Rembert Mertens

Rembert Mertens is a Physician Scientist at the Vitality Research Group of Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (UZB), affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). His clinical practice and research are centered in the Department of Internal Medicine, with a strong focus on infectious diseases and their systemic complications.

His research interests span multiple critical areas of modern medicine including Infectious Diseases (particularly tick-borne encephalitis viruses at 92% fingerprint match), Bacterial Infections (with 88% match for Bacillary Dysentery and 68% for Klebsiella pneumoniae), Arthritis (86% for Reactive Arthritis), and Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (84%). His work also extends to tropical medicine with significant research on Falciparum Malaria (75%) and health issues in Egypt (77%).

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strategic research trajectory focusing on post-infectious complications, particularly neurological and immunological sequelae of infections. His work bridges clinical medicine with neuroscience, especially evident in his studies on structural brain connectivity changes following COVID-19 hospitalization and adrenergic dysfunction in chronic fatigue conditions.

• Member of expert group for Dengue vaccination policy (Belgian High Health Council)
• Program committee member for Interuniversitary Internal Medicine Course (VUB)
• Participant in European AIDS Conference and ID Week conferences
• Active contributor to clinical infectious disease education

Mertens maintains an active research program with 27 publications since 2010 and an h-index of 24, demonstrating significant scholarly impact in his fields of expertise.