Melvin Samsom is a Professor of Gastroenterology at Radboudumc. He is also Senior Advisor at KPMG Health, Non-Executive Director of the Group Board of Bupa, in London, and Chair of the Supervisory Committee Reorganization Academic Care Landscape for the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. He has held various management positions within Radboudumc and also acted as CEO of Karolinska University Hospital.

René Kuijten is one of the initiators of Oncode Institute and is partner and Head of EQT Life Sciences (previousy LSP) within EQT, a global private equity and venture capital investment firm. After his training as a physician in Utrecht he obtained a PhD degree as a WHO fellow, based on cancer research performed at the University of Pennsylvania. He received his MBA from INSEAD and was a consultant at McKinsey & Co. in Amsterdam, Zurich and Brussels from 1992-2000, a.o. leading their healthcare practice. In 2001 he joined LSP (now EQT Life Sciences) and has founded and supported many life science companies. René also serves as a member of the steering committee in the Dutch Topsector Life Science & Health, is on the advisory board of health care insurer Menzis, and on the advisory board of Utrecht Life Sciences, University of Utrecht.

Ben Feringa is Jacobus van ‘t Hoff Distinguished Professor of Molecular Sciences at the University of Groningen. His research interest includes stereochemistry, organic synthesis, asymmetric catalysis, molecular switches and motors, self-assembly, molecular nanosystems and photopharmacology. He received the 2016 Nobel Prize in chemistry and was knighted by Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands in 2008. He is Board Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences (KNAW), Chairman Board Chemistry Division of the Netherlands Science Foundation NWOCW among many other involvements.

Until 2017, Edvard Beem has served as co-director of The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw). Since its establishment in 2001, he was responsible for research strategy, public-private co-operation and international relations at ZonMw. Edvard was originally trained as a biochemist and spend most of his scientific career at the Netherlands Cancer Institute. He also serves as the chair of the General Assembly of Joint Programming Initiative “More Years, Better Lives” and held governmental positions in numerous international funding consortia promoting European and global collaboration in research, innovation and infrastructures.

Tanja Nagel has had a long career in the financial sector. In 2009 she became CEO at Theodoor Gillissen Bankers, a position she held until 2017. During her career she has gained ample experience in supervising diverse organisations and companies. Amongst others, she served on the supervisory boards of the Pink Ribbon Foundation and The National Maritime Museum and chaired the audit committee in both boards. Next to her role at Oncode, she currently serves in in the board of the Utrecht University Fund and in the supervisory boards of PNO consultants and EY The Netherlands.

Jan Paul Medema is Scientific Director en voorzitter van de Research Management Committee van Oncode Institute. Daarnaast is hij groepsleider bij Amsterdam UMC en hoogleraar Experimentele Oncologie en Radiobiologie aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam. Zijn onderzoeksgroep richt zich op de biologie en behandeling van darmkanker, met specifieke aandacht voor heterogeniteit. Daarbij kijken zij naar verschillen binnen tumoren, bepaald door een hiërarchie van kankerstamcellen en klonale evolutie, en naar verschillen tussen tumoren, die samenhangen met verschillende subtypes en mutatieprofielen.

Bertholt Leeftink is Managing Director van Oncode Institute en verantwoordelijk voor strategie, governance en valorisatie. Deze drie pijlers zijn bepalend voor de verdere ontwikkeling van de organisatie. Zijn benoeming onderstreept de ambitie van Oncode Institute om wetenschap en impact nog sterker met elkaar te verbinden. Leeftink brengt ruime ervaring mee op het snijvlak van overheid, innovatie en bedrijfsleven.

Om de strategische afstemming verder te versterken, is Bertholt Leeftink, Managing Director van Oncode Institute, benoemd tot CEO en voorzitter van de Raad van Bestuur van de Oncode Accelerator Foundation. Hij gaat beide organisaties leiden, elk met een eigen focus binnen een gedeelde missie.

Eerder was Leeftink CEO van NRG PALLAS, wereldwijd actief in de productie van medische isotopen, en werkte hij als directeur-generaal Ondernemen en Innovatie bij het Ministerie van Economische Zaken en Klimaat. In die rol speelde hij een belangrijke rol bij de oprichting van Oncode Institute in 2017. Leeftink zet zich actief in voor publiek-private samenwerking, was betrokken bij de oprichting van Invest-NL en heeft brede ervaring binnen de life sciences en daarbuiten. Hij promoveerde in de economie aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam.

Ester is a biomedical scientist by training with experience in both an academic and a biotech environment. She obtained her PhD in the lab of Hans Bos at the UMC Utrecht. She studied signalling routes in cancer biology and continued this line of research at Galapagos in Leiden. In 2010 Ester moved into scientific project management and is managing director of CancerGenomics.nl since 2015. She has been involved with Oncode Institute since its early days and supported the founders in developing the scientific strategy. In her current role as Programme Manager, Ester supports the Scientific Director and Research Management Committee and is responsible for all programmes directly related to supporting research and the link to the clinic. This includes managing dedicated funds for clinical proof of concept projects and large equipment and technology applications.

As Head of Communication & PR at Oncode Institute, I share the story of our research and mission. My focus is on clear, accessible communication that shows how our science contributes to better outcomes for patients. With 15+ years of experience in communication and PR, I strongly believe in the power of well-crafted communication to drive impact. I’m proud to support a mission that truly matters by helping connect researchers, partners, and the public with the importance and progress of our work.

Veerle Fleskens is Head of Strategy and Stakeholder Management and member of the Management Team at Oncode Institute. She leads strategic planning and stakeholder engagement to align the institute’s scientific ambitions with societal needs and funding opportunities. With a background in molecular biology and experience across academia, consultancy and innovation management, Veerle brings both scientific depth and strategic vision. She is dedicated to building strong collaborations across research institutes, hospitals, industry and government to help Oncode Institute accelerate the translation of discoveries into better outcomes for people affected by cancer.

Jan Paul Medema is Scientific Director en voorzitter van de Research Management Committee van Oncode Institute. Daarnaast is hij groepsleider bij Amsterdam UMC en hoogleraar Experimentele Oncologie en Radiobiologie aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam. Zijn onderzoeksgroep richt zich op de biologie en behandeling van darmkanker, met specifieke aandacht voor heterogeniteit. Daarbij kijken zij naar verschillen binnen tumoren, bepaald door een hiërarchie van kankerstamcellen en klonale evolutie, en naar verschillen tussen tumoren, die samenhangen met verschillende subtypes en mutatieprofielen.

Professor Clare Isacke studied Biochemistry and graduatedin Developmental Biology with John Heath at the University of Oxford. She then moved to Tony Hunter's laboratory at the Salk Institute in San Diego to work on growth factor receptor signalling as a postdoctoral fellow. On returning to England, she started her own research laboratory first in the Department of Biochemistry and then in the Department of Biology at Imperial College London. She was appointed Professor of Molecular Cell Biology in 2000. In 2001, Professor Isacke moved to The Institute of Cancer Research in London to take up an appointment as Professor of Molecular Cell Biology in the Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre. Currently, she is Academic Dean at the ICR. Professor Isacke aims to identify the processes by which tumour cells recruit non-cancerous cells during metastasis.

Professor Paul Workman is Harrap Professor of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London and is also a Group Leader in Signal Transduction and Molecular Pharmacology at ICR. From 2014-2021 he served as Chief Executive and President of the ICR and from 1997-2016 he was Director the ICR’s CRUK Cancer Therapeutics Unit. Paul previously held senior research positions at the MRC Oncology Unit, Cambridge University; CRUK Beatson Laboratories, Glasgow University; and Zeneca Pharmaceuticals, Alderley Park. Paul is an international leader in the field of cancer drug discovery and chemical biology, known especially for his work on the discovery of inhibitors of protein kinases, PI3 kinases, HSP90, HSP70 and the HSF1 and integrated stress response pathways.  He has been instrumental in the discovery of multiple molecular therapeutic agents that have entered clinical trials, including the approved drugs gefitinib and capivasertib. As a scientific entrepreneur, Paul has been involved in multiple biotech companies, including as Scientific Founder of Chroma Therapeutics and Piramed Pharma (acquired by Roche). An enthusiast for high-quality chemical probes in biomedical research, Paul is Executive Director of the non-profit Chemical Probes Portal. Paul has received multiple awards and fellowships and is a Fellow of the Royal Society (the UK’s academy of science).

Danny is a European Registered Toxicologist and has 20 years of experience in oncology drug development, which includes research positions at the Netherlands Cancer Institute and Leiden University, and several positions within the pharmaceutical industry. In 2018 he co-founded D2Team, a consultancy company that provides non-clinical development services for the pharma/biotech industry. His experience covers bioanalysis, drug metabolism and biomarkers, and nonclinical toxicology support for small molecules and biologicals in all phases of drug development.