Michiel van Gent

Michiel van Gent is Assistant Professor in Virology at Erasmus Medical Center, where he investigates virus-host interactions with focus on herpesviruses and innate immune responses.

Research examines immune evasion strategies employed by herpesviruses, particularly Epstein-Barr virus and herpes simplex virus. Current projects utilize human fetal organotypic brain slice cultures to study neurovirulence mechanisms and virus-induced cell death pathways. Work explores how herpesviruses manipulate host transcription systems to create replication-favorable environments.

Recent publications characterize neurotropic infections by Usutu, Zika, and West Nile viruses in comparative models, and investigate varicella-zoster virus dynamics in neuronal tissues.