Prof. Jan Hoeijmakers is a distinguished leader in molecular genetics whose pioneering work has reshaped our understanding of DNA repair mechanisms and their fundamental role in aging. He currently serves as Professor of Molecular Genetics at Erasmus University Rotterdam where he has established himself as one of Europe's foremost experts in genome stability research. After completing his PhD at the University of Amsterdam on the unique kinetoplast DNA of trypanosomes he began his groundbreaking work on mammalian DNA repair in 1981 at Erasmus University. His career progression from Lecturer at the University of Amsterdam to Senior Scientist Associate Professor and ultimately Full Professor at Erasmus University demonstrates a sustained trajectory of scientific excellence and leadership in the field of molecular genetics. His reputation as a scientific leader extends internationally through his position as Guest Professor at the University of Cologne since 2016.
Professor Hoeijmakers laboratory made seminal contributions by cloning the first and numerous subsequent human DNA repair genes which enabled the elucidation of DNA repair mechanisms and the resolution of the basis for human repair syndromes including xeroderma pigmentosum and Cockayne syndrome. His team pioneered the study of DNA repair dynamics in living cells through innovative imaging technologies fundamentally transforming how scientists visualize and understand DNA repair processes in real time. By generating a unique collection of mouse models with DNA damage repair defects his research revealed a profound connection between DNA damage accumulation and the aging process demonstrating that DNA lesions physically block transcription causing genome-wide transcription stress that preferentially affects long genes. This groundbreaking discovery established DNA damage-induced transcription stress as a primary driver of systemic aging providing a unifying mechanism for age-related decline across multiple organ systems. His influential Nature paper on The central role of DNA damage in the ageing process has become a cornerstone reference in the field of aging research.
The transformative implications of Professor Hoeijmakers work extend to numerous clinical applications particularly in understanding and potentially treating human genome instability syndromes age-related neurodegenerative disorders and improving outcomes from cancer therapies that induce DNA damage. His laboratory's finding that nutritional interventions can significantly delay aging and transcription stress by reducing DNA damage accumulation offers promising avenues for promoting healthy longevity in humans. Recognized with prestigious awards including multiple European Research Council grants and the Cancer Research Prize of the Charles Rudolph Brupbacher Stiftung his scientific leadership continues to shape the field through his dual appointments at Erasmus University Rotterdam and as Guest Professor at the University of Cologne. Professor Hoeijmakers remains actively engaged in exploring how DNA damage contributes to systemic aging processes with his ongoing research holding significant promise for developing interventions that could enhance healthspan and address unmet medical needs in aging populations worldwide. His work has established a critical paradigm shift in understanding aging as fundamentally linked to genomic instability rather than being an inevitable consequence of time.
