Dr. G. P. (Gijsbert) van Nierop

Current research interests and goal

With his B-cell platform workgroup, Gijsbert studies humoral antiviral immune responses at the clonal level to gain mechanistic insight in how antibodies contribute to immune protection and pathogenesis by investigating virus- and vaccine-specific immune responses in context of antigenic relations.

Previous work and professional development

Gijsbert obtained his PhD studying immunopathology of multiple sclerosis (MS). He identified aberrant antibody and T-cell reactivity towards reactivated Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in absence of virus in the central nervous system of MS patients, leading to the concept of EBV-induced autoimmunity. With this he developed an interest in immune interactions that underlie immunopathology.

External profile pages:

• Researchgate
• LinkedIn

Team

• Muriel Aguilar-Bretones, PhD student (Sep 2019)
• Cristina Gonzalez-Lopez, PhD student (Nov 2022)
• Julian Reinders, Research Technician (Sep 2025)

Adaptive immunity, Humoral immunity, B-cell and antibody biology

Gijsbert received his PhD at the department of Neurology of the Erasmus MC in 2018 for his multidisciplinary studies on the immunopathology that is associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). Here, he analyzed the presence of MS-associated viruses, the breadth and magnitude of the cellular and humoral antiviral and auto-immune responses in the context of MS-associated genetic risk profiles.

After his PhD he started a new research line at the Viroscience Department on antiviral B-cell immunity. As post doctoral researcher, he setup the B-cell platform workgroup and was promoted to Assistant Professor in January 2024.

Key publications

Preferential boosting of Omicron lineage-specific immune responses by monovalent XBB.1.5 vaccination despite immune imprinting.
D Geers#, M Aguilar-Bretones#, LM Zaeck#, PA Gill§, C Gonzalez-Lopez§, K Handrejk§, NH Tan§, Y den Hartog, L Gommers, S Bogers, AZ Mykytyn, RSG Sablerolles, A Goorhuis, DF Postma, LG Visser, VASH Dalm, M Lafeber, NA Kootstra, D van Baarle, BL Haagmans, MPG Koopmans, CH GeurtsvanKessel, PHM van der Kuy, GP van Nierop*, MC van Zelm*, RD de Vries (#/§/*equal contributions)
MedRxiv. DOI: 10.1101/2025.10.30.25339006 (Nov, 2025)
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.10.30.25339006v1

Enabling yellow fever vaccination post-thymectomy.
EC Rijnink*, M Aguilar-Bretones*, RD de Vries, S Veenbergen, CH Geurts van Kessel, MPG Koopmans, PA van Doorn, L Slobbe, RA Brooimans, GP van Nierop, C Rokx. (*equal contributions)
Zenodo, DOI: zenodo.17513634 (Nov, 2025)
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17513634

SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactive B-cells outnumber seasonal coronavirus spike-specific clones at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
C Gonzalez Lopez, M Aguilar-Bretones, J Zhang, B Bekki, P van den Doel, EC van Gorp, PHM van der Kuy, BL Haagmans, CH GeurtsVanKessel, MPG Koopmans, RD de Vries, MJ van Gils, GP van Nierop
medRxiv DOI:10.1101/2025.09.28.25336743 (Sep, 2025)
https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.09.28.25336743

SARS-CoV-2-specific immune responses converge in kidney disease patients and controls with hybrid immunity.
M Aguilar-Bretones#, Y den Hartog#, LLA van Dijk#, SRK Malahe, M Dieterich, H Tejeda Mora, YM Mueller, MPG Koopmans, MEJ Reinders, CC Baan, GP van Nierop*, RD de Vries*. (#/*equal contributions)
npj Vaccines 9(93):1-13; DOI: 10.1038/s41541-024-00886-0 (2024)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41541-024-00886-0

Impact of antigenic evolution and original antigenic sin on SARS-CoV-2 immunity.
M Aguilar-Bretones, RAM Fouchier, MPG Koopmans, GP van Nierop.
J Clin Ivest. 133(1):e162192; DOI: 10.1172/JCI162192 (2023)
https://www.jci.org/articles/view/162192

Seasonal coronavirus–specific B cells with limited SARS-CoV-2 cross-reactivity dominate the IgG response in severe COVID-19.
M Aguilar-Bretones*, BM Westerhuis*, MP Raadsen, E de Bruin, FD Chandler, NMA Okba, BL Haagmans, T Langerak, H Endeman, JPC van den Akker, DAMPJ Gommers, ECM van Gorp, CH GeurtsvanKessel, RD de Vries, RAM Fouchier, BHG Rockx, MPG Koopmans, GP van Nierop. (*equal contributions)
J Clin Invest. Nov 1;131(21):e150613. DOI: 10.1172/JCI150613. (2021)
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8553556/

• Co-core teacher at the Infections and Immunity research master of the Molecular Medicine school
• Teacher at the Biomedical Research in Practice pre-master
• Co-promotor of Muriel Aguilar-Bretones, MSc and Cristina Gonzalez Lopez, MSc

• REFINE
• VEO
• Punch-mAb
• CEIRR