Coriolis Pharma Research has announced that the Special Chair in Vaccine Development at Leiden University has been reawarded to Prof. Dr Gideon Kersten (pictured), Scientific Advisor at Coriolis Pharma.
The Special Chair in the Department of Biopharmaceutics at the Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR) was established 10 years ago and will continue for a third 5-year term.
In the context of pharmaceutical research and teaching, the Chair focuses on the characterisation and stabilisation of complex biopharmaceutical drugs and vaccines.
These include proteins, nucleic acids, viruses and cells. To ensure high and consistent clinical efficacy with minimal adverse effects, these drugs must be formulated into stable, safe and easy-to-use products.
“It is an honour to continue working for Leiden University for the next 5 years, to share my knowledge with the students and staff of the Institute and contribute to the scientific community with scientific publications,” said Prof. Kersten.
Prof. Kersten is an eminent vaccinologist with more than three decades of experience in vaccine development.
While working in the Vaccine Department of the Institute of Public Health in the Netherlands, Prof. Kersten played an active role in the development of new vaccines and the improvement of existing ones, such as polio and pertussis.
As department head, he was responsible for analytical development and vaccine formulation. Since 2020, Prof. Kersten has been working full-time as a Scientific Adviser at Coriolis Pharma, a contract research organisation with significant expertise in formulation research and development, analytical services and non-GMP manufacturing with innovative high-value biologics.
“We are very pleased to continue having Prof. Kersten on board," said Prof. Hubertus Irth, Scientific Director of LACDR.
“With his extensive experience and his involvement in pharmaceutical drug product development projects at Coriolis Pharma, Prof. Kersten will be of great value to both the research and educational efforts of our institute.”
