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Researcher

Heidi Theeten

  • Research Expertise:dr Theeten conducted clinical trials with candidate vaccines against different diseases (hepatitis A and B, adult diphtheria‐tetanus‐pertussis booster, human papilloma virus, meningococcal C), as well as seroprevalence studies (based on immuno-assay; antibodies) on vaccine‐preventable diseases on a national level (in cooperation with the IPH) and vaccination coverage studies in Flanders. As a post-doctoral researcher, she continues supervising vaccination coverage and seroporevalence studies. Those require quantitative data collection and analysis, statistics and modeling techniques. She was funded by the Flemish Research Fund for a 3-year fellowship to look at cytomegalovirus infection and its association with immunosenescence (immuno-assays on humoral and cellular immunity level), and has promoted doctoral research on intradermal vaccination in infants (immuno-assay, imaging and quantitative analysis).. Currently she coordinates a project to monitor pneumococcal carriage in infants in Belgium (sample collection in a random selection of daycare centers and trough physicians; culture-based as well as molecular analysis, quantitative data analysis).
  • Keywords:YOUTH HEALTH CARE, VACCINES, Medicine
  • Disciplines:Immunology, Laboratory medicine, Microbiology, Paediatrics and neonatology, Other clinical sciences, Other medical and health sciences, Vaccinology, Molecular diagnostics
  • Research techniques:selection of random or stratified random samples; cluster sampling; creating questionnaires; medical assessment; quantitative data analysis; modeling; standardized sample collection; interpretation of immuno-assays (ism laboratories); interpretation of surveillance data; literature review
  • Users of research expertise:research institutes active in the field of infections and their prevention including vaccines; governments and governmental institutions; expert commission; private companies who develop vaccines