Looking back on the 2nd congress on pandemic & disaster preparedness 

On the 3rd of October 2024, scientists, students, and representatives from the private and public sectors gathered in Rotterdam for an inspiring day filled with insightful talks and lively discussions focused on the theme of preparedness.  

Opening keynote speeches  

Prof. Marion Koopmans, Scientific Director of the PDPC, opened the congress and welcomed everyone, presenting the complex issues of the day with the common underlying theme of climate, pandemics and disasters.  

Marion stated that there is an ongoing change in the common thinking of health, from Anthropocene to One Health to Planetary health. PDPC is addressing these complex issues through a multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach. As the world moves past COVID-19, it faces new threats such as Avian Influenza, viral hemorrhagic fevers, and Mpox outbreaks, alongside climate challenges like flooding. Addressing these requires collaboration among diverse experts to build a shared understanding and effective strategies for preparedness. 

Prof. Stefan Krause, Professor of Ecohydrology and Biogeochemistry at the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Birmingham, gave a lecture on the role of hydrology in water, climate and health.  

Professor Krause illustrated how water contamination affects not only individual health but also broader environmental sustainability. Specifically, he examined water-related issues in various contexts, reflecting on how these challenges are interlinked with the emergence of new pathogens. 

Water is an infectious disease vector. Hydrological processes are drivers of pollution activation, fate and transport. Assessing health risks requires understanding the controls of contaminant exposure and uptake risks.  

Frontrunner 1: Climate adaptation in the Rotterdam Rijnmond region – Effects of temporary water buffers on vector-borne diseases  

Prof. Pier Siebesma, Professor at the TU Delft in Atmosphere physics, reminds us that we live in a delta, and climate change threatens it. He poses the question of “How land-use has changed affecting the occurrence of birds, insects, and viruses?”  

Marit Meier, policy advisor water systems at the Water Authority Schieland and Krimpenerwaard, describes the water project of the Eendrachtspolder in Rotterdam and explains that in the current ecological system, we have to build resilient systems that meet the water framework requirements.  

Hereafter, Dr. Reina Sikkema, Professor at the Virology Department of the Erasmus MC, elaborated further on the Eendrachtspolder project. In August 2024, some measures were already been implemented, leading to preliminary results, including knowledge of the mosquito population. In August 2025, there will be a planned inundation, focusing on vector borne and mosquito-diseases. The team will study how this large-scale inundation will affect human infectious diseases.  

Keynote speaker: Esther Turnhout on transformational and transdisciplinary research  

Prof. Esther Turnhout, Chair of Science, Technology and Society, section Knowledge, Transformation and Society (KiTeS) at the University of Twente, address on transformational and transdisciplinary research provoked a rich discussion about whether, why, and how scientific research must change to support societal transformation. Recognizing a longstanding yet unrealized call for transdisciplinarianism, Professor Turnhout argued that tensions between concepts of transformation and transdisciplinarity and standing research paradigms currently limit our capacity to address complex societal problems, particularly due to disciplinary exclusion, and that advancing an agenda for transformation requires creating more space for otherwise underrepresented disciplines. 

Reflecting on thirty years of slow progress, Professor Turnhout’s argument was skeptical but cautiously open to the possibility of change, contingent on courage within the scientific community to challenge current research structures and norms, commit to more equitable inclusion of diverse research fields, and push for transformations in research programming. 

Frontrunner 4: Towards social and urban resilience  

Through rich vignettes of their experiences in participatory action research in the context of urban living labs, Dr. Kevin Pijpers and Guusje Enneking (PhD Candidate) discussed the importance of grounded familiarity with social infrastructures and openness to different forms of knowledge and understanding. Their presentation focused on the interplay of human experiences, policies, and social infrastructures – the public spaces and organizations that formally and informally support community and social life. These social spaces not only provide essential services through formal and informal channels, but also function as important platforms for collective action and community organization, belongingness, and social control. Their discussion emphasized how participatory research can help researchers and practitioners avoid making promises they cannot keep, better understand lived realities, and attend to different forms of knowledge and understanding. 

 

 

Panel Discussion on interdisciplinary advice during pandemics  

After the lunch break, the congress continued with a lively panel discussion. Moderator Dr. Anja Schreijer, Medical Director of the PDPC, led an engaging panel discussion with Tony Holohan, Dr. Susan van den Hof, Prof. Pearl Dykstra, Frank Kooiman, and Prof. Danielle Timmermans, diving into the complexities of interdisciplinary advice during pandemics. The conversation was lively and thought-provoking, with each expert offering bold and diverse perspectives. Using Mentimeter, the audience actively participated, weighing in on the panel’s statements in real time. Key issues such as the timing of advice, handling diverse data types, sharing information, and balancing various scientific outcomes sparked vibrant debate. Throughout the session, the panelists underscored the critical importance of clarity and transparency in providing scientific advice during pandemics. The discussion highlighted the vital role of collaboration, both among researchers and with policymakers, in navigating the complexities of future pandemics. This underscores the importance of the research that the PDPC is conducting about whether integrated advice is possible and if yes how? 

Frontrunner 5: Integrated early-warning surveillance methods and tools  

Prof. Gertjan Medema, Principal Microbiologist at KWR and Professor at TU Delft in Sanitary Engineering, presented together with Pouria Paridar (PhD Canidate), Ege Sener (PhD candidate) and Putri Ayu Fajar (PhD candidate) on their project INSPECT. In this project transport network data is combined with epi-intelligence, sampling methods and metaviromics to develop early warning systems for pathogen X. Key elements of this project include 1) wastewater as an early indicator, 2) focus on pathogen transport, 3) innovative sampling and detection methods and 4) A living lab approach for actionability and ethical considerations.  

Keynote speaker Lydia Bourouiba on Airborne respiratory disease transmission  

Prof. Dr. Lydia Bourouiba, Director the Fluid Dynamics of Disease Transmission Laboratory, part of the Fluids and Health Network at the intersection of physics/biophysics and health, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, addressed the fluid dynamics of expelled particles containing pathogens, which is fundamental for understanding infectious disease transmission and control. Contrary to the often-debated dichotomy between aerosols and droplets, exhalations are best described as a multi-phase turbulent cloud, containing droplets in a continuum of sizes in gas, liquid, and solid phases. Modelling the trajectory of pathogens in this way reveals much longer travel distances, which has implications for social distancing. To better understand these dynamics, including the influence of relative humidity and ventilation, interdisciplinary research is needed. 

Frontrunner 3: Flood risk cultures  

Prof. Wiebe Bijker, Professor Emeritus of Technology and Society at the Maastricht University and Prof. Roland Bal, Professor in Health Care Policy and Governance at the Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, discussed cultural differences in handling flood risks. By comparing two reports on the history of coastal engineering in the Netherlands and the United States, they highlighted key differences in the risk culture between these countries. The Americans focus on evacuation plans and insurance policies, whilst the Dutch are determined to keep the water out, requiring robust coastal defences by law whilst lacking proper evacuation plans. These risk cultures are a key concept for studying pandemics and disasters. 

Poster presentation winners 

The last item on the agenda was to announce the winners of the poster presentations. Many posters were on display during the day, and congress attendees could vote for their favourite ones. Next to this, there was an official Jury who consisted of Tomris Cesuroglu, Bert de Graaff, Sander Herfst and Stephan de Roode, and handed out the jury award.  

The winner of the jury award is:  

  • Clarize de Korne (UMC Utrecht) and co-authors with their poster: Feasibility and performance of mobile air cleaning devices in classrooms: a pilot study.    

The winner of the public award is: 

  • Kirsten Bisschops (GGD Amsterdam) and co-authors with their poster: Generating Insights into (Mis)information about Measles Vaccination in Amsterdam, August-September 2024. 

To view all the posters that were featured at the congress, please click here. With this ceremony the official part of the congress came to an end.  

Judging by all the enthusiastic reactions we can conclude that the second edition of the PDPC congress was a remarkable success. Participants really appreciated to hear the opinions from experts in the field with diverse backgrounds which highlights the multidisciplinary aspect of the congress. We are looking forward to the next edition of the congress.  

 Aftermovie