prof. dr. V.V.A.M. (Nine) Knoers

Professor Nine Knoers is currently the chair of the Department of Genetics at the University Medical Centre Groningen, The Netherlands.  She received her M.D. (1986) and Ph.D. (cum laude, 1990) from the Catholic University Nijmegen, The Netherlands. She was trained and certified as Clinical Geneticist at the Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen. From 2011 until 2018, she was chair of the Department of Genetics at the University Medical Centre Utrecht, The Netherlands. She was chair of the Dutch Society of Clinical Genetics (2007-2015) and Member of the Dutch Health Council (2008-2018). In 2017, she became Honorary member of the Dutch Society of Clinical Genetics, as recognition of a major contribution to Clinical Genetics and to professionalization of the Society. Her major research effort focuses on the identification of genes for inherited renal disorders and on their pathophysiology. The ultimate aim of her studies is to find clues for treatments for these disorders. Over the past years, her team has substantially contributed to the elucidation and further characterization of genes involved in hereditary kidney diseases, among which the V2R and AQP2 genes for congenital nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, and genes involved in renal hypomagnesemia, in syndromic nephronophthisis, and in congenital abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT). Nine Knoers has an extensive national and international network, is member of several European Consortia on genetic renal disorders (EUNEFRON, EURenOmics, ERKNet) and coordinates the Dutch Scientific Consortium on renal ciliopathies “Kouncil”. She was awarded the Donald Seldin Lectureship of the International Society of Nephrology (2013), as a recognition of a major contribution in basic science related to nephrology and the Catharijne oeuvre award 2016 (Catharijne foundation) for groundbraking contributions to nephrogenetics, both scientifically as well as clinically. She has published over 300 scientific papers, including papers in Nature Genetics, Science, Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine and 28 Chapters in books. In the last 10 years, she delivered >250 invited lectures.  She has successfully supervised 29 PhD students, many of whom have continued their careers in academics.