http://www.rivm.nl/RIVM/Kennis_en_kunde/Experts_en_expertise/Profielpagina_s/S/Prof_dr_E_A_M_Lieke_Sanders

Dr. Prof. Elisabeth AM Sanders (F), born in 1959 is paediatrician and Professor in Pediatric Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the University Medical Center Utrecht in combination with a position as Chief Science Officer (Immunology, Infectiology and Vaccinology) at the Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM). She has a H-index of 38 and wrote over 250 peer reviewed manuscripts in international journals . She was head of the clinical department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases of the University Children’s Hospital Utrecht between 2004-2009. Between 2009 -2014 she was director Research and Education of the University Hospital for Children in Utrecht. She has a long standing interest in the clinical effectiveness of vaccines, prevention of respiratory infections and development of microbiome and immunity in children. At present, her research focus is  optimizing current national vaccination programmes for children and elderly, epidemiology and prevention of respiratory tract infections and respiratory microbiome profile development in health and disease.

Since 2010, she is a member of the Health Council for the Ministry of Health. She has participated in many scientific advisory boards for the national Health Council.

(INTER) NATIONAL COMMITTEES AND BOARDS

2021-   Consultant (geraadpleegd deskundige) National Health Council  on COVID-19 vaccination strategies (gezondheidsraad COVID-19 vaccinatie)

2021-  (co-)Director wetenschappelijk inhoudelijk COVID-19 vaccinatie programma RIVM (naast Hans van Vliet)

2020-   Consultant Outbreak Management Team on SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19

2019 -   Co-initiator of IGJ AIOS Conference (since 2017, twice a year) with the aim of improved interaction between Inspection (IGJ) and doctors in training

2019 -   Member NWO selection Committee VIDI candidates

2019-    Member of Conference Committee National Society for Paediatrics in the Netherlands, NVK

2017-    Member of the International Coalition for Life Course Immunization (CLCI)

2016-    WHO: Member of WHO SAGE working group on pneumococcal vaccines

2016 - 2018      Member of Faculty Masterclasses Vaccinology

2016 -               Observer at the JCVI meetings (3-4 times per year), UK

2010 - 2018      Member of the Health Council

2011 - 2015      National Pediatric Society (NVK); board member scientific committee

2007 - 2015      Member Health Council of the Netherlands; Member of the council group (Beraadgroep) on Infections and Immunity

2013 - 2014      Health Council of the Netherlands; member of the council committee on the national program for FLU vaccination.

2013 - 2014      Health Council of the Netherlands; member of the council committee on the national immunization program (Commission RVP) of the National Health Council.

2005 - 2014      Stichting Afweerstoornissen, SAS, Chair scientific advice committee Patient Society for Immunodeficiency disease. 

2001 - 2013      Board member responsible for the Organization of the scientific meetings of the Interuniversity working party for the Study of Immune deficiencies

2013       Member NWO VENI  selection committee

2013       Member scientific board ISPPD conference India, March 2014

2007 - 2012          KNAW- Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the TerMeulenFonds” –

2012    World Health Organization meeting PneumoCarr March 27-28^th in Geneva, March 27/28.

2003 - 2012      Dutch Society of Pediatrics, NVK, member of the selection committee for the Young Investigators Award

2011    Health Council of the Netherlands, member of the council committee on population screening for cervical cancer.

2011     Member scientific committee ESPID conference June 2011

2010     National Health Council Advisory member of the committee on vaccination of newborns against pneumococcal infections

2003 - 2009      Member of the Board of Trustees of the National Vaccine Institute, NVI

2009      National Health Council Advisory member of the committee on vaccination against pandemic Flu.

2004 - 2008     KNAW- Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. Member of the scientific Advisory Board of the TerMeulen Fonds –

1997 - 2007     Board member/Treasurer of the Pediatric Immunology Section of the Dutch Society of Pediatrics

2002    Committee for the Ministry of Health, for the National Vaccination Program regarding pneumococcal and Meningococcal C vaccinations, advisory member.

2001    Member Cochrane Collaboration on Pneumococcal Vaccines and Otitis Media

Potential Conflicts of Interest

Besides her function as Professor at the University of Utrecht and position (0.2 Fte) at the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, Lieke Sanders has a full-time position at the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) as Chief Science Officer since December 2014. Since January 2021 she is co-medical director of the COVID-19 vaccination programme at RIVM. She is member of the WHO-SAGE committee on pneumococcal vaccinations, consultant for the national Health Council committee for COVID-19 vaccination (incidenteel geraadpleegd deskundige) without any personal fee or benefit.  

Dr Sanders has no research connections with pharmaceutical or industrial partners since 2014, besides as research partner in IMI-funded studies RESCEU and PROMISE projects with partners GSK, Novavax, Janssen, AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Sanofi. She receives no personal fees or other personal benefits from any collaboration as RIVM partner in these studies or research.

No other conflict of interest to report.

-