Roel Verhaak, Ph.D.
Professor and Associate Director of Computational Biology, The Florine Deschenes Roux Chair for Genomics and Computational Biology
Brain tumors, sequencing, computational biology
We are a computational cancer biology lab with a research focus on the analysis of cancer genomics data to improve our understanding of cancer biology. We have a specialized research interest in understanding disease progression of brain tumors, and to study the role of extrachromosomal DNA amplifications in cancer. Our group combines wet lab approaches for functional modeling with large datasets and computational methods.
Education and experience
- 2006: PhD, Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
- 2000: MSc, Biomedical Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
POSTDOCTORAL TRAINING:
- 2007-2010: Postdoctoral Fellow, Laboratory of Matthew Meyerson, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana- Farber Cancer Institute/Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge MA.
- 2006: Visiting Scientist, Laboratory of John Quackenbush. Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Boston, MA.
RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS
- 2008-2010: Fundamental and pre-clinical fellowship, Dutch Cancer Society KWF
- 2006: Netherlands Genomics Initiative Fellowship
EXPERIENCE:
- 2016-current: Professor and associate director for computational biology, The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine, Farmington, CT
- 2015-2016: Associate professor, Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (primary), Department of Genomic Medicine (affiliate), UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
- 2013-2015: Assistant professor, Department of Genomic Medicine, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
- 2010-2015: Assistant professor, Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
- 2010: Computational biologist, Laboratory of Matthew Meyerson, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA.
- 2006-2007: Research Scientist, Laboratory of Peter JM Valk, Department of Hematology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
- 2002-2003: Software engineer, Dalicon BV, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Honors and accomplishments
- 2016: Agilent Early Career Professor Award
- 2016: AAAS Martin and Rose Wachtel Cancer Research Award
- 2015: Finalist, Robert M. Chamberlain Distinguished Mentor Award.
- 2014: Adult Basic Science Award, Society for Neuro-Oncology Meeting 2014
- 2013: Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, Peter Steck Memorial Award
- 2011: Wilson S. Stone Memorial Award at MD Anderson's Symposia on Cancer Research
-
Research HighlightMay 31, 2022International research group is predicting glioma changes before recurrence
Roel Verhaak is leading an international group of clinicians and researchers, investigating why gliomas develop resistance and recur after initial therapies. -
Research HighlightApril 15, 2021New insights into ecDNA function advances cancer research
JAX researchers report in Cancer Cell further insight into yet another way extrachromosomal, circular DNA (ecDNA) may promote cancer. -
Press ReleaseAugust 18, 2020
Tracking down structural variants in cancer
National Cancer Institute grant to JAX will fund the development of new tools to identify and analyze structural variants and their functional impacts in tumors. -
Press ReleaseApril 23, 2018The role of extra DNA in cancer evolution and therapy resistance
New research is providing a better understanding of the processes underlying cell-to-cell differences within glioblastoma tumors — a crucial finding because these differences contribute to therapy resistance.
-
Search MagazineOctober 19, 2021Five ways scientists are taking the fight to cancer
In this article, we examine the different ways cancer escalates the conflicts within our bodies, and how scientists are leveraging the incredible power of genetics and genomics to disarm it. -
Press ReleaseMarch 12, 2021Three new endowed chairs to lead Alzheimer’s, addiction, and cancer research
The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) has appointed three faculty members to endowed chairs in order to further research into Alzheimer’s disease, addiction, cancer and computational biology. -
Press ReleaseNovember 20, 2019How do gliomas evolve?
The Glioma Longitudinal Analysis (GLASS) Consortium characterized diffuse glioma cells both before and after therapy to characterize how they change and why this form of malignant brain cancer is so difficult to treat. The findings provide a foundation for further research and the opportunity for the clinical community to predict the effectiveness of newly developed treatments. -
Research HighlightDecember 15, 2017New therapy insight for glioblastoma multiforme
A team including JAX Professor Roel Verhaak, Ph.D., investigated genes implicated in self-renewal and therapy resistance in glioblastoma multiforme.