Eric J. Snijder is Professor of Molecular Virology and principal investigator of the coronavirus research group at the Leiden University Center for Infectious Diseases (LUCID) of Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC). In 2000, Snijder was awarded the C.J. Kok prize for his work on the molecular biology of coronaviruses and related viruses. In 2012, he was elected member of the American Academy of Microbiology.

More information about Eric Snijder

Eric J. Snijder is Professor of Molecular Virology and principal investigator of the coronavirus research group at the Leiden University Center for Infectious Diseases (LUCID) of Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC).

In 2000, Snijder was awarded the C.J. Kok prize for his work on the molecular biology of coronaviruses and related viruses. In 2012, he was elected member of the American Academy of Microbiology.

Molecular virology

Viruses are highly specialized in exploiting the host cell’s infrastructure and metabolism to support their own replication. On many levels, viruses are also engaged in a molecular arms race with their host cell, during which viruses time and again manage to evade or disrupt cellular defense mechanisms. Viruses with an RNA genome exhibit a high mutation frequency. Although this would appear to be a disadvantage, they employ their genetic variation to escape from, for example, the host’s immune system or antiviral therapy. Furthermore, this feature can facilitate adaptation to new host species, a relevant phenomenon as many (re)emerging viruses are transferred from animal reservoirs (zoonotic infections). A detailed understanding of viral replication mechanisms and evolutionary processes is essential for the development of novel antiviral strategies—an effort that is critical for preparedness against future viral outbreaks.

Together with my team and many collaborators, I have studied coronaviruses and other nidoviruses for more than 40 years, focusing on their replication cycles, virus–host interactions, and evolutionary history. Following the emergence of several (potentially) lethal coronaviruses over the past two decades—including SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2—our research has expanded to include the identification and characterization of coronavirus drug targets and the development of antiviral therapies. These efforts are embedded in extensive collaborative projects conducted within multiple European research consortia.

Academic career

 Eric Snijder (1962) graduated from Utrecht University, the Netherlands, in 1986 (cum laude M.Sc. in Biology), after specializing in molecular biology, electron microscopy and molecular virology. Subsequently, he continued with a Ph.D. research project at the Department of Virology of the Utrecht Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, resulting a cum laude Ph.D. on 31 January 1991 (thesis: 'Berne virus – replication and evolution of the torovirus prototype'). In 1990, Snijder moved to the Department of Medical Microbiology of the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), where he became assistant professor and subsequently associate professor and principal investigator of the nidovirus research group. In 2000, he was awarded the C.J. Kok prize for his work on the molecular biology of nidoviruses (arteri- and coronaviruses). In 2007, Snijder was appointed full professor of molecular virology. His inaugural lecture was entitled ‘Virus evolution: ready while you wait’.

At the Leiden University Center for Infectious Diseases (LUCID), Eric Snijder investigates the molecular biology and evolution of viruses with a positive-stranded RNA genome, in particular nidoviruses like the coronaviruses that cause SARS, MERS, and COVID-19. The (molecular) interactions between these viruses and their host cell have been a central and recurrent theme in his research, which was and is supported by a variety of research grants from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) and the European Union (EU). Snijder has published over 280 scientific publications. He is a former Editor of the Journal of General Virology and member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Virology. At LUMC, he (co)coordinates MSc and PhD courses in Molecular Virology and Infection & Immunity and contribute to a broad range of other teaching activities. 

Prizes and honourable appointments

In 2012, Eric Snijder was elected member of the American Academy of Microbiology.