Dr. Annelies (J.G.) Kers (LinkedIn) is an epidemiologist (B, VvE registered, 2021) who holds an MSc in Biomedical Sciences, and Business Administration and is fascinated by microorganisms. 

Her scientific career started at the VUmc as a junior researcher at the Amsterdam Research Group Community Genetics & Public Health Genomics. During that time, she had the opportunity to be a visiting scholar at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and discovered the enjoyment of working with large datasets. 

In 2020, she completed her PhD on the intestinal microbiome and broiler chicken health at Utrecht University. After one year as a postdoctoral researcher at the Laboratory of Microbiology (MIB), Wageningen University, she joined the One Health Microbial group within the Institute of Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS) at Utrecht University as a postdoctoral researcher. Currently, she holds a cross-over position at IRAS and MIB, enabling her to effectively combine research within the human, environmental, and animal pillars in the context of microbiome epidemiology.

Projects:

• DISSEMINATE: Drivers of Selection and Spread of Mobile Genetic Elements INvolved in Antimicrobial Resistance). 
• Alliance EWUU seed fund: Methodological needs in microbiome multi-omics 
• EXPLAIN: Exploring plant-based meat analogues for their Impact on health (MIB-WUR)