Profile photo Elsken van der Wall

Elsken van der Wall

Full Professor

Strategic program(s):

Biography

Elsken van der Wall (1960)  has studied medicine at the University of Utrecht and subsequently specialized in internal medicine at the University Medical Center of Utrecht.

In the Dutch Cancer Institute / Het Antoni van Leeuwenhoekhuis in Amsterdam she further specialized in medical oncology while performing research that resulted in her PhD degree on ‘high-dose chemotherapy in solid tumors’ in 1995. From 1995 till 2003 she held a position as medical oncologist at the department of medical oncology at the VU Medical Center in Amsterdam. During this time she spend 14 months as a basic scientist at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Institute at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions (JHMI) in Baltimore, USA . Following her stay at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Institute she became part-time associate professor at JHMI which position she still helds.

In 2003 she was appointed full professor of medicine at the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU) and head of the specialization program in internal medicine. In addition, she became member of the management team of the Division of Internal Medicine and Dermatology of the UMCU, responsible for research and education development within the Division. In 2005, she was appointed as distinguished professor of Utrecht University. In 2007 she left the specialization program in internal medicine and became head of the Cancer Center of the UMC Utrecht. As of 2018 she was appointend chair of the Strategic Program Cancer. Her out-patient clinical activities focus entirely on patients with breast cancer. Together with prof. dr. Paul van Diest, head of the Department of Pathology, she supervises the laboratory for breast cancer research at the UMC Utrecht. The focus of her scientific research is on breast carcinogenesis and she is co-author of over 200 peer-reviewed scientific papers. Outside her regular work she holds various positions that, amongst others, include: member of the Medical Advisory Board of the Dutch Cancer Center Network and member of the Advisory Board of the Dutch Cancer Foundation.. In 2010 she was knighted by former HRM Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, for her contribution to increase breast cancer awareness. In 2015 she received the “Corrie Herman” award, a national award to honour female medical role-models. In 2019 she was awarded with the Supervisor ( promotor) of the Year 2019.

 

Research groups

Translational breast cancer research group

Research aim

We aim to optimize early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, especially rare breast cancers like pregnancy associated, male & lobular breast cancer. We refine tissue diagnostics with molecular techniques/AI, and apply nipple fluid/blood tests.

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Recent publications

Supervised, structured and individualized exercise in metastatic breast cancer Anouk E Hiensch, Johanna Depenbusch, Martina E Schmidt, Evelyn M Monninkhof, Mireia Pelaez, Dorothea Clauss, Nadira Gunasekara, Philipp Zimmer, Jon Belloso, Mark Trevaskis, Helene Rundqvist, Joachim Wiskemann, Jana Müller, Maike G Sweegers, Carlo Fremd, Renske Altena, Maciej Gorecki, Rhodé Bijlsma, Lobke van Leeuwen-Snoeks, Daan Ten Bokkel Huinink, Gabe Sonke, Ainhara Lahuerta, G Bruce Mann, Prudence A Francis, Gary Richardson, Wolfram Malter, Elsken van der Wall, Neil K Aaronson, Elzbieta Senkus, Ander Urruticoechea, Eva M Zopf, Wilhelm Bloch, Martijn M Stuiver, Yvonne Wengstrom, Karen Steindorf, Anne M May
Nature Medicine, 2024, vol. 30, p.2957–2966
Prognostic value of histopathologic traits independent of stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte levels in chemotherapy-naïve patients with triple-negative breast cancer L W de Boo, K Jóźwiak, N D Ter Hoeve, P J van Diest, M Opdam, Y Wang, M K Schmidt, V de Jong, S Kleiterp, S Cornelissen, D Baars, R H T Koornstra, E D Kerver, T van Dalen, A D Bins, A Beeker, S M van den Heiligenberg, P C de Jong, S D Bakker, R C Rietbroek, I R Konings, R Blankenburgh, R M Bijlsma, A L T Imholz, N Stathonikos, W Vreuls, J Sanders, E H Rosenberg, E A Koop, Z Varga, C H M van Deurzen, A L Mooyaart, A Córdoba, E Groen, J Bart, S M Willems, V Zolota, J Wesseling, A Sapino, E Chmielik, A Ryska, A Broeks, A C Voogd, E van der Wall, S Siesling, R Salgado, G M H E Dackus, M Hauptmann, M Kok, S C Linn
ESMO open, 2024, vol. 9
Effects of physical exercise during adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer on long-term tested and perceived cognition Willeke R Naaktgeboren, Emmie W Koevoets, Martijn M Stuiver, Wim H van Harten, Neil K Aaronson, Elsken van der Wall, Miranda Velthuis, Gabe Sonke, Sanne B Schagen, Wim G Groen, Anne M May
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 2024, vol. 205, p.75-86
Predicting response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy with liquid biopsies and multiparametric MRI in patients with breast cancer L. M. Janssen, M. H.A. Janse, B. B.L. Penning de Vries, B. H.M. van der Velden, E. J.M. Wolters-van der Ben, S. M. van den Bosch, A. Sartori, C. Jovelet, M. J. Agterof, D. Ten Bokkel Huinink, E. W. Bouman-Wammes, P. J. van Diest, E. van der Wall, S. G. Elias, K. G.A. Gilhuijs
npj Breast Cancer, 2024, vol. 10
Long-term effects of premenopausal risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy on cognition in women with high familial risk of ovarian cancer Lara Terra, Philippe R. Lee Meeuw Kjoe, Joost A. Agelink van Rentergem, Maarten J. Beekman, Bernadette A.M. Heemskerk-Gerritsen, Marc van Beurden, Jeanine E. Roeters van Lennep, Helena C. van Doorn, Joanna A. de Hullu, Marian J.E. Mourits, Eleonora B.L. van Dorst, Constantijne H. Mom, Brigitte F.M. Slangen, Katja N. Gaarenstroom, Lizet E. van der Kolk, J. Margriet Collée, Marijke R. Wevers, Margreet G.E.M. Ausems, Klaartje van Engelen, Irma van de Beek, Lieke P.V. Berger, Christi J. van Asperen, Encarna B. Gomez Garcia, Angela H.E.M. Maas, Maartje J. Hooning, Elsken van der Wall, Flora E. van Leeuwen, Sanne B. Schagen
BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 2023, vol. 130, p.968-977
Effect of Physical Exercise on MRI-Assessed Brain Perfusion in Chemotherapy-Treated Breast Cancer Patients Emmie W Koevoets, Jan Petr, Evelyn M Monninkhof, Mirjam I Geerlings, Lenja Witlox, Elsken van der Wall, Martijn M Stuiver, Gabe S Sonke, Miranda J Velthuis, Jan J Jobsen, Job van der Palen, Henk J M M Mutsaerts, Michiel B de Ruiter, Anne M May, Sanne B Schagen,
Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 2023, vol. 59, p.1667-1680

External positions

Member of the Advisory board of the Chris Gips Foundation - Advisor - Chris Gips Foundation

Member of the Supervisory Board of the Center for Unusual Collaborations, CUCO, of the EWUU Alliance - Advisor - CUCO EWUU

Member of the Steering Committee UMCU Center of Excellence of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation FUS - Advisor - FUS

Visiting professor - Ja. - Sidney Kimmel Cancer Institute|John Hopkins medical center

Distinguished Professor - ja. - Utrecht University

Advisory Board - ja. - KWF Advisory board

(Scientific) Advisory Board member - ja - PMC (Member of Scientific Advisory Board PMC-UMC Utrecht)