PhD Defense – Children and Adolescents growing up with perinatal HIV: Long-term outcomes and comorbidities

On 19th of December, 2025, Julie van der Post, PhD candidate at the Amsterdam UMC, will be defending the thesis: ‘Children and Adolescents growing up with perinatal HIV: Long-term outcomes and comorbidities’.

PHIV (perinatally acquired HIV) progress much faster than adult-acquired HIV, affecting children during critical periods of immune and neurodevelopment. Although therapies has transformed PHIV into a manageable chronic condition, infected youth are still at risk for neurocognitive, immune, metabolic, and heart complications. Julie’s thesis investigates long-term health outcomes, mechanisms, and progressions of comorbidities in PHIV youth – advancing research to improve long-term health of infected youth and providing further insights into pathofisiology.

During her PhD studies, Julie contributed to the NOVICE study under the supervision of Prof. dr. Dasja Pajkrt, co-head of OrganoVIR Labs. Her co-promotor is Dr. Jason van Genderen.

The defense will take place on December 19th, 2025 at 13:45, and will be a part of OrganoVIR Labs’ very first back to back, double defense. The location of the defense is Aula – Oude Lutherse Kerk, Amsterdam.

A digitized version of this thesis can be accessed here.