As of May 15, 2026 pediatric rheumatologist and translational researcher Bas Vastert has been appointed Professor of Translational Pediatric Rheumatology at UMC Utrecht and Utrecht University. In this position, he will focus on advancing precision medicine approaches for children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), auto-inflammatory diseases and other severe immune-mediated inflammatory disorders.
The chair is embedded within the Division of Pediatrics and closely connected to the strategic research programs Child Health, Infection & Immunity and Cancer. Its primary aim is to strengthen the translation of fundamental immunological discoveries into innovative diagnostics and targeted therapies for children with complex inflammatory diseases.
Pediatric rheumatologist Bas Vastert has made a significant contributions to the development of the Pediatric Rheumatology Center at the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital (part of UMC Utrecht), which has built a strong international reputation in the field of translational research and innovative treatment strategies. In addition, together with fellow researchers Jorg van Loosdregt, Joost Swart, and Sytze de Roock, he is the initiator of UCAN JUMP, a long-term research and implementation project in which he will collaborate with ReumaNederland and the National Postcode Lottery to develop a personalized treatment for all children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis in the Netherlands over the next 10 years. For this, Bas and his colleagues will work closely with all other academic pediatric rheumatology departments in the Netherlands.
Bas Vastert joined UMC Utrecht in 2001 during his combined pediatrics residency and PhD trajectory and has worked as a pediatric rheumatologist at the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital since 2012. Since 2022, he has served as Head of the Department of Pediatric Rheumatology & Immunology. He also co-leads, together with molecular biologist Jorg van Loosdregt, the Loosdregt-Vastert translational research group within the Center for Translational Immunology (CTI).
His research focuses on understanding the immunological mechanisms underlying juvenile arthritis and systemic inflammatory diseases, with the goal of developing more personalized and effective treatment strategies. A central theme in his work is the identification of biomarkers that can predict disease course and treatment response, enabling clinicians to tailor therapy to individual patients at an early stage.
Vastert is internationally recognized for his work on systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (Still’s disease) and biomarker-guided treatment strategies. He is co-leading the Dutch-Canadian UCAN CAN-DU consortium, currently the world’s largest prospective cohort study in juvenile arthritis, involving all pediatric rheumatology centers in the Netherlands and Canada. The consortium aims to accelerate the development of personalized medicine approaches in childhood arthritis by integrating clinical data with advanced molecular profiling.
In addition, Bas leads several national and international clinical and translational studies, which investigate biomarker-guided tapering and discontinuation strategies for biological therapies in Still’s disease. His work has contributed to a shift in the field towards earlier targeted intervention and precision treatment strategies.
According to Vastert, close collaboration between clinicians, immunologists and computational scientists is essential to further improve outcomes for children with inflammatory diseases. “The future of pediatric rheumatology lies in precision medicine. By integrating clinical care, translational immunology and international collaboration, we aim to develop therapies that truly match the biology of the individual child.”
The chair will further strengthen collaborations between pediatric rheumatology, translational immunology and pediatric oncology within Utrecht. An important focus area will be hyperinflammation and immune complications in children with cancer, in close collaboration with the Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology.
In addition to his research activities, Vastert plays an active role in education and academic leadership. He supervises PhD candidates, fellows and early-career clinician scientists and contributes extensively to international guideline development and research networks. He currently serves as chair of the Clinical Guideline Committee of ERN-RITA and is a board member of the Dutch Society for Pediatric Rheumatology.
Bas Vastert studied Medicine at the University of Groningen, where he graduated cum laude in 2000. He completed his pediatric residency and pediatric rheumatology fellowship at UMC Utrecht and obtained his PhD in 2013 with a thesis on mechanisms of disease and therapy in severe juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
Since 2012, Vastert has worked as a pediatric rheumatologist at the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, UMC Utrecht. He became Associate Professor in 2018 and was appointed Head of the Department of Pediatric Rheumatology & Immunology in 2022. Together with Jorg van Loosdregt, he leads a translational research group within the Center for Translational Immunology, focusing on precision medicine approaches for juvenile arthritis and systemic inflammatory diseases.
Vastert is internationally recognized for his work on systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis and translational immunology. He plays a leading role in several international research consortia and clinical studies, including UCAN CAN DU and ESTIS, aimed at developing biomarker-driven and personalized treatment strategies for children with rheumatic diseases. He has published more than 150 peer-reviewed scientific papers and serves in several international advisory and guideline committees in pediatric rheumatology.
