K.C. Wolthers MD PhD

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MD PhD K.C. Wolthers

Position
Medical Specialist
Main activities
Patient care, Research
Specialisation
Medical Microbiology/virology
Focus of research

Molecular epidemiology and pathogenesis of human parechoviruses and enteroviruses

Key publications
  • van der Sanden Sabine M. G., Koen Gerrit, van Eijk Hetty, Koekkoek Sylvie M., de Jong Menno D., Wolthers Katja C. Prediction of Protection against Asian Enterovirus 71 Outbreak Strains by Cross-neutralizing Capacity of Serum from Dutch Donors, The Netherlands Emerging infectious diseases 2016;22 (9):1562-1569 [PubMed]
  • Shakeel Shabih, Westerhuis Brenda M., Domanska Ausra, Koning Roman I., Matadeen Rishi, Koster Abraham J., Bakker Arjen Q., Beaumont Tim, Wolthers Katja C., Butcher Sarah J. Multiple capsid-stabilizing interactions revealed in a high-resolution structure of an emerging picornavirus causing neonatal sepsis Nature communications 2016;7:11387 [PubMed]
  • van der Linden L., Bruning A. H. L., Thomas X. V., Minnaar R. P., Rebers S. P. H., Schinkel J., de Jong M. D., Pajkrt D., Wolthers K. C. A molecular epidemiological perspective of rhinovirus types circulating in Amsterdam from 2007 to 2012 Clinical microbiology and infection 2016;22 (12):1002.e9-1002.e14 [PubMed]
All Publications
Curriculum Vitae

Amsterdam UMC, location AMC:

2019-2022        (co) coordinator H2020 Marie Curie ITN consortium Organovir (www.organovir.com)

2014-2018        Coordinator FP7 Marie Curie Industry Academic Partnership and Pathways consortium "AIROPIco" (Antiviral research, Vol 161, Jan 2019 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166354218306806?via%3Dihub)

2003-present    Staff member Clinical Virologist at Dept Medical Microbiology, AMC

 

Other activities

2018            Organization and co-chairing First Amsterdam Organoid Symposium (location AMC, Amsterdam, Dec 6 2018)

2018            Participant Innovation Network Transition to Animal Free Innovations TPI (https://www.transitieproefdiervrijeinnovatie.nl/) (invited)

2016-2018   Organizing Committee EUROPIC 2018, the 20th International Picornavirus meeting, Egmond aan Zee, the Netherlands, June 3-8 2018,                         www.europic2018.org

2017-present   Invited member of Picornaviridae Study Group of International Committee for Taxonomy of Viruses 

2017-present   Work package Leader European Network of Non-Polio Enteroviruses (ENPEN)

2017-present Member Royal Dutch Society of Microbiology (KNVM) section Virology (https://www.knvm.org/divisions/virology)

2017          Organization and co-chairing session “Human 3D Cell Culture Models for Virus Research” at the Scientific Spring Meeting KNVM & NVMM (Dutch Society of Medical Microbiology), Papendal, April 2017

2015          Workshop on Human 3D Cell Culture Models for Virus Research; AIROPico in collaboration with ESCV. Amsterdam, Oct 2015

2014         Organization and co-chairing session “Developments in antiviral therapy and antiviral resistance”at the Scientific Spring Meeting KNVM & NVMM (Dutch Society of Medical Microbiology), Papendal, April 2014

2014-2020 Invited Scientific Committee member for EUROPIC conferences 2014 and 2016 (revision abstacts and chairing)
 

• Review Editor for the Journal of Clinical Virology 2008- present
• Board member Antibiotics Committee AMC, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, 2010 – 2014
• Board member Dutch Society for Clinical Virology, 2010 – 2014
• Board member National Quality Control Committee for Medical Microbiological Laboratories (SKML) division Cell Culture, 2010-2017
• Review Editor for the Editorial Board of Frontiers in Virology 2010- present
*Member Subcommittee Medical and Veterinary Aspects of COGEM (Commissie genetische Modificatie) 2013- 2016

 

Previous:

1998-2003 Medical Microbiology/Virology training at the Erasmus University Rotterdam, Laboratory of Virology, Head Prof A. Osterhaus

1993-1998 PhD research 'T cell function and T cell dynamics in HIV-1 infection.' Central Laboratory of the Blood Transfusion Service (Sanquin). Promotor Prof. F. Miedema

1992-1993 Glaxo Fellowship, New England Medical Center, Boston (Prof. Dr. H.A. Büller/ Prof. Dr. R.A Grand)

1984-1993 Medical School University of Groningen (1984-1989) and University of Amsterdam (1989-1993)
 

Research programmes

MD PhD K.C. Wolthers (Molecular epidemiology and pathogenesis of human picornaviruses)

Our clinical laboratory is specialized in fast and reliable laboratory diagnosis for entero- rhino- and parechovirus infections, all members of the Picornavirus family. We use virus genotyping to show the widespreadness of the different virus genoypes and their relation with clinical symptoms. We have expertise in molecular evolution studies. My research established the role of human parechoviruses (HPeVs) as serious and frequently occurring pathogens in young infants, and two new types HPeV4 and HPeV14 were discovered. We defined classification rules for HPeVs in good agreement with the Picornavirus Studygroup; nowadays, 19 types are known. We were the first to show significant differences in clinical symptoms and age of infection between HPeV3 and HPeV1, and the importance of HPeV3 in viral CNS infections.

My research focuses on pathogenesis of human picornaviruses. The role of maternal antibody protection in picornavirus infection in neonates is studied, as well as differences in cell tropism between picornavirus types in relation to disease severity. Furthermore we focus on treatment possibilities and resistance mechanisms. My group has extensive expertise in virus culture and human 3D cell culture models, such as human airway epithelium (HAE) cultures and gut organoids, which are used to study picornavirus pathogenesis.  

I am (co) coordinator of the Marie Curie ITN consortium Organovir, a trainingsnetwork on Organoids for Virology (www.organovir.com). The coming years we will extend our expertise with 3D models and organoids such as human brain and skin for virus research. 

 

Faculty
MD PhD D. Pajkrt

Postdocs
PhD K.S.M. Benschop
MSc PhD A. Sridhar
PhD X.V. Thomas
PhD L. van der Linden
PhD S.M.G. van der Sanden
B.M. Westerhuis

Others
BSc L. Bosch
BSc D. de Blauw
G. Koen
PhD E.A. Koppel
BSc R. Minnaar
A.I. Reitsma
H.W.M. van Eijk
PhD R. Venkatachalam

Medewerkers buiten research programmes van afdeling Medische Microbiologie

Current research funding
  • AMC
  • Europese Unie