Hester de Melker

Hester de Melker studied Biomedical Sciences at the University of Leiden and graduated in 1993 with a major in Epidemiology. From 1993 onwards she worked on public health of infectious diseases at the Center of Infectious Diseases Epidemiology at RIVM. Her epidemiological research is mainly directed to vaccine-preventable diseases. She finished her PhD-thesis in 1999. Subsequently in 2000 she was appointed as leader of epidemiological research and surveillance of the NIP (CIE/RIVM and EPI/CIb). She is advisior of the Health Council committee of the NIP since 2005 and participates in in various in European networks. She is (co)author of over 150 peer-reviewed papers mostly in the field of public health. She guides several PhD-projects including a project in close collaboration with Leiden University (Dr. A. Vossen) directed the disease burden on congenital CMV with the aim to study possibilities of primary and secondary prevention measures of congenital CMV.