Elisabeth Bel

Elisabeth Bel is a Full Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the Academic Medical Centre (AMC), University of Amsterdam. She has been a University Medical Specialist in Respiratory Medicine since 1995, working at both Leiden University Medical Centre and Amsterdam University Medical Centre. Her leadership roles include Head of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine (2007-2018) and President of the European Respiratory Society (2013-2016).

• MD (1983) and PhD (cum laude, 1990) from the University of Amsterdam and Leiden University, respectively.
• Dutch Board Certified in Respiratory Medicine (1995).

Her research focuses on severe and difficult-to-treat asthma, emphasizing phenotyping, biomarkers, and biologics. She employs a bedside-bench translational approach, integrating clinical observations with pulmonary physiological, histological, and molecular techniques. Her work extends to EU-funded collaborations like ENFUMOSA, GA2LEN, BIOAIR, and UBIOPRED, where she led studies to identify unbiased biomarkers in respiratory disease outcomes.

The most recent publications highlight her contributions to biologics in asthma treatment (e.g., mepolizumab), phenotyping, precision medicine, and biomarker discovery. Her research spans immunology, clinical trial design, and epidemiology.

• 2016: Jeffrey Drazen Visiting Professor at Harvard University.
• 2014: Fellowship of the European Respiratory Society for Scientific Excellence.
• 2000: Editorial Board Member, American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
• 1990: Young Investigator Award, European Respiratory Society.

Elisabeth Bel has been a certified teacher of medical students and trainer of pulmonary medicine residents. She founded the Multidisciplinary Centre for Asthma and Allergy at Leiden University Medical Centre. Her collaborations include the European Respiratory Society Taskforce and the SHARP network, focusing on patient-centered severe asthma research.