Dean
Vice-chairman of the Executive Board of UMC Utrecht and dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences
Louis Bont has been Vice-Chair of the Executive Board of UMC Utrecht and Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences since December 2025. He is a pediatric infectious disease specialist and immunologist, and professor of respiratory infections in children. Prior to his current position, he was Division Chair of Pediatrics at UMC Utrecht.
Louis Bont studied medicine at the AMC (1989–1996) and obtained his PhD in 2001 at the Wilhelmina Children's Hospital (WKZ) on immunopathogenic mechanisms of RSV infections. He completed his training as a pediatrician in 2005 and as a pediatric infectious disease specialist and immunologist in 2008.
Bont played an important role in patient care and scientific research in the field of pediatric infectious diseases. He is internationally recognized as an expert in the field of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Until he joined the Executive Board, he led the Utrecht RSV Research Group; he is the founder and chair of ReSViNET, a global consortium for RSV research. His work focused on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and prevention of RSV infections, including vaccine development. As principal investigator, he was involved in major international studies such as RSV GOLD, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, among others.
His research contributed to the inclusion of RSV immunization in the Dutch National Immunization Program in 2025 and the decision by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) to make pregnancy vaccination financially feasible in low-income countries.
In addition to his work in Utrecht, Bont has been appointed visiting professor at Yale University, where he collaborated on vaccine research and regularly gave guest lectures. This collaboration strengthens the international network around RSV prevention.
Bont has a strong focus on training and mentoring. He was one of the initiators of the TULIPS program (Training of Upcoming Leaders in Pediatric Science), a training program that helps young researchers in their scientific careers.
Bont works from the conviction that every child has the right to the best possible health. He combines clinical practice with scientific research to improve care for future patients. Outside of work, he enjoys running, hiking, and spending time with his family.
