard, and particularly the translational work involving infectious disease control. This involved discussions and decisions on refocusing, career decisions for staff, transition into a more pro-active culture, transition to more applied focus.

For an overview of her publications please visit the Narcis-website or Scopus.

• Endowed Professor of Virological research for Public Health, especially virus infections in the gastrointestinal tract – 2006-2014 Erasmus MC
• Professor of Virology 2014 – current Erasmus MC.

Promoter Ph.D. students

• 21 June 2019 – Erasmus University Rotterdam
• Marjolein Poen - Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in wild birds - Towards evidence-based surveillance
• 18 June 2019 – Erasmus University Rotterdam
• Widagdo - DPP4 in MERS-CoV transmission and pathogenesis
• 19 June 2018 – Erasmus University Rotterdam
• Gadissa Hundie - Genetic diversity of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C Viruses in Ethiopia
• 11 April 2018 – Erasmus University Rotterdam
• Janko van Beek - Norovirus Genetic Diversity
• 3 November 2017 – Erasmus University Rotterdam
• Seta Jahfari - Tick-borne Diseases: Opening Pandora's Box
• 2 December 2016 – Erasmus University Rotterdam
• Sigrid Gouma - Unravelling Factors Contributing to Mumps Outbreaks
• 2 September 2016 – Erasmus University Rotterdam
• Natalie Cleton - Come fly with me - Integration of travel medicine and arbovirus surveillance
• 5 February 2016 – Erasmus University Rotterdam
• Gudrun Freidl - Influenza Virus Serology at the Human-Animal Interface
• 8 October 2015 – Erasmus University Rotterdam
• Marcel Jonges - Exploring the use of influenza virus sequence diversity for the identification and characterization of transmission events
• 25 November 2014 – VU
• Inge Huijskens - Clinical microbiologist; the gatekeeper of informative diagnostics
• 27 May 2014 – Erasmus University Rotterdam
• Faizel Sukhrie - Identifying Sources and Transmission Routes of Norovirus Outbreaks : Molecular epidemiological methods as the basis for targeted prevention strategies
• 6 January 2012 – Erasmus University Rotterdam
• Sabine van der Sanden - Prevalence and Genetic Diversity of Human Enteroviruses in the Context of Poliovirus Eradication
• 7 September 2011 – Erasmus University Rotterdam
• Sanela Svraka - A Systematic Approach to Elucidate Causes of Gastroenteritis Outbreaks of Suspected Viral Etiology
• 7 April 2011 – Erasmus University Rotterdam
• Linda Verhoef - Identifying International Foodborne Norovirus Outbreak Events: A Combined Epidemiological and Molecular Approach
• 9 December 2010 – Erasmus University Rotterdam
• Kees van den Wijngaard - Is This an Outbreak? A retrospective evaluation of syndromic surveillance for emerging infectious disease
• 17 November 2010 – Erasmus University Rotterdam
• Joukje Siebenga - A Study of Norovirus Molecular Epidemiology: impact, prevalence, diversity and genetic adaptation.
• Co- Promoter Ph.D. students
• 28 October 2004 – University of Utrecht
• Barry Rockx - Norovirus Infections
• 08 February 2002 – University of Amsterdam
• Matty de Wit - Epidemiology of gastroenteritis in the Netherlands
• 25 November 1999 – University of Utrecht
• Jan Vinjé - Molecular detection and epidemiology of human caliciviruses
• 27 April 1999 – University of Utrecht
• Tineke Herremans - Immunity to poliovirus after infection and vaccination
• 22 December 1997 – University of Amsterdam
• Mick Mulders - Molecular tools in support of the global polio eradication campaign

• Member International Advisory Board Graduate School WIAS Wageningen University (2019-2021)
• Member International Advisory Board The Lancet Infectious Diseases (since 2019)
• Member KNAW (Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen)(2019)
• Member Scientific Advisory Board Infravec2 -International and interdisciplinary infrastructure project on insect vectors of human and animal disease, including mosquitoes, sandflies, otherflies, and ticks(2019)
• Member KHMW (Koninklijke Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen ) (since 2018)
• Member COSPAR SSAP Working Group (since 2018)
• Vice Chairperson Committee Vaccinations Dutch Health Council of The Netherlands ( since 2018)
• Member Dutch Health Council of The Netherlands (since 2018)
• Member WHO EYE Strategy Laboratory working group (since 2018)
• Member Advisory Board Centre for Infectious Disease Control Netherlands RIVM (since 2017)
• Member KNVM Division Medical Microbiology (Koninklijke Nederlandse Vereniging voor Microbiologie) since 2017
• Member SAB Watercycle Research Institute (since 2016)
• Member management team EVDLabNet (since 2016)
• Chair of the EU Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness (GLOPID-R) Scientific Advisory Board (since 2015)
• Member WHO R&D Blueprint Scientific Advisory Group (since 2015)
• Scientific Director Theme: Emerging Infectious Diseases Preparedness, Netherlands Centre for One Health, NCOH (since 2015)
• Director National Influenza Centre (NIC) for the World Health Organisation (since 2014)
• Director WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Haemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research(since 2014)
• Member of the Alberta Provincial Pediatric EnTeric Infection Team International Scientific Advisory Committee (APPETITE) (since 2014)
• Member of the WHO IHR Emergency Committee on MERS-Cov (since 2014)
• Member of the Advisory Council European Society for Virology (since 2010)

• HHS invention award, 1993. Diagnostic diaper for identifying congenital infection with CMV and other pathogens. J.G. Dobbins, M.P. Koopmans, J.A. Stewart, and P.E. Pellett.
• Nucleic acids encoding human astrovirus serotype 2 and uses thereof. 1997. S.S. Monroe, R.I. Glass, M.P.G. Koopmans and B. Jiang.
• RIVM, Department for Infectious Diseases: Topscientist award per 1-5-1998.
• Wolinsky award for the best publication in Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2002.
• W.R.O. Goslingsprijs, Nederlandse Vereniging voor Infectieziekten, 2004.
• Honorary Doctorate Æresdoktor 2017’ Technical University of Denmark, 2017.
• Simon StevinLaureaat 2018, Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, 2018
• International Patent Application No. PCT/NL2019/050283 Treatments and biomarkers for the prognosis of zika virus infection.

• GREAT-LIFE (101103059) Value € 5.207.500, Viroscience share € 206.250 funded by Horizon Europe (2023 – 2028)
• GeoSentinel PRESEVERE (115547), Viroscience share 60.000 USD funded by International Society of Travel Medicine (2023 – 2027)
• DURABLE (101102733) Delivering a Unified Research Alliance of Biomedical and public health Laboratories against Epidemics.Value € 24.970.297, Viroscience share € 3.497.406 funded by HaDEAEurope (2022 – 2027) – Project Coordinator.
• IDAlert Tackling the emergence and transmission of pathogens to improve Europe’s resilience to health threats linked to infectious diseases. Value € 9.999.452, Viroscience share € 730.108 funded by EU Horizon Europe (2022 – 2027)
• GlycoNovi: Understanding the Role of Glycans in Human Norovirus Infection: a Key to Unlock New Therapies (101072717) Value € 2.412 295. Viroscience share € 274.370, funded by EU Horizon Europe (2023 – 2026)
• MPX-RESPONSE (101115188) A clinical research network to improve the management of Monkeypox virus disease. Value € 12.000.004,50, Viroscience share € 359.547,50 funded by Horizon Europe (2022 – 2026)
• RIVM RefLab Corona, Viroscience share €298.465, funded by RIVM (2022 – 2026)
• Pandemic & Disaster Preparedness Center Collaboration to study future virus outbreaks and disasters to be better prepared for these calamities.Value € 10.000.000 (2021 – 2026)
• ECRAID-Base (965313) Advance clinical research in the field of infectious disease with the development of a pan-European clinical research network Value € 281.411. funded by EU H2020. (2021 – 2026)
• Simon Stevin premie, Viroscience share €2.500.00, funded by NWO (2018 – 2026)
• One Health PACT: Preparing for vector-borne virus outbreaks in a changing world: a One Health Approach (NWA.1160.18.210), total project value € 10.000.000, Viroscience share € 2.602.558, funded by NWO-NWA (2019 – 2025) – Project Coordinator.
• BY-COVID: total project value € 12.000.000, Viroscience share € 792.338.00, funded by Horizon Europe (2021 – 2024)
• VEO: Versatile Emerging infectious disease Observatory (874735) total project value € 16.719.370, Viroscience share € 2.801.379, funded by EU H2020 (2020 – 2024) – Project Coordinator.
• ZonMw TOP Respiratory health risks from intensive livestock production, risk estimation and prevention value € 674.950 Viroscience share €196.809 funded by ZonMW (2018 – 2024) – Co-applicant, Coordinator Prof dr. Dick Heederik.
• RECOVAC: long-term efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination in dialysis patients and renal transplant patients; funded by ZonMw (2021 – 2024); Viroscience share € 50.000.
• RECODID (825746) total project value € 5.960.025, Viroscience share € 741 212, funded by EU H2020 (2019 – 2024) – WP Leader, Coordinator Dr. Thomas Jaenisch.
• SHARP JA (848096) total project value € 9.874.948, Viroscience share € 332.211 funded by EU DG SANCO (2019 – 2024) – WP co-leader, Coordinator Prof dr. Mika Salminen.
• EVA-GLOBAL (871029) total project value € 11.602.748, Viroscience share € 236.681, funded by EU H2020 (2020 – 2023) – Project Collaborator, Coordinator Prof dr. Jean-Louis Romette.
• RECOVER: Rapid European SARS-CoV-2 Emergency research response (101003589) total project value € 4.995.820, Viroscience share € 455.441, funded by the EU H2020 (2020 – 2023) – WP leader, Coordinator prof. Herman Goossens.
• RIVM Emerging Infections, funded by RIVM (2022)
• ECRAID-plan (825715) total project value € 2.994.560, Viroscience share € 158.850, funded by EU H2020 (2019 – 2022) – Project Collaborator, Coordinator Prof. dr. Herman Goossens.
• WHO Agreement for performance of work (202605269), To gain in-depth understanding of the evolution, spread and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during the coming phase of the pandemic, value USD 275.000 (2020 – 2021)
• Vroegdetectie van SARS-CoV-2 total project value € 570.000, Viroscience share € 250.000, funded by Erasmus MC Foundation (2020 – 2021) – Project Coordinator.
• Riool study COVID: Sewage surveillance will be used as early warning system to detect new introductions of SARS-CoV-2 as early as possible; funded by Erasmus MC Foundation (2020 – 2021), total project value € 200.000, Viroscience share € 200.000.
• ZonMw COVID-19 “Infectiepreventie van COVID-19 inziekenhuizen: Control of COVID-19 in hospitals (COCON-study)” total project value € 584.827, Viroscience share € 47.250, funded by ZonMw (2020 – 2021) – Co-applicant, Coordinator Prof. J. Kluytmans.
• ZonMw COVID-19 “Monitoring the evolution, spread and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through whole genome sequencing to enable fast genotype to phenotype prediction” total project value € 410.015, Viroscience share € 405.440, funded by ZonMw (2020 – 2021) – Project Coordinator.
• EFSA NGS Noro: total project value € 5.960.025, Viroscience share € 76.903, funded by EFSA (2019 – 2021) – WP Leader, Coordinator Dr. Soizick Le Guyader.
• DUCAMID (ALWCA.2016.039) total project value €600.000 Viroscience share € 400.000 funded by NWO Caribbean (2017 – 2021) - Main applicant.
• ZikaRisk total project value € 500.000, Viroscience share € 237.500 funded by ZONMW Non-alimentaire Zoonosen (2017 – 2021) – Project Collaborator.
• PREPARE (602525) total project value € 23.992.000 Viroscience share € 1.426.432 funded by EU FP7 (2014 – 2021) – WP Leader, Coordinator Prof dr. Herman Goossens.
• Fighting COVID-19 in animals and humans, a One health approach total project value € 1.517.640, Viroscience share € 92.486, funded by LNV (2020) – WP leader, Coordinator prof. J.A. Stegeman.
• ZIKAlliance (734548) total project value € 11.964.209 Viroscience share € 634.867 funded by EU H2020 (2016 – 2020) – WP Leader, Coordinator Prof dr. Xavier de Lamballerie.
• METASTAVA: Standardisation and validation of metagenomics methods for the detection of foodborne zoonoses, antimicrobial resistance and emerging threats. Viroscience € 416.250 funded by EU H2020 One Health EJP (2018 – 2019) – Project Collaborator, Coordinator Steven Van Borm.
• EMERGE (677066) total project value € 3.499.873 Viroscience share € 218.530 funded by EU DG SANCO (2015 – 2019) – WP Leader, Coordinator Prof dr. Roland Grunow.
• EVAg (653316) total project value € 10.792.869 Viroscience share € 539.345 funded by EU H2020 (2015 – 2019) – Participant, Coordinator Prof dr. Jean-Louis Romette.
• COMPARE (643476) total project value € 20.000.000 Viroscience share € 2.403.500 funded by EU H2020 (2014 – 2019) – Co-coordinator, Coordinator Prof dr. Frank Aarestrup.
• Emerging Infections funded by RIVM (2014 – 2019) - Principal Investigator.
• Eco-Alert: critical control points for early warning of arboviral emergence (522001004), funded by ZonMw (2014 – 2019)
• VIROGENESIS: Virus discovery and epidemic tracing from high throughput metagenomics sequencing, total project value €2.995.969, Viroscience share €586.010 funded by EU H2020 (2015 – 2018)
• TOP NGS Emerging viruses: from molecular pathogenesis studies to evaluation of control measures: a systems biology approach to the use of next generation sequencing for emerging viral diseases (91213058), funded by ZonMw (2014 – 2018)
• Ebola Mobile Labs: building and deploying three mobile labs during the West Africa outbreak (2014 – 2016)