Geert-Jan Boons

Prof. Geert-Jan Boons holds a dual professorship in Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery at Utrecht University (since 2015) and the University of Georgia (UGA), where he has been a Distinguished Professor in Biochemical Sciences since 2013. He leads research in carbohydrate chemistry, vaccine development, and molecular immunology. His academic journey includes roles at UGA’s Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, the University of Birmingham (UK), and postdoctoral positions at Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge.

• Education: PhD in Synthetic Carbohydrate Chemistry (Leiden University, 1991), M.Sc. Chemistry (Leiden, 1987).

Research focuses on glycan synthesis, therapeutic glycobiology, and translational drug discovery. He has pioneered synthetic vaccines and carbohydrate-based therapeutics. His work bridges academia and industry, reflected in his roles founding ViaMune, Inc., and advising Aviceda Therapeutics.

• Awards: National Academy of Inventors Fellow, Arthur C. Cope Award, and multiple honors from the American Chemical Society.

He chairs conferences (e.g., Gordon Research Conference on Carbohydrate) and serves on editorial boards for Carbohydrate Research and Glycobiology. Teaching includes advanced organic synthesis and thesis supervision at Utrecht.