Carla van Gils

Carla van Gils is a Full Professor at the University Medical Center Utrecht, specializing in Clinical Epidemiology of Cancer. She has held leadership roles including coordinator of the Cancer Research program at the Julius Center (2014-2021) and director of the Dutch Cancer Society since June 2021. Her work spans cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, with a focus on interdisciplinary research.

• Biomedical Health Sciences (1994)
• PhD in Epidemiology, Nijmegen University (1998)

Her research explores:

• Impact of risk-reducing surgeries on breast density
• Optimizing breast cancer screening for dense breasts
• Vaccine responses in cancer patients
• Role of skeletal muscle mass in radiotherapy outcomes
• Reproductive risk factors in mammographic density
• Stratified screening approaches

Recent publications highlight her work in breast cancer screening (2025), vaccine immunology (2024), and musculoskeletal influences on cancer treatment (2024), with collaborations across multiple international institutions.

Scientific honors include:

• Dutch Cancer Society fellowship (2009)
• Senior Teacher of the Year (2009)
• Elisabeth Steyn Parvé Award (2007)

She currently serves as director of the Dutch Cancer Society while continuing her academic research.