Olaf Perdijk

Dr. Olaf Perdijk is exploring mechanisms underlying host-microbe interactions in the gut and their impact on systemic metabolism and immunity.

Dr. Perdijk obtained his PhD degree at the Wageningen University in 2018, the Netherlands, where he investigated if novel early-life ingredients derived from raw cow’s milk could be utilized to modulate immune responses in neonates. He then joined the Mucosal Immunology Research Group at Monash University, Australia, where he directed his efforts towards understanding the means of communication between gut microbes and the immune system in the context of allergic disease, such as atopic dermatitis and allergic asthma. He now is an Assistant Professor at the Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences at Utrecht University, where he continues to investigate how the microbiome modulates systemic immune responses, e.g. through production of metabolites. In one arm of his research, he focusses on how this interplay can be exploited to prevent atopic disease and childhood asthma. In another arm of research, he explores these host-microbe interactions in the context of the brain. His main aim is to understand the intricate mechanisms by which host-microbe interactions in the gut modulate systemic immune responses and disease susceptibility and to utilize the potential of microbes and metabolites as therapeutics.