I am a neurologist by training and perform translational research in infectious diseases and microbiology. I am fascinated by the question how it is possible that one person remains healthy, the other becomes critically ill but recovers, and another person dies of (neurological) infectious diseases. To unravel this, we investigate neurological infectious disease and neurological complciations of infectious disease in an innovative approach from the side of both pathogen and patient, and, as the most complex part, at the interaction between pathogen and patient. We published a landmark study on the life-saving effect of adjunctive dexamethasone, an anti-inflammatory drug, in patients with bacterial meningitis. After a clinical randomized study and international meta-analyses, the results formed part of national and international guidelines and implementation studies followed. We now study the use of immodulatory treatments in meningitis, encephalitis, stroke and Covid-19. Our mission is to decrease the burden of neurological infections. We will do so by improving prevention, diagnostics and treatment.