Sander Herfst

Dr. Sander Herfst is a Full Professor in the Department of Virology at Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Rotterdam. His research focuses on virology, particularly influenza transmission mechanisms, viral evolution, and vaccine development. He leads pioneering work on RNA vaccine technologies and zoonotic disease transmission.

Key research areas include aerosol transmission of avian influenza viruses, antigenic mapping for vaccine design, and glycan-receptor interactions in viral evolution. His work bridges fundamental virology with applied vaccinology for pandemic preparedness.

Dr. Herfst received the Heine-Medin Award in 2018 for outstanding contributions to virology research. His laboratory investigates molecular determinants of cross-species transmission and develops novel vaccine platforms against emerging viral threats.