Peter Devilee has over 30 years of experience in cancer genetics, including somatic genetics of tumors and the genetics of familial clustering of cancer, primarily breast and colorectal cancer, and paragangliomas. Since 2003, he is professor of Tumor Genetics at the Leiden University Medical Center (Department of Human Genetics and the Department of Pathology).

More information about Peter Devilee

Peter Devilee has over 30 years of experience in cancer genetics, including somatic genetics of tumors and the genetics of familial clustering of cancer, primarily breast and colorectal cancer, and paragangliomas. Since 2003, he is professor of Tumor Genetics at the Leiden University Medical Center (Department of Human Genetics and the Department of Pathology).

Academic career

In the late nineties, Devilee was coordinator of the worldwide Breast Cancer Linkage Consortium, which made significant contributions to the understanding of the genetics of hereditary breast cancer. In 1995, he was co-discoverer of the BRCA2 gene, and in 2000, of the gene-defect underlying hereditary paragangliomas. Nationally, he translated these discoveries into the diagnostic arena, by developing rapid mutation scanning methods, and unraveling the BRCA1/2 mutation spectrum and genetic heterogeneity of hereditary breast cancer in the Netherlands.

In 2004, he held his inaugural lecture: 'Is this still a coincidence?' (in Dutch) 

Current work includes searches for new cancer susceptibility and risk modifier genes in selected families and patient populations, studies directed towards understanding the polygenic nature of cancer susceptibility and the pathogenicity of unclassified variants in the BRCA1/2 genes.

Involved Themes for Innovation LUMC:

• Cancer
• Medical Genomics

Prizes

• Henny C. Dirven Prijs 1996

Publications