Piet van Rijn

Piet van Rijn is a full Professor and external employee in the Department of Virology & Molecular Biology at Wageningen University & Research, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. He is a leading expert in veterinary virology, particularly in orbiviruses such as Bluetongue Virus (BTV) and African Horse Sickness Virus (AHSV). His research is central to understanding viral pathogenesis, immune evasion, and vaccine development.

His research interests focus on Orbivirus molecular biology, vaccine development using reverse genetics, vector-borne disease transmission, and innate immune responses to viral infection. He investigates how double-stranded RNA viruses like BTV disrupt host immune signaling, particularly the cGAS-STING pathway, to evade antiviral responses. His work integrates molecular virology, immunology, and field epidemiology to combat emerging livestock diseases.

His recent publications reveal a strong trend in monitoring emerging BTV serotypes in Europe, engineering reporter-expressing viruses for in vivo tracking, and studying immune evasion mechanisms. These studies span high-impact journals in veterinary medicine, microbiology, and cellular life sciences, reflecting interdisciplinary impact.

He has led multiple national research projects funded by LVVN, including those on reverse genetics for AHSV, vaccine development, and vector competence. He has also contributed to public discourse through 35 press and media appearances, offering expert commentary on bluetongue outbreaks and vaccination policies.

Piet van Rijn has been involved in significant collaborative research, including datasets on vector-borne pathogens in Dutch wildlife and numerous multi-institutional studies. His work is frequently cited and disseminated through academic platforms, Mendeley, and social media, indicating broad scientific engagement.