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Jordy van der Beek

Jordy van der Beek

In my role as a PhD candidate at Naturalis, the Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) in Leiden, and Erasmus MC, I research the impact of climate change on mosquitoes and the spread of mosquito-borne diseases in the Netherlands. Additionally, as a taxonomist, I specialize in the study of mosquitoes and other medically relevant arthropods in the Caribbean.

Keywords

Mosquitoes, vector-borne disease, medical entomology, climate adaptation, salinization, Dutch Caribbean. 

Jordy van der Beek

PhD kandidaat
NL Biodiversity and Society

jordy.vanderbeek@naturalis.nl

Research
interest

My PhD research is part of the frontrunner project ‘Climate change and vector-borne virus outbreaks’ at the Pandemic and Disaster Preparedness Center (PDPC). The project investigates how climate-related habitat changes relate to mosquito habitats and the subsequent effects for vector-borne disease risk. Specifically, I study the effects of groundwater salinization on mosquito populations, as well as the impact of climate adaptation measures, such as water buffers, on mosquito communities.

Next to my PhD I also study vector communities in the Caribbean. Despite the prevalence of vector-borne diseases across the Dutch Caribbean, a significant knowledge gap exists regarding the fundamental ecology and distribution of local arthropods. My research addresses this by identifying which species occur on the islands and defining their ecological preferences. While my primary focus is on mosquitoes, I also investigate other medically relevant arthropods, including sandflies, biting midges, ticks, and kissing bugs.

Groepsfoto van onderzoekers met Jordy in het midden
Een foto van een mug

Current
topics

  • Mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases

  • The effects of salinization on mosquitoes.

  • Climate adaptation measures as mosquito habitats

  • Vectors in the Caribbean, including mosquitoes, sandflies, biting midges, ticks, and kissing bugs

In the
media

  • Article at the Convergence on 29 September 2025 - Flooded polder helps in researching mosquito-borne diseases
  • Focus episode about the mosquito paradise in the Netherlands (Dutch)
  • Nature Today article entitled, 'First mosquito research on Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao in almost 75 years' 
Jordy die op zoek is naar muggen

Publications

2025

Journals non-SCI, peer-reviewed

Smit J.T., Beek J.G. van der, Oliveira M.C. d’, Bree E. de, Wieringa J.J., Boeken M., Fernhout T., Mekkes J.-J., Reinboud W., Steenis W. van, Zeegers T. 2025. Flies recorded on Bonaire in 2022-2023 (Diptera).. Nederlandse Faunistische Mededelingen 64: 41 p.
https://natuurtijdschriften.nl/pub/1026882
Beek J.G. van der, Ibáñez-Justicia A., Biesmeijer J.C., Lizarazo-Forero E., Stroo A., Vossenberg B.T.L.H. van de, Warbroek T., Schrama M. 2025. The differentiating power of mitochondrial genes: complete mitogenome sequences of 27 mosquito species present in Europe.. Journal of the European Mosquito Control Association 43 (2) : 19 p. DOI https://doi.org/10.52004/2054930x-20251025

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Helleman P., Schrama M., Trimbos K.B., Braks M.A.H., Schaffner F., Stroo A., Wouters R.M., Beek J.G. van der 2025. The ecological niche and population history shape mosquito population genetics on a group of three Caribbean islands.. Parasites and Vectors 18 (167) : 14 p. DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06801-3
2024

Journals non-SCI, peer-reviewed

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Wouters R.M., Beukema W., Schrama M., Biesmeijer K., Braks M.A.H., Helleman P., Schaffner F., Slobbe J. van, Stroo A., Beek J.G. van der 2024. Local environmental factors drive distributions of ecologically-contrasting mosquito species (Diptera: Culicidae).. Scientific Reports 14 DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-64948-y
Krol L., Remmerswaal L., Groen M., Beek J.G. van der, Sikkema R.S., Dellar M., Bodegom P.M. van, Geerling G.W., Schrama M. 2024. Landscape level associations between birds, mosquitoes and microclimates: possible consequences for disease transmission?.. Parasites and Vectors 17 DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-024-06239-z
2023

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

2020

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Beek J.G. van der, Dijkstra K.D.B., Hoorn B.B. van der, Boerlijst SP., Busscher L., Kok M.L., Braks M.A.H., Schaffner F., Davelaar G.J., Henry M., Hulshof K., Leslie T.E., Schrama M. 2020. Taxonomy, ecology and distribution of the mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) of the Dutch Leeward Islands, with a key to the adults and fourth instar larvae. Contributions to Zoology 89 (4) : 373-392. DOI https://doi.org/10.1163/18759866-bja10005
2019

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Boerlijst S.P., Trimbos K.B., Beek J.G. van der, Dijkstra K.D.B., Hoorn B.B. van der, Schrama M. 2019. Field Evaluation of DNA Based Biodiversity Monitoring of Caribbean Mosquitoes. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 7: 240. DOI https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2019.00240