Jacques Neefjes

Jacques Neefjes serves as Head of the Division of Cell Biology II at the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) since 2009 and holds an Extraordinary Professorship at Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) since 1999 in the chair of Antigen Presentation and Processing. He previously served as Deputy Scientific Director of the NKI (2007-2011), Dean of the Graduate School Oncology Amsterdam (2000-2003), and Visiting Professor at the University of Oslo (2009-2011).

His research spans multiple disciplines through interdisciplinary approaches:

• Cell Biology: MHC class I/II antigen presentation mechanisms, dynein motor control of vesicles, PI3kinase in multivesicular body formation
• Immunology: Control of MHC expression, bacterial manipulation of phagosomes
• Chemical Biology: Reciprocal chemical genetics for host-targeted antibacterial strategies
• Cancer: Biophysical analysis of estrogen receptor conformational changes and resistance mechanisms
• Biophysics: Development of FRET/FRAP technologies for single-cell biochemistry

His laboratory has produced over 220 peer-reviewed publications with an H-index of 65 and nearly 15,000 citations, establishing foundational knowledge in antigen presentation pathways through integration of chemistry, genetic screens, cell biology, biophysics and immunology.

Award highlights include:

• ERC Advanced Grant (2011)
• NWO Pioneer Grant (1996)
• EMBO Membership (2006)
• KNCV Gold Medal (1996)
• Beatty Lectureship at McGill University (2012)

As an academic mentor, he has supervised 28 PhD students (7 cum laude), with nine former group members now heading research groups at universities in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden and England. His leadership extends to scientific advisory roles including chairman of the Dutch Cancer Society KWF and Dutch Children Oncology KIKA boards. The Neefjes lab maintains active research in chemical biology and immunology through integrated genetic and chemical screening approaches.