/events/dutch-annual-virology-symposium-davs
The Dutch Annual Virology Symposium (DAVS) offers young and established virologists a platform to present their research.

About the DAVS
Please find below the preliminary program for the DAVS 2025. Information about the program is also available on the DAVS-webpage of the KNVM website.
This year's symposium will be held at the Geertekerk in Utrecht. This historical 16th-century church, known for its impressive Gothic architecture, offers a spacious and atmospheric venue for the DAVS 2025. Conveniently situated just a 15-minute walk from Utrecht Central Station, the location is easily accessible by foot or OV-bike. Please make sure to update your calendar with this change of location.
Opening and presentations 1: five speakers (80 min.)
Convenor: Raoul de Groot
- Anais Wiech
The Role of Varicella-Zoster Virus pVLT-ORF63 and pORF63 in Modulating Host Chromatin During Lytic Infection (15+ 5 min)
- Meryl Haas
Structure of the Human Norovirus NTPas; (15+ 5 min)
- Joost Snijder
Direct mass-spectrometry based sequencing and repertoire profiling of anti-RSV-F antibodies from human serum (15+ 5 min)
- Mark Bakkers
pitch; A foldon-free prefusion F trimer vaccine for RSV to reduce off-target immune responses (5+ 3 min)
- Haye Nijhuis
pitch: Producing and stabilizing recombinant surface glycoproteins from highly pathogenic zoonotic viruse (5+ 3 min)
10.55 a.m. Coffee & tea break + postersessions (35 min.)
Presentations 2: five speakers (80 min.)
Convenor: Jolanda Smit
- Oscar Lezcano
Recurrent selection of 2B mutations in an insect picornavirus upon experimental evolution in a nonnative host (15+ 5 min)
- Wessel Willemsen
Differential effect of acute versus persistent insect-specific flavivirus infection on superinfection exclusion of Zika virus (15+ 5 min)
- Sebastian Lequime
Incorporating empirical lab data into epidemiological risk assessments: taking into account host heterogeneity and within-host dynamics (15+ 5 min)
- José Dekker
pitch: HIV-1 can escape from dolutegravir inhibition through mutations that cause integration-independent virus replication (5+ 3 min)
- Thibault Mesplede
pitch: Rapid selection of HIV 3’PPT mutations in the presence of integrase strand transfer inhibitors ((5+ 3 min)
12.50 p.m. Lunch break + poster session (70 min.)
Presentations 3: five speakers (80 min.)
Convenor: Sander Herfst
- Salina Quack
MDA5 employs ATP hydrolysis to condense long dsRNA into a stable nucleoprotein complex (15+ 5 min)
- Lisa Bauer
Increased attachment to, and replication of recent avian H5N1 influenza A viruses from clade 2.3.4.4b in human airway epithelial cells (15+ 5 min)
- Huib Rabouw
Dissecting the Influenza A virus infection cycle through single vRNP imaging (15+ 5 min)
- Willemijn Rijnink
pitch: A novel antigenically central HA mRNA vaccine confers humoral and cellular immune responses and protects ferrets against challenge with a heterologous A(H5) clade 2.3.4.4b highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (5+ 3 min)
- Annelies de Rooij
pitch: Long term evolution of seasonal influenza A/H3N2 virus in differentiated human airway epithelial pathways reveals diverse evolutionary potential (5+ 3 min)
3.20 p.m. coffee & tea break + poster session (40 min.)
Beijerink Awards Ceremony + short lectures (75 min.)
Convenor: Monique van Oers
- Marileen Dogterom
Welcome by President of the KNAW
- Marc Bonten
Laudations by Chair of the Advisory Committee M.W. Beijerinck Virology Fund
- John van der Oost
M.W. Beijerinck Virology Award Lecture
- Puck van Kasteren
- Carmen Embregts
Presentations of the Beijerinck Premium Recipients
5.15 p.m. drinks and bites
Organisation DAVS
The organising committee consists of Raoul de Groot (UU), Sander Herfst (Erasmus MC), Monique van Oers (WUR) and Jolanda Smit (UMCG).
The symposium will be held under the auspices of the Royal Dutch Society for Microbiology (KNVM) and is supported by the M.W. Beijerinck-Virology Fund of the KNAW.
More information
For more information about the symposium, contact Martine Koot, congresbureau@knaw.nl, or call +31 20 551 0747 or +31 6 2907 2514.