Speaker Profile
Ph.D., Clinical Scientist in Molecular Pathology, University Medical Center Groningen
Biography
Three decades his research focuses on the identification of prognostic/predictive epigenetic and molecular markers for clinical outcome, response to chemo-radiotherapy, gene-targeted therapy and treatment-resistance in lung, GIST, head&neck cancer, as well as the early detection of cervical cancer in scrapings. More recently his interest expanded to monitoring plasma ctDNA as a bloodborne-based molecular tool to predict response to targeted and immune-therapy. He is heading the laboratory of Molecular Pathology offering the latest innovative methods for treatment-decision-making in the region North-Netherlands. Since 1997 he is active in (inter)national committees and advisory boards on implementing Molecular Pathology, the organisation of international proficiency mutation testing in lung tissue biopsies and plasma ctDNA, and co-authored various international guidelines on Molecular Pathology. He graduated in Medical Biology in 1985 and PhD in 1993 in Molecular Biology (University of Amsterdam). He worked as a staff clinical scientist in Molecular Pathology at LUMC (1991-2000) and UMCG (2001-now).
Session Abstract – PMWC 2019 Silicon Valley
Session Synopsis: Due to their potential for severe adverse effects, it is essential to determine at the earliest time possible who is actually benefiting from universal or personalized immunotherapy (predicted via biomarkers like PDL1, MSI and TMB) or whether it needs to be adjusted or stopped. This session will focus on this complementary monitoring strategy.
