prof. dr. ir. R.P. van Rij (Ronald)

Mosquitoes and other blood-feeding insects can transmit important viral pathogens. Some of these arthropod-borne (arbo-)viruses such as dengue and Zika virus are responsible for worldwide epidemics and high mortality rates. Despite the enormous disease burden associated with dengue virus, specific treatment and effective intervention strategies are lacking. Arboviruses replicate efficiently in both mosquito vector and vertebrate host. As a consequence, these viruses interact with host proteins of these diverse hosts and encounter the innate and adaptive immune responses of vertebrates, as well as the — poorly characterized — innate immune system of insects.

The research group of Ronald van Rij studies virus-host interaction in insects and mammals with a major interest in antiviral immunity and small RNA pathways in mosquitoes and the genetic model organisms Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly). In addition, his group aims to identify and characterize novel inhibitors of dengue and Zika virus. For this work, a biosafety level 3 laboratory and mosquito insectary was established to study pathogenic arboviruses in mosquitoes of the Aedes genus.
Ronald van Rij was awarded several national and international grants, including a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC), a Research Grant from the Human Frontiers Science Program (HFSP), and a VICI grant from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO).

In addition to heading the laboratory of experimental virology, Van Rij is responsible for teaching virology and RNA biology in several BSc and MSc programs and is member of the Educational Management team of the Msc program Molecular Mechanisms of Disease (MMD).