prof. dr. Lisenka Vissers

Over Lisenka Vissers

Lisenka Vissers (1980, Vught, NL) is a pioneer in the translation of genetic research into clinical diagnostics. She started her scientific career with a PhD in the optimization of high-throughput technologies for the detection of genetic causes underlying human disease, with a particular focus on intellectual disability (ID) disorders. This led to the identification of several novel syndromes (e.g. Koolen-de Vries syndrome) and discovery of multiple disease-genes (e.g. CHD7 for CHARGE syndrome), and publications in high-impact journals. Her research also strongly contributed to the implementation of microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization as routine diagnostic test for the detection of submicroscopic alterations in routine clinical practice.

In the last decennia, Lisenka demonstrated a talent for bridging the gap from research to clinic, resulting in a strong record of productive and successful translational research in novel state-of-the-art genome-wide technologies, including exome and genome sequencing for (de novo) mutation detection. The latter fostered fundamental research into mutational mechanisms and significantly shifted paradigms for medical genetic disorders with reproductive lethality. Moreover, she has developed novel (statistical) frameworks to identify novel candidate genes for neurodevelopmental disorders and the use of large-scale re-sequencing technologies to verify the true nature of candidate disease genes.

She has (co-)authored over 150 publications in peer-reviewed journals, with highlights including various papers in Nature Genetics and senior authorships in the New England Journal of Medicine and Nature. Lisenka obtained the IBM Frye Stipend from the Radboud University for outstanding young female scientist, and has been finalist for the “Young Investigator Award” at the multiple ESHG and ASHG conferences. She has been involved in multiple (inter)national and personal grants, including the Horizon2020 grant ‘SOLVE-RD’ (15 Mio EUR; H2020-SC1-2016-2017). In the latter, she is leading the data interpretation task force for the ERN Ithaca. She has also set up and is leading RADICON-NL, a nation-wide consortium joining forces between eight Dutch academic clinical genetic laboratories to facilitate the implementation of WGS in routine clinic. She is a board member of the Dutch Society of Human Genetics (NVHG). Most recently she received an Aspasia Fellowship, a female catalyst award, from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research.

Groupmembers Translational Genomics

• Dr. Janneke Weiss - Clinical Laboratory Specialist, director Genome Technology Center
• Dr. Kornelia Neveling - Staff Scientist Technological Innovation
• Dr. Jeroen van Reeuwijk - Staff Scientist Big Data
• Dr. Machteld Oud - Staff Scientist Clinical Utility
• Dr. Tessa de Bitter - Staff Scientist Clinical Utility
• Ingrid Schuttert, MSc - Data Steward (ELSI and Research)
• Sabine van den Akker - Data Steward (Biobank)
• Kim Wijnant - PhD student
• Robin Wijngaard - PhD student
• Michael Kwint - Technician
• Eveline Kamping - Technician
• Maartje Pennings - Technician/ Project manager
• Ronald van Beek - Technician
• Ronny Derks - Technician Genome Technology Center
• Amber den Ouden - Technician Genome Technology Center

Onder­scheidingen

• The European Rare Diseases Research Alliance (ERDERA) (2024-2031); Horizon Europe Partnership Program
• ZonMW PSIDER (2021-2025), "The Towards a human iPSC neuronal platform for neurodevelopmental disorder therapeutic discovery"
• NWO Aspasia award (2019)
• Radboudumc DMCN project (2018-2021), "An integrated whole genome sequencing and quantitative phenotyping approach for patients with intellectual disability"
• ZonMW Personalized Medicine (2016-2021), "A WGS-first approach: one-test fits all to diagnose rare genetic disease"
• EU Horizon2020 (2017-2023), "Solve-RD"
• ZonMW Doelmatigsheidsonderzoek (2016-2021) "Intensive Genetics: NGS in the NICU setting – a study on cost-effectiveness and quality of life"
• ZonMW VENI project (2007-2009) “Genomic copy number variation: unraveling its etiology and role in human disease”

Nevenfuncties

• Committee Member ZonMW 'Goed Gebruik Geneesmiddelen' (2023 - present)
• Board member VSOP (2023 - present)
• Board member (and secretary) Nederlandse Vereniging voor Humane Genetica (NVHG) (2017 - 2024)
• Scientific Committee Member ‘European Conference on the Diffusion of Genomic Medicine: Health Economics & Policy’ (2020)
• Dutch representative for Rare Disease in the European ‘1+ Million Genomes' project (2019 - present)
• ExComm Member ERN ITHACA (2018 - present)
• Section Editor ‘Molecular Genetics’ for the European Journal of Human Genetics (2018 – 2024)
• National coordinator Rare Disease Consortium – NL (RADICON-NL) (2017-2024)
• Collabolations (EA and advisory) with Industrial Partners such as Illumina, BGI, PacBio and BioNano (2015 - present)

Expertise

• Molecular Genetics
• Diagnostic Innovation
• Rare Disease
• Translational Research