van WeverwijkAntoinette Netherlands Cancer InstituteNetherlands

During my PhD I was trained in breast cancer biology under the supervision of Prof. Clare Isacke at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, UK. My main research project focused on identifying novel drivers of breast cancer metastasis and modulators of chemotherapy response. At this time, I found my passion for fundamental research and the complex TME. During my postdoc I extended my expertise in the field of breast tumor immunology in the group of Prof. Karin de Visser at the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam. I established a genotype-immunophenotype research line, where I combine mechanistic studies and therapeutic interventions in transgenic mouse models, with co-culture assays and immune profiling studies in breast cancer patients. I aim to understanding the influence of genetic drivers on the composition and function of the immune landscape in breast cancer. Ultimately this may identify novel molecular insights into tumor genotype-immune phenotype relationships that can pave the way for personalised immune intervention strategies for patients.