Robert de Vries wins KNAW Beijerinck Premium

Robert de Vries wins the Beijerinck Premium of 25,000 Euros for his important research on the receptor-specificity of viruses, including the influenza virus. In his doctoral research, he demonstrated that complex branched polysaccharides are the most important receptors for the influenza virus. Robert de Vries is an assistant professor at the Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University.

In 2018, De Vries received an ERC Starting Grant of 1.5 million euros to achieve a fundamental breakthrough in the development of vaccines for this life-threatening flu strain.

Robert de Vries

Robert de Vries is an Associate Professor in the Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery group at the Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences. He studied Biomedical Science at the University of Amsterdam, and earned his PhD at Utrecht University under the supervision of Prof. Peter Rottier and Dr. Xander de Haan (Veterinary Medicine). He then went on to work as a postdoc at The Scripps Research Institute in the United States. De Vries’ previous grants include a LIFT subsidy for a collaborative project with FrieslandCampina (2016), a Veni subsidy (2014), and a Rubicon grant (2012).

Beijerinck Premiums

Every other year, two Beijerinck Premiums are awarded to post-doctoral researchers who are conducting outstanding virus-related research at a Dutch research institution. The prizes will be presented on Friday 8 March after the conclusion of the Dutch Annual Virology Symposium. Robert de Vries and fellow laureate Rory de Vries (Erasmus MC) will give brief talks about their work. Eva Harris, winner of the Beijerinck Virology Prize, will deliver the Beijerinck Lecture.