The research efforts of Netea’s group is to translate information obtained through the in-depth assessment of immune responses in health and disease into novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in patients.  His group has a strong track record on translating immunological and genetic information into understanding pathophysiological mechanisms of disease. He has a broad expertise on the host mechanisms responsible for the recognition of viral and bacterial pathogens and the activation of the innate immune system. Netea has described the epigenetic mechanisms mediating innate immune memory (‘trained immunity’) for the first time, and their role in vaccination, infection, immune-mediated diseases, and cancer. He is coordinator of the International Trained Immunity Consortium that aims to understand the processes of innate immune memory, and develop prevention and therapeutic approaches based on trained immunity. His work led to the first phase III clinical trial using vaccination with a live attenuated vaccine (BCG) as a prevention strategy against infections (including viral) in the elderly. In addition, the concept of trained immunity is at the basis of large phase III clinical trials using live attenuated vaccines in COVID-19.