About P.J.M. (Peter) Valk, PhD
Introduction
Peter J.M. Valk is Associate Professor and Head of the Hemato-oncology laboratory (cytology and molecular diagnostics – reference laboratory in HOVON-AMLSG-UK clinical trials). In the past 20 years my research has concentrated on the comprehensive molecular analyses of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), with the aim to reveal novel molecular markers to improve the diagnosis and prognosis of AML patients (precision medicine) as well as our understanding of the biology of heterogeneous malignancies, such as AML. Several of these clinically relevant molecular markers were incorporated into national and international AML risk stratification recommendations.
In the past 7 years, my own research line has focused on next generation sequencing-based detection of molecular minimal residual disease (MRD) to predict an impending AML relapse. We have recently shown that the persistence of selected subsets of leukemia-specific mutations have independent prognostic impact for patients with AML.
Field(s) of expertise
Dr Valk’s main interest is unraveling the molecular heterogeneity of hematologic malignancies, in particular acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Using various genome-wide technologies, such as gene expression profiling, genotyping and next generation sequencing, Dr Valk revealed novel insights into the heterogeneity and biology of AML. His work has developed molecular biomarkers that are incorporated into routine risk-stratification and clinical care of AML patients. More recently Dr Valk has focused on the detection of molecular minimal residual disease in AML, clonal hematopoiesis and germline predisposition to myeloid malignancy.
Comprehensive analyses of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at diagnosis and during treatment using genomics to better understand AML biology, improve risk stratification and outcome of AML patients.
Education and career
Publications
Valk PJM, Verhaak RGW, Beijen MA, Erpelinck CAJ, Barjesteh van Waalwijk van Doorn - Khosrovani S, Boer JM, Beverloo HB, Moorhouse MJ, van der Spek PJ, Löwenberg B, Delwel R - Prognostically Useful Gene-Expression Profiles in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. New Engl.J.Med. 2004, 350: 1617-1628.
Bullinger L and Valk PJM - Gene expression profiling in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Journal Clin Oncol 2005; 23(26):6296-6305.
Verhaak RG, Goudswaard CS, van Putten W, Bijl MA, Sanders MA, Hugens W, Uitterlinden AG, Erpelinck CA, Delwel R, Lowenberg B, Valk PJ - Mutations in nucleophosmin NPM1 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML): association with other gene abnormalities and previously established gene expression signatures and their favorable prognostic significance. Blood 106(12), 2005: 3747-54.
Taskesen E, Bullinger L, Corbacioglu A, Sanders M, Erpelinck CA, Wouters BJ, van der Poel-van de Luytgaarde S, Damm F, Krauter J, Ganser A, Schlenk RF, Löwenberg B, Delwel R, Dohner H, Valk PJ, Dohner K. Prognostic impact, concurrent genetic mutations and gene expression features of AML with CEBPA mutations in a cohort of 1182 cytogenetically normal AML: further evidence for CEBPA double mutant AML as a distinctive disease entity. Blood. 2010; 117(8):2469-75.
Rockova V, Abbas S, Wouters BJ, Erpelinck CAJ, Beverloo HB, Delwel R, van Putten WLJ, Löwenberg B, Valk PJM. Risk-stratification of intermediate-risk acute myeloid leukemia: integrative analysis of a multitude of gene mutation and gene expression markers. Blood. 2011; 118(4):1069-76.
Sanders MA, Valk PJ. The evolving molecular genetic landscape in acute myeloid leukaemia. Curr Opin Hematol. 2013;20(2):79-85.
Gröschel S, Sanders MA, Hoogenboezem R, Zeilemaker A, Havermans M, Erpelinck C, Bindels EM, Beverloo HB, Döhner H, Löwenberg B, Döhner K, Delwel R, Valk PJ. Mutational spectrum of myeloid malignancies with inv(3)/t(3;3) reveals a predominant involvement of RAS/RTK signaling pathways. Blood. 2014; 125(1):133-9.
Jongen-Lavrencic M, Grob T, Hanekamp D, Kavelaars FG, Al Hinai A, Zeilemaker A, Erpelinck-Verschueren CAJ, Gradowska PL, Meijer R, Cloos J, Biemond BJ, Graux C, van Marwijk Kooy M, Manz MG, Pabst T, Passweg JR, Havelange V, Ossenkoppele GJ, Sanders MA, Schuurhuis GJ, Löwenberg B, Valk PJM. Molecular Minimal Residual Disease in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. N Engl J Med. 2018; 378(13):1189-1199.
Sanders MA, Chew E, Flensburg C, Zeilemaker A, Miller SE, Al Hinai AS, Bajel A, Luiken B, Rijken M, Mclennan T, Hoogenboezem RM, Kavelaars FG, Fröhling S, Blewitt ME, Bindels EM, Alexander WS, Löwenberg B, Roberts AW, Valk PJM, Majewski IJ. MBD4 guards against methylation damage and germline deficiency predisposes to clonal hematopoiesis and early-onset AML. Blood. 2018;132(14):1526-1534.
Teaching activities
In the past 5 years I have been actively involved in teaching second year students from the ErasmusMC (Morphology – Molecular Diagnostics) and Klinische Technologie (Molecular Diagnostics). I have been invited to give lectures in various regular, summer and winter courses (Infection & Immunity – Molecular Medicine – NIHES).
Over the years, I have had many internships from the Hoger Laboratorium Onderwijs as well as master students (Clinical Research - LUMC - VUMC). Every year I teach junior hematologists in the Netherlands in the field of molecular diagnostics of hematologic malignancies during the ‘Diagnostiekdag’ organized by the Nederlandse Vereniging voor Hematologie (NVVH). Similarly, I have given many educational lectures during the bi-annual meetings of MODHEM to members to improve the work of the (inter)national molecular diagnostic laboratories involved in the HOVON clinical trials.
In this context, I am also chairing the next generation sequencing working group within MODHEM. As chair of the ASH-ICAL I teach members of the molecular diagnostic laboratories from various Latin-American countries during ASH meetings, by ASH visitor training programs and continuously by virtual teaching/training via zoom/training videos. Over time, I have mentored PhD students, who after their PhD are still in the field of research at prominent positions.
Other positions
Editorial boards: Blood [2016-2018] - Scientific advisory boards: Scientific program ASH (2018 (member), 2019 (member) and 2020 (chair) Scientific Committee on Hematopathology and Clinical Laboratory Hematology)-
Review boards: European Hematology Association (EHA) annual meetings American Society of Hematology (ASH) - Review panel member Journals: NEJM; Nature; Nature Genetics; Nature Communications; Blood; Leukemia; Cancer Discovery; Haematologica; Oncotarget; Disease Models & Mechanisms; European Journal of Cancer; American Journal of Hematology; PLoS ONE; Acta Haematologica; Leukemia and Lymphoma, among others - Grant and tenure ship reviews: Dutch Cancer Society (KWF); Leukemia & Lymphoma Research (LLR); The Kay Kendall Leukaemia Fund; Swiss Cancer League; São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP); National Cancer Institute of France (INCa); NHLBI – NIH among others
Organisation of scientific meetings: Scientific program ASH (2018 (member), 2019 (member) and 2020 (chair) Scientific Committee on Hematopathology and Clinical Laboratory Hematology) Workshop on MRD detection in AML at the AACR annual meeting in San Diego (virtually) International Network for Molecular Diagnostics of Hematologic Malignancies (MODHEM) -Memberships: Board membership International Network for Molecular Diagnostics of Hematologic Malignancies (MODHEM) [2000-now] ELN-DAVID board of directors [2018-now] Membership: European Hematology Association (EHA) American Society of Hematology (ASH)
Scholarships, grants, and awards
Research fellow Dutch Cancer Society ‘Koningin Wilhelmina Fonds’; Department of Hemato-/Oncology - Children’s Hospital, Boston - Supervisor: Dr. S.H. Orkin (1999-2000); American Society of Hematology Scientific Committee (member (2018-2019) and chair (2020)); American Society of Hematology International Consortium of Acute Leukemia (ASH ICAL) (chair subcommittee on laboratory and treatment guidelines (2016-now) – various KWF/ZonMW grants.
Impact
(I) The translational research focussing on the improvement of risk stratification has had an enormous impact on the treatment of patients with AML [guidelines/publications in newspapers/nu.nl]. Classification of patients has dramatically changed based on our results, and these have been incorporated in national and international guidelines (ELN-ICC).
(II) Within the American Society of Hematology International Consortium of Acute Leukemia (ASH ICAL) program I have
been able to successfully create the NGS infrastructure in molecular diagnostics of hematologic malignancies in 5 Latin-American countries (Brasil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chili and Peru)