Joppe Hovius, born in 1976, is an internist and infectious disease specialist in Amsterdam UMC and a distinguished professor of Medicine specializing in vector-borne infectious diseases at the University of Amsterdam’s Faculty of Medicine. In 2013 Dr. Hovius founded the Amsterdam UMC Multidisciplinary Lyme Borreliosis Center, recognized as an expertise center by the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport. This center provides high-quality patient care for individuals suspected of Lyme borreliosis or other tick-borne diseases.

His research delves into the molecular mechanisms responsible for immune suppression triggered by tick saliva, affecting the transmission of Lyme bacteria from ticks to humans and influencing the clinical course of Lyme borreliosis. This research not only advances our understanding of the human immune system and Lyme borreliosis, but also contributes to the development of a potential vaccine against ticks, offering protection against various tick-borne diseases.

Dr. Hovius also works tirelessly to enhance diagnostic tests for tick-borne diseases, including Lyme borreliosis. His extensive research endeavors include being the AMC Principal Investigator for ticks and tick-borne diseases, scientific coordination of the European research project ANTIDotE, and participation in the NorthTick consortium. Furthermore, he serves as the principal investigator for several research projects funded by the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research & Development (ZonMw). Notably, in 2021, he was awarded a VIDI grant from ZonMw to investigate novel preventive strategies against human tick-borne diseases.
This has resulted in numerous publications in esteemed scientific journals, including Immunity, The Lancet, The Lancet Infectious Diseases, The Lancet Microbe, CELL Host & Microbe, PLOS Medicine, PLOS Pathogens, BMJ, Nature Communications and Nature Reviews Disease Primers.

Dr. Hovius is committed to sharing his knowledge. He actively educates students, trainee doctors, and healthcare providers about Lyme borreliosis and other vector-borne diseases. His involvement in a national e-learning program on Lyme borreliosis for family doctors in the Netherlands is just one example of his dedication to increasing medical awareness.

Furthermore, Dr. Hovius actively engages in national and international working groups and committees dedicated to tick-borne diseases. Finally, in early 2021, Dr. Hovius collaborated with 'stichting biowetenschappen en maatschappij' to publish an extensive book on ticks, tick-bites, and tick-borne diseases for the interested laymen audience Publicaties - Biowetenschappen & Maatschappij.