Utrecht Cancer
With its consistent rise in incidence, cancer increasingly poses a burden on patients, their family and society. It is one of the most complex diseases, involving a variety of factors including intracellular processes, tissue-specific mechanisms, and tumor microenvironmental influences that contribute to its origin and dissemination.
Within one square mile, the Utrecht Science Park harbors a unique combination of various public and private partners in cancer research and care.
To unravel this complexity of cancer in humans (children, adolescents and adults) as well as in animals, a multidisciplinary approach at all levels is required. The Utrecht Science Park, with partners located within walking distance, offers the ultimate and unique environment for new initiatives and extensive collaborations in cancer research. These collaborations extend from laboratory science to human- and animal clinical research (and vice versa) as well as in education and training of the next generation of scientists and clinicians.
Our goal
Over 1200 cancer researchers of the Hubrecht Institute, Princess Máxima Center, UMC Utrecht and the faculties of Science and Veterinary Medicine share their knowledge and expertise to deliver a significant contribution to a better understanding of the disease and improve the outcome of pediatric, adult and veterinary cancer patients.
As a Comprehensive Cancer Platform, Utrecht Cancer connects the largest and most multidisciplinary cancer research community in the Netherlands. It supports and promotes internal and external collaborations, multi-institutional and overarching, leading to impactful pre- and clinical research with societal implications.
Our innovations
Six main research innovations have been selected based on the areas of expertise, scientific excellence and educational programs for which cancer research at Utrecht Science Park is renowned.
Founding partners & their cancer research groups
Any relevant public and/or private partner is invited to collaborate.
Hubrecht Instititute
Research at the Hubrecht Institute focuses on developmental biology and stem cells at the organismal, cellular, and molecular level. A variety of biological processes are being studied, mainly concerning embryonic development and development and homeostasis of organs.
- Den Hertog: Protein-Tyrosine Phosphatases in development and disease
- De Laat: Biomedical genomics
- Garaycoechea: DNA damage and mutagenesis
- Kind: Developmental epigenomics
- Kops: chromosomal instability
- Knipscheer: Genome maintenance mechanisms
- Mattiroli: Chromatin structure and dynamics
- Robin: Hematopoietic stem cells in health and diseases
- Sahtoe: Protein structure, mechanism and design
- Sonnen: Signalling dynamics
- Tanenbaum: Gene expression dynamics
- The organoid group
- Van Oudenaarden: Development of novel single-cell sequencing methods
Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology
More than 30 independent research groups in our science division perform pre-clinical and clinical research on childhood cancer. Together, these groups cover a broad area of expertise, disease types, and technologies.
University Medical Center Utrecht
The Strategic Program Cancer is a world leading platform at UMC Utrecht for cancer research and innovation. Their research groups focus on improving the outcome of cancer patients, and those at risk of cancer.
Utrecht University – Faculty of Science
Working towards a better world is a strong driver behind the research of the Faculty of Science. In order to have impact, they are asking fundamental questions and finding out how things work in detail.
- Abeln: AI technology for life
- Akhmanova: Cellular dynamics
- Baubec: repressive epigenetic modifications
- Bhardwaj: quantitative (epi)genomics for cell fate decisions
- Dijkstra: Simulations of soft matter
- Janssen: Structural cell biology
- Kesmir: computational tools for immunotherapy
- Oliveira: Molecular targeted therapies
- Stecker: Cell signaling
- Suijkerbuijk: Cell competition
Utrecht University – Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Performing fundamental and strategic research focused on the health, disease and welfare of animals and on related public and environmental health aspects.
- Berkers & Helms: Cancer Metabolism
- De Bruin: Targeting cell cycle pathologies in cancer
- Exposome research group (IRAS)
- Immunology section, Veterinary Medicine
- IRAS Veterinary and Comparative Pharmacology
- Nolte-t Hoen: Extracellular Vesicles as cancer biomarkers
- Salvatori: Malignancy of stem cells
- Wauben: Extracellular vesicle-mediated communication in cancer
- Westendorp: DNA Replication & Genome Protection
- Veterinary Oncology Group - OnGo
Research infrastructures
By the end of 2024, we aim to have a searchable interface available for our facilities.
Ambassadors
Founders of the strategy and goals of Utrecht Cancer.
- Prof. Alain de Bruin, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
- Prof. Leendert Looijenga, Princess Máxima Center
- Prof. Puck Knipscheer, Hubrecht Institute
- Associate Prof. Sabrina Oliveira, Faculty of Science
- Prof. Elsken van der Wall, UMC Utrecht
- Associate Prof. Erna Erdtsieck-Ernste, Utrecht Life Sciences
- Mrs. Alice Tondeur UMC Utrecht, support
Do you have any questions about Utrecht Cancer? Don't hesitate to contact us at strategicprogramcancer@umcutrecht.nl.
