Prof. Dr. Pieter S. Hiemstra Department of Pulmonology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

Pieter S. Hiemstra is Professor of Respiratory Cell Biology and Immunology at the Department of Pulmonology of the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) in The Netherlands. He was trained as a medical biologist at Utrecht University and did his PhD in Leiden in immunology (complement research in the Department of... read moreNephrology at LUMC). Next, he worked for four years in the Department of Infectious Diseases at LUMC and studied phagocyte biology. During that time he also did a post-doctoral training period at UCLA in Los Angeles, where he became interested in antimicrobial peptides. He is currently head of the Laboratory for Respiratory Cell Biology and Immunology of the Department of Pulmonology. His research is focused on basic and translational research in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. He has a specific interest in the interaction between immune cells and structural cells in the lung, which is central to understanding how inflammation drives airway remodelling leading to impaired lung function. His basic research is centred on the role of innate immunity, including antimicrobial peptides. His other activities include teaching Biomedical Sciences and Medical students, and being chair of the Education Committee Biomedical Sciences at LUMC. Pieter Hiemstra is secretary of the founding board of the Netherlands Respiratory Society and chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Netherlands Lung Foundation.