The focus of Dr. Brouwer’s research is on neurological infectious diseases, including bacterial meningitis, viral meningitis, chronic meningitis and neuroborreliosis. To this aim he has set up a nation-wide genetic association study on community-acquired bacterial meningitis (MeninGene study) and a study on suspected meningitis and encephalitis patients (PACEM study).

During his PhD Dr. Brouwer studied host genetic factors influencing bacterial meningitis in the nationwide cohort study on culture proven bacterial meningitis. By March 2017, 2300 patients have been included in this ongoing study. With this study we showed that adjunctive dexamethasone has successfully been implemented in the Netherlands, leading to a nationwide reduction of mortality and morbidity of bacterial meningitis. Furthermore, we identified common genetic variants in complement component 3 and 5 that influence susceptibility and outcome of bacterial meningitis. In several translational research projects we used clinical and genetic data to study pathofysiology of bacterial meningitis and identify new adjunctive treatments.