Dr. W.J.B. (Willem) van Wamel

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is an important human pathogen that can cause beside a variety of acute-, also difficult to treat chronic infections. This bacterium is equipped with a vast set of 
virulence factors, yet their role in pathogeneses is often unclear. In order to understand the process leading to disease, my group develops strategies to monitor in vivo expression of these virulence factors and uses this knowledge for development of new therapeutics.
By monitoring the humoral responses against 70 virulence factors (Luminex) in sequentially obtained sera from S. aureus patients, we assigned a dozen virulence factors to be involved in S.aureus colonization of CF patients, -bacteremia, -osteomyelitis, -pneumonia and -skin infections. Furthermore we developed techniques (based on reporter technology, Luminex and mass spectrometry) to determine the production of virulence factors of S. aureus biofilms (associated with chronic infection) and discovered that S. aureus already during the first stages of biofilm formation produces several immune modulators to mislead the immune system. Currently this setup is used to screen for potential new drugs that can interfere with these processes.
In addition we developed an assay to monitor (real-time) the metabolic status of biofilms associated bacteria using micro calorimetry. This setup allows us to study the sensitivity of biofilms associated cells of S. aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii towards clinically relevant antibiotics. At this moment we are looking for new ways to mimic the in vivo conditions during endocarditis, LVAD driveline-, and foreign body infections, so we can in the future a/ support our clinical colleagues in finding the right antibiotic therapy to treat patients, b/ look for alternative therapeutics including bacteriophages to fight these devastating infections.

• Humoral response against Staphylococcus aureus
• Immune evasion of Staphylococcus aureus biofilms
• Micro calorimetry
• Development of new therapies for endocarditis, LVAD driveline-, and foreign body infections

Education:

1985-1991 MSc degree in Biology, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands
1991-1997 Ph.D.-student, Microbiology, “Eijkman Winkler” Institute for Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Inflammation, University Medical Center Utrecht, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands. Thesis: Regulation of virulence factors in staphylococci. Promotor: Prof. Dr. J. Verhoef.

Career:

1997-1998 Post Doc, “Eijkman Winkler” Institute for Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and inflammation, (Dr. J.A.G. van Strijp), UMC-Utrecht, The Netherlands.
1998-1999 Post Doc, Laboratory of Bacterial Pathogenesis & Immunology, (Dr. A.L. Cheung), The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
1999-2000 Post Doc, Dartmouth Medical School, (Dr. A.L. Cheung), Hanover, NH, USA.
2000-2006 Post Doc, “Eijkman Winkler” Institute for Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and inflammation (Prof. Dr. J.A.G. van Strijp, Prof. Dr. M.J.M. Bonten), UMC-Utrecht, The Netherlands.
2007-2021 Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Since October
2010-present Head of the Staphylococcus aureus research-group
2021-present Associate Professor, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Publications of Willem van Wamel can be found on PubMed

As a teacher active in:

• Bachelor Medicine (ErasmusMC)
• Klinische Technologie (TU Delft, University Leiden and Erasmus MC) minor
• Research master Infection and Immunity (ErasmusMC)