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 mission
Almost 2000 cancer researchers of the Hubrecht Institute, Princess Máxima Center, UMC Utrecht, the faculties of Science and Veterinary Medicine, the University of Applied Sciences Utrecht and the Westerdijk Institute 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.
Research innovations
Six main focus areas have been selected based on expertise, scientific excellence and educational programs for which cancer research at Utrecht Science Park is renowned.
Connected partners & research groups Utrecht Cancer
Any relevant public and/or private partner is invited to collaborate.
Hubrecht Institute
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
- Kaznatcheev: Mathematics of somatic evolution of cancer
- Kesmir: computational tools for immunotherapy
- Leopold: Pharmaceutical policy and regulation
- Marino: Antigen discovery and immuno biology
- Oliveira: Molecular targeted therapies
- Pieters: Chemical biology and drug discovery towards glycodrugs
- Stecker: Cell signaling
- Suijkerbuijk: Cell competition
- Vlaming: Genome biology and epigenetics to decipher regulation and misregulation in disease
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
- Strijbis: Impact of bacteria on carcinogenesis
- Wauben: Extracellular vesicle-mediated communication in cancer
- Westendorp: DNA Replication & Genome Protection
- Veterinary Oncology Group - OnGo
University of Applied Sciences
- Barten: Lectoraat Innovatie van beweegzorg
- Van der Lugt: Lectoraat Co-design
- Van Turnhout: Lectoraat Human experience & media design
- Bleijenberg: Lectoraat Proactieve zorg voor thuiswonende ouderen
- Pieters&Krul: Lectoraat Innovative testing in life science & chemistry
Westerdijk Institute
Research infrastructures
By the end of 2025, we aim to have a searchable interface available for our facilities.
Ambassadors
Official representatives of the values and mission of Utrecht Cancer.
- Alain de Bruin, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
- Leendert Looijenga, Princess Máxima Center
- Puck Knipscheer, Hubrecht Institute
- Sabrina Oliveira, Faculty of Science
- Elsken van der Wall, UMC Utrecht
- Erna Erdtsieck-Ernste, Utrecht Life Sciences
- Silvia Veldhoven, UMC Utrecht, support
Council
Stefan Prekovic, UMC Utrecht
Anouk Hiensch, UMC Utrecht
Mirjam Belderbos, Prinses Máxima Center
Delilah Hendriks, Prinses Máxima Center
Cansu Koyunlar, Hubrecht Institute
Saskia Suijkerbuijk, UU Faculty of Science
Maurice Zandvliet, UU Faculty Veterinary Medicine
Do you have any questions about Utrecht Cancer? Don't hesitate to contact us at strategicprogramcancer@umcutrecht.nl.
