Barry Rockx

Barry Rockx is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Virology at Erasmus MC, where he conducts cutting-edge research on emerging and re-emerging RNA viruses. His work focuses on understanding viral pathogenesis, host immune responses, and developing advanced preclinical models to study infections such as SARS-CoV-2, Zika virus, West Nile virus, Usutu virus, and orthohantaviruses.

His research interests span virology, immunology, and infectious diseases, with a particular emphasis on arboviruses and neurotropic viruses. He employs human lung xenograft mouse models and fetal organotypic brain slice cultures to investigate infection mechanisms and evaluate potential therapeutics.

The recent publications (2024–2025) demonstrate a strong trend in studying vector-borne transmission, neurovirulence, and diagnostic development. His work frequently explores cross-viral comparisons (e.g., Usutu vs. Zika vs. West Nile), highlighting shared and distinct pathogenic mechanisms.

Scientific contributions include:

• Development of a pan-orthohantavirus human lung xenograft model for preclinical testing
• Investigating mosquito saliva effects on West Nile virus pathogenesis
• Assessing neurotropism of Usutu and West Nile viruses in human neural tissues
• Implementing RT-PCR diagnostics for orthohantaviruses in endemic regions

Dr. Rockx supervises research work, as indicated by the 'Supervised Work (4)' metric, suggesting mentorship of students or junior scientists. He collaborates widely across institutions and countries, contributing to a robust network in global virology research. There is no mention of formal education, awards, or grants in the provided text, but his publication record and active research profile underscore his significant role in advancing virological science.