Rob C. Hoeben is professor of Gene Transfer and active in the field of Gene Therapy. He heads the section Virus and Stem Cell Biology of the department of Cell and Chemical Biology at the Leiden University Medical Center.

More information about Robert Hoeben

Rob C. Hoeben is professor of Gene Transfer and active in the field of Gene Therapy. He heads the section Virus and Stem Cell Biology of the department of Cell and Chemical Biology at the Leiden University Medical Center.

Gene Transfer

My research focuses on developing viruses for gene transfer for gene therapy. Key areas of focus are improving oncolytic viruses for cancer treatment, and the use of viral immune evasion strategies in innovative treatments for nerve damage.

Academic Career

Rob C. Hoeben, PhD, is professor of gene transfer (since 2000) at the Leiden University, and Head of the Virus and Stem Cell Biology lab of the Department of Cell and Chemical Biology at the Leiden University Medical Centre, in Leiden, The Netherlands. He held his inaugural lecture on June 1, 2001 which was titled 'Van kwaad tot beter' over virussen, vectoren en gentherapie.  

He is a graduate in Biology from Utrecht University (1986) and obtained his PhD at Leiden University in 1991. He performed postdoctoral research on the use of adenovirus and retrovirus vectors for treatment of liver disorders. The ‘911’ helper cell line was developed for research-grade production of adenoviral vectors and, in collaboration with scientists at Crucell BV (Leiden), he developed the PER.C6 cell line and the associated virus-production platform. With Prof. Huizinga (Rheumatology) and Prof. Nelissen (Orthopaedic Surgery), he initiated a Phase I clinical study ‘Gene Therapy n Aseptic Prosthetic Replacement Loosening’. He collaborates with Prof. Verhaagen for evaluating the use of immuno-stealth genes for gene therapy in the peripheral nervous system. His current research is focused on the development of oncolytic viruses for cancer gene therapy.

Prof. Hoeben is member of COGEM (Committee on Genetic Modification), which advises the Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment on the use of Genetically Modified Organisms. Prof. Hoeben published more than 200 papers in international peer-reviewed journals. In addition, he is named as inventor on fifteen US and European patents, covering PER.C6 and associated technology, and gene-therapy technology for prosthesis refixation, as well as new adenoviruses, isolated from non-human primates, for use in oncolytic virus therapies.