World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Rob J. L. Willems

Rob J. L. Willems

D-Index & Metrics

Microbiology

D-Index
86
Citations
25185
World Ranking
843
National Ranking
49

Overview

Rob J. L. Willems is affiliated with Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Their research primarily spans the fields of Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, and Medicine. Within these broader areas, Willems has focused extensively on subfields such as Molecular Biology, Infectious Diseases, Molecular Medicine, Epidemiology, and Clinical Biochemistry.

The main topics covered in Willems's work include Antimicrobial Resistance in Staphylococcus, Antibiotic Resistance in Bacteria, Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies, Bacterial Identification and Susceptibility Testing, Bacterial biofilms and quorum sensing, Gut microbiota and health, and research on Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens.

Willems has published articles in a variety of scientific journals and venues. Frequently chosen publication venues include bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Microbiology Spectrum, Nature Communications, mBio, and Genome Medicine.

Recent papers authored or co-authored by Willems showcase a focus on bacterial genetics, antibiotic resistance, and microbiome studies. These include:

  • Mutational signature in colorectal cancer caused by genotoxic pks+ E. coli, 2020, Nature
  • Effects of early-life antibiotics on the developing infant gut microbiome and resistome: a randomized trial, 2022, Nature Communications
  • Enterococcus faecium: from microbiological insights to practical recommendations for infection control and diagnostics, 2020, Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control
  • Plasmids Shaped the Recent Emergence of the Major Nosocomial Pathogen Enterococcus faecium, 2020, mBio
  • Apparent nosocomial adaptation of Enterococcus faecalis predates the modern hospital era, 2021, Nature Communications

Willems regularly collaborates with several other researchers. Frequent coauthors include Sergio Arredondo-Alonso, Anita C. Schürch, Jukka Corander, Janetta Top, and Fernanda L. Paganelli.

Best Publications

  • Mutational signature in colorectal cancer caused by genotoxic pks+ E. coli.

    Cayetano Pleguezuelos-Manzano;Jens Puschhof;Axel Rosendahl Huber;Arne van Hoeck

  • Multilocus Sequence Typing System for Campylobacter jejuni

    K. E. Dingle;F. M. Colles;D. R. A. Wareing;R. Ure

  • Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme for Enterococcus faecium

    Wieger L. Homan;David Tribe;Simone Poznanski;Mei Li

  • Global Spread of Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium from Distinct Nosocomial Genetic Complex

    Rob J L Willems;Janetta Top;Marga van Santen;D Ashley Robinson

  • Emergence and spread of vancomycin resistance among enterococci in Europe

    Guido Werner;T. M. Coque;A. M. Hammerum;R. Hope

  • Global Spread of Vancomycin-resistantEnterococcus faeciumfrom Distinct Nosocomial Genetic Complex

    Rob J.L. Willems;Janetta Top;Marga van Santen;D. Ashley Robinson

  • Vancomycin-resistant enterococci: why are they here, and where do they come from?

    Marc J M Bonten;Rob Willems;Robert A Weinstein

  • Whole genome sequencing options for bacterial strain typing and epidemiologic analysis based on single nucleotide polymorphism versus gene-by-gene–based approaches

    A.C. Schürch;S. Arredondo-Alonso;R.J.L. Willems;R.V. Goering

  • Emergence of Epidemic Multidrug-Resistant Enterococcus faecium from Animal and Commensal Strains

    François Lebreton;François Lebreton;Willem van Schaik;Willem van Schaik;Willem van Schaik;Abigail Manson McGuire Manson McGuire;Paul Godfrey

  • Interventions to reduce colonisation and transmission of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in intensive care units: an interrupted time series study and cluster randomised trial

    Lennie P G Derde;Ben S Cooper;Herman Goossens;Surbhi Malhotra-Kumar

  • Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme for Enterococcus faecalis Reveals Hospital-Adapted Genetic Complexes in a Background of High Rates of Recombination

    Patricia Ruiz-Garbajosa;Marc J. M. Bonten;D. Ashley Robinson;Janetta Top

  • Global Emergence and Dissemination of Enterococci as Nosocomial Pathogens : Attack of the Clones?

    Ana M. Guzman Prieto;Willem van Schaik;Malbert R. C. Rogers;Teresa M. Coque

  • Identification of high-risk enterococcal clonal complexes: global dispersion and antibiotic resistance

    Helen L Leavis;Marc J M Bonten;Rob J L Willems

  • Dissemination of Cephalosporin Resistance Genes between Escherichia coli Strains from Farm Animals and Humans by Specific Plasmid Lineages

    Mark de Been;Val F. Lanza;María de Toro;Jelle Scharringa

  • Polymorphism in the Bordetella pertussis Virulence Factors P.69/Pertactin and Pertussis Toxin in The Netherlands: Temporal Trends and Evidence for Vaccine-Driven Evolution

    Frits R. Mooi;Hans van Oirschot;Kees Heuvelman;Han G. J. van der Heide

  • Variant esp gene as a marker of a distinct genetic lineage of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium spreading in hospitals

    Rob J. L. Willems;Wieger Homan;Janetta Top;Marga Van Santen-Verheuvel

  • Enterococcus Diversity, Origins in Nature, and Gut Colonization

    Francois Lebreton;Rob J. L. Willems;Michael S. Gilmore

  • Comparative Genotyping of Campylobacter jejuni by Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism, Multilocus Sequence Typing, and Short Repeat Sequencing: Strain Diversity, Host Range, and Recombination

    Leo M. Schouls;Sanne Reulen;Birgitta Duim;Jaap A. Wagenaar

  • Emergence of CC17 Enterococcus faecium: from commensal to hospital-adapted pathogen

    Janetta Top;Rob Willems;Marc Bonten

  • Core Genome Multilocus Sequence Typing Scheme for High-Resolution Typing of Enterococcus faecium

    Mark de Been;Mette Pinholt;Mette Pinholt;Janetta Top;Stefan Bletz

Frequent Co-Authors

Marc J. M. Bonten
Marc J. M. Bonten Utrecht University
Janetta Top
Janetta Top Utrecht University
Willem van Schaik
Willem van Schaik University of Birmingham
Jukka Corander
Jukka Corander University of Oslo
Michael S. Gilmore
Michael S. Gilmore Harvard Medical School
Teresa M. Coque
Teresa M. Coque Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria
Ad C. Fluit
Ad C. Fluit Utrecht University
Frits R. Mooi
Frits R. Mooi National Institute of Public Health and the Environment (RIVM)
Fernando Baquero
Fernando Baquero Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria
Arnfinn Sundsfjord
Arnfinn Sundsfjord University of Tromsø - The Arctic University of Norway

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Studying microbiology opens doors to diverse career opportunities in healthcare, research, and public health. For those interested in medical administration, pursuing an online medical billing and coding certificate fast can be a practical starting point. This path offers quick certification and essential skills for roles in medical offices and hospitals.

If a more clinical focus appeals to you, exploring what medical degrees can i get online provides insight into flexible degree options like nursing or public health that complement microbiology knowledge.

For those leaning towards public health, considering the easiest mph online programs to get into can help you quickly gain credentials needed for advancing community health initiatives and epidemiology.

Additionally, understanding the role of child life specialists salary and career requirements shows how scientific backgrounds like microbiology can bridge into specialized support roles in pediatric healthcare settings.

Best Scientists Citing Rob J. L. Willems

Trending Scientists

Recently Published Articles