[FG] van den Anker Johannes

Research Focus

Clinical Pharmacology

Area of Research

Effects of growth, development and diseases on how to optimize the use of medicines in neonates, infants, children and adolescents; Developmental pharmacology, pharmacometrics & systems pharmacology (computer modeling and simulation), pharmacogenetics, and pharmacoepidemiology; Development of bedside decision support tools to benefit sick children and their caregivers; State-of-the-art cloud based computer lab for systems pharmacology and pharmacometrics research

Approved Research Projects

• A randomized controlled trial of adjunct corticosteroid therapy in hospitalized children with community acquired pneumonia (CAP): THE KIDS-STEP STUDY
• Optimizing the use of Methadone in Newborn Infants
• Metabolism and Toxicity of Acetaminophen in Preterm Infants
• Pediatric Toxicity and Efficacy in Long-term Systemic Treatment with Anti-sense
• Postdoctoral Research Training in Pediatric Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
• Bridging pharmacodynamics biomarkers to clinical outcomes in pediatric inflammatory diseases
• PK and dosing of metamizole in infants and children; internal funding; co-I
• KidMaCare study to investigate novel renal biomarkers in healthy infants and children and those with cancer; co-I

Collaborations

National Collaborations

• Leadership role in SNF funded SwissPedPha
• Collaboration between ETHZ, University of Basel and UKBB has resulted in a multiinvestigator proposal entitled: “Targeting a novel pathway for the treatment for pediatric psoriasis” that was submitted to the BRCCH inaugural funding scheme without receiving funding; This collaboration between Prof Pieters, Carreira and van den Anker will result in finding other funding mechanisms to support this important area in pediatric therapeutics

International Collaborations

• Dr. Samira Samiee-Zafarghandy, neonatal medicine specialist, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada on “the pharmacokinetics of ibuprofen in premature infants with a hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus”; She was awarded a Hamilton Health Sciences New Investigator Fund Grant based on our collaboration.
• Professor Rebecca Slater, Oxford University, “a PK/PD study following ibuprofen administration in children: linking pain-related changes in brain activity to ibuprofen pharmacokinetics in infants under 3 months old”, Prof Slater and Prof van den Anker are preparing a NICHD application to be submitted 2020.
• Professor Michael Rieder, London, Ontario and Professor Bruce Carleton, Vancouver, BC and Prof John van den Anker: multiple PIs NICHD R01 application with the general hypothesis “Patients with delayed HSRs to β-lactam antibiotics have a misdirected immune response to reactive drug metabolites of β-lactam antibiotics at the cellular and molecular level” will be submitted November 07, 2019

Ongoing Research Projects

• A randomized controlled trial of adjunct corticosteroid therapy in hospitalized children with community acquired pneumonia (CAP): THE KIDS-STEP STUDY, 2017-2022; PI
• Bridging pharmacodynamics biomarkers to clinical outcomes in pediatric inflammatory diseases, 2016-2021; PI