Kim Bouwman | Scientist
Wageningen University

Dr. Kim Bouwman is a scientist specializing in avian influenza and animal diseases at Wageningen Bioveterinary Research. Since October 2023, she has led a large international research consortium focused on avian influenza vaccination in poultry. Her work brings together research institutes, academia, industry, and other stakeholders to improve vaccination strategies and strengthen evidence-based approaches to avian influenza control. A major focus of her current research is understanding how vaccination affects virus transmission, immunity, and disease control under field and experimental conditions. She coordinates multidisciplinary teams and large-scale animal studies, integrating field data, transmission experiments, immune-response analyses, and modelling. The ultimate goal is to develop science-based recommendations for vaccination, immunity monitoring, risk-based surveillance, and outbreak prevention, helping to reduce disease risks and economic losses for poultry farmers. Dr. Bouwman previously conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Georgia’s Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center and Utrecht University, working on respiratory viral diseases and virus–host interactions in poultry. She obtained her PhD in Life Sciences from Utrecht University, where her research focused on the molecular mechanisms underlying avian coronavirus infections, including viral entry and replication, host-cell interactions, tissue tropism, pathogenicity, and innate immune responses. Her expertise combines avian virology, immunology, molecular biology, and veterinary science, with a strong focus on translating fundamental research into practical solutions for animal health. She is actively involved in the international scientific community through conference presentations, professional associations, and scientific leadership activities.