About our Department
Our research
The research we perform is aimed at establishing individualized treatments of patients with solid tumors that are highly effective and show least side effects. “The treatment of an individual with cancer is determined by specific characteristics of that individual patient, the cancer cells, and their micro-environment, and needs to be constantly adjusted according to the changes observed in these characteristics”. This is the over-arching vision we have defined.
To this end, our research activities are organized into 5 divisions:
Translational Cancer Genomics and Proteomics to establish prognostic and predictive markers according to molecular traits of tumor cells
- Research group Martens: Breast Cancer Genomics and Proteomics
- Research group Hooning: Hereditary Cancer
Translational Pharmacology to study the pharmacology of drugs involved in anti-cancer treatment to individualize the dose of individual patients
- Research group Mathijssen: Personalized Medicine
Translational Onco-Immunology to understand how the tumor micro-environment contributes to immune evasion and explore strategies to enchance the responses of tumor-specific T lymphocytes
- Research group Debets: Tumor Immunology
Clinical trials to explore the clinical value of treatments suggested by preclinical findings
- Research group Early Clinical Trials
- Research group De Wit: Experimental Systematic Therapy of Urogenital Tumors
Palliative and Supportive Care to determine and optimize factors that affect patients' quality of life
- Research group Van der Rijt: Palliative and Supportive Care
Importantly, clinical and preclinical studies show complementary activities. Our preclinical studies allow adequate interpretation of current therapies, and development and testing of new treatments.
The activity and safety of new or combined treatments are tested in a vast number of clinical trials, results of which feed again into our preclinical studies to warrant continuous optimization of treatments.
To increase the quality of life of patients, we implement and further improve palliative and supportive care.
Finally, our nursing research aims to help patients and their loved ones to cope with the effect of cancer (treatment), to reduce the symptom burden and to improve quality of life.
Principal Investigators
Our division coordinators are:
- Department Chair: Henk Verheul
- Translational Cancer Genomics and Proteomics: John Martens
- Translational Pharmacology: Ron Mathijssen
- Translational Onco-Immunology: Reno Debets
- Clinical Trials: Ferry Eskens
- Palliative and Supportive Care: Karin van der Rijt
Research Lines
Our principal investigators, running research laboratories or groups within the above divisions, are:
Translational Cancer Genomics and Proteomics
Breast Cancer Genomics and Proteomics - John Martens
Hereditary Cancer - Maartje Hooning
Translational Pharmacology
Personalized Medicine - Ron Mathijssen
Translational Onco-Immunology
Tumor Immunology - Reno Debets
Clinical Trials
Early Clinical Trials - Ferry Eskens (chair)
Experimental Systemic Therapy of Urogenital Tumors - Ronald de Wit
Palliative and Supportive Care
Palliative and Supportive Care - Karin van der Rijt
Projects
