Franke, Prof. Lude

Lude Franke is Professor of Functional Genomics at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). He is a statistical geneticist, working on analyzing data on the genetics of complex and autoimmune diseases (e.g. celiac disease).
Lude Franke investigates non-coding DNA, genome sequences that are not transcribed into proteins and shed light on how cells and organisms function, and also opened up new avenues for the development of novel drugs. During the covid-19 outbreak, Franke developed the Corona Barometer, which helped us understand how the pandemic was unfolding. In addition, Franke has played a leading role in developing real-world applications for new discoveries, such as an affordable pharmacogenetic passport that predicts a patient's response to certain drugs. Franke also has a gift for visualising his research, and has won several awards for his graphic design work.
He has been awarded a Veni grant (2009), a Horizon Grant (2009), an ERC Starting grant (2014), and a Vidi grant (2014) to work on identifying molecular effects due to disease-causing mutations. In 2021 Franke was awarded a Vici grant. Many diseases have a genetic basis, but cancer is often caused by mutations that arise during life, whereas other diseases are caused by genetic differences that are inherited from parents. Frankes project uses gene networks to test whether a unifying principle exists that links these different types of mutations.
Lude Franke is one of the founding members of the Young Academy Groningen and in 2026, he has been appointed as a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW).
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