Principal Investigators

Layal Chaker studied Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology at Erasmus University Rotterdam (cum laude). She also obtained her PhD cum laude from the Departments of Internal Medicine and Epidemiology at Erasmus MC, conducting part of her research at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Since 2021, she has been an internist-endocrinologist at the Department of Internal Medicine and a Clinical Epidemiologist at the Department of Epidemiology at Erasmus MC. She is also an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Epidemiology at Harvard.
Her clinical work is dedicated to treating patients with endocrine complications of immune-related therapies and diseases, pituitary pathologies, and general endocrine disorders. 
She currently coordinates research across the spectrum of internal medicine, focusing on hormone and endocrine gland diseases (Endocrinology) and immune system disorders (Immunology) in relation to diseases of older age. Her research group conducts research projects on the intersect between clinical medicine and clinical epidemiology.

Links to your identifiers (ORCID, ResearchGate, Google Scholar): https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7855-5418

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Layal-Chaker-2

Laura de Graaff is an adult endocrinologist and associate professor Genetic and Developmental Endocrinology at both Erasmus and Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands. As the founder of the Center for adults with Rare Genetic Syndromes (RGS), she leads both clinical research and fundamental research lines investigating biomolecular pathways and cellular mechanisms involved in RGS. 

She obtained her medical degree from the University of Leiden in 2001. She finished her PhD in 2008, based on genetic studies in patients with congenital hypothalamic and pituitary disorders. In 2015 she finished her medical training in Internal Medicine-Endocrinology and launched the Center for adults with RGS.  
The Center for adults with RGS attends adult patients of 19 national reference centers, including neurodevelopmental disorders (DNA repair disorders, CHARGE, Williams-Beuren syndrome, RAS-opathies and several ultra-rare syndromes); Rare Growth Disorders (including congenital hypopituitarism and Silver Russell Syndrome); Disorders of Sex Development (including CAH, Klinefelter and Turner Syndrome) and Prader-Willi (like) Syndrome. These expert centers are all part of ERN-ITHACA (Intellectual Disability and Congenital Malformations) or Endo-ERN. Within ERN-ITHACA, Dr. de Graaff co-chairs the subnetwork Adults with Intellectual Disabilities. 

The multidisciplinary team of the Center for RGS takes care of over 1700 adults with RGS.
The Center for RGS aims to improve quality of healthcare for adults with RGS, combining unique specialized multidisciplinary care with innovative fundamental and clinical research.  
Key topics are: 
• Syndrome-specific multidisciplinary care, serving as center of referral for relatively large groups of patients with (ultra-) rare disorders 
• Personalized transition through the Young Adults Clinic,  
• Basic and clinical research among adults with rare genetic syndromes, investigating the clinical manifestations in adulthood and providing insight into the pathophysiological processes underlying these syndromes 
• Translational research into (premature) aging in adults with RGS, combining clinical and biomolecular ageing markers 
• Writing recommendations and guidelines for treatment of adults with RGS, in order to prevent over- and undertreatment and medical complications. 

Links:

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Laura-De-Graaff

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-de-graaff-a5047648/

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0295-7063

Wouter W de Herder is Professor of Endocrine Oncology at the Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

His major research interests are neuroendocrine and adrenal tumours / Cushing’s syndrome and history of endocrinology / acromegaly & gigantism.
Professor de Herder received his MD in 1985 and his PhD in 1990 from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. In 2025 he was elected to the fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians, London, UK.

He is a member of several international and Dutch national societies, such as: the Dutch Association of Internal Medicine (NIV). the Dutch society for Endocrinology (NVE), Endocrine Society (USA), European Society of Endocrinology (ESE), European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS) and Academia Europaea and Sigma Xi.

He served as chairman (2006-2008) and vice-chairman (2008-2010) of ENETS. He served as member of the Advisory Board of ENETS (2011-2019) and was Chairman / Speaker of this Board (2015-2019). He currently again serves as a member of the Advisory Board of ENETS (>2025). He also served as Member of the Advisory Board of the North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (NANETS) (2007-2019).

Wouter de Herder served as a board member of the NVE (2009-2014). He served as local organizing committee (LOC) chair of the 13th European Congress of Endocrinology (ECE2011). He was member of the Educational Committee (2007-2012) and member of the Congress Committee of the ESE (2010-2012).
He was leader of the EU European Reference Networks (ERN) EURACAN group 4 (rare cancer of the neuroendocrine system)(2021-2025).
Professor de Herder has (co-)published>600 peer-reviewed papers and book-chapters and is a reviewer for many international journals.
He is a member of the editorial board of Endotext and Editor in Chief of the Journal of Neuroendocrinology – Translational and Clinical Strand. He is member of the Editorial Board of ESMO Rare Cancers.

Professor de Herder has given>250 invited presentations at Dutch national and international meetings.

Professor de Herder is recipient of the ESE Annual Special Recognition Award (2018), Dr Henry Friesen Award (CSEM/Diabetes Canada, 2017) and NVE – Novo Nordisk Award for Endocrinology (2023).

h-index (SCOPUS): 100 / h-index (Google Scholar): 109 / h-index (Web of Science): 83

Links:

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Wouter-De-Herder

Since graduating from Maastricht University (Health Sciences), my scientific career has a focus on the human bone micro-environment. This evolved from my doctoral research at Utrecht University (2000) on CD44 variant exons in Multiple Myeloma to my postdoctoral work on hormonal regulation of osteoblasts by vitamin D (Laboratory for Calcium and Bone metabolism, sector of Endocrinology, department of Internal medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam).
My current research as assistant professor (2015) in this lab is directed towards exploring how the bone micro-environment acts as a critical regulator of cancer progression. My group investigates the ‘vicious cycle’ of bone and cancer crosstalk, aiming to identify novel therapeutic options to prevent incurable bone metastases. I have evolved my cell culture expertise into a dedicated effort to develop human-based in vitro systems to replace, reduce, and refine animal models. I am a member of the MKMD (Meer Kennis met Minder Dieren) committee of ZonMw and currently involved in founding a local Rotterdam TPI (Transitie Proefdiervrije Innovatie) as part of the governmental partner program.
Utilizing our developed human models, I lead projects that span from unraveling the molecular mechanisms of bone invasion to direct screening of therapeutic compounds. Primary research involves the critical shift from dormancy to awakening and colonization of prostate cancer cells in the bone micro-environment, the influence of nanosized extracellular vesicles in prostate cancer – bone cell communication and the working mechanism of vitamin D in bone metastases.
Through my collaboration with Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences (RUAS), I am pioneering the valorization of agricultural waste for medical applications in bone metastases. Additionally, I have integrated our human bone metastatic disease models into high throughput screening pipelines, utilizing the Dutch Extract Library to identify potential therapeutic agents from plant extracts and the Prestwick Chemical Library for drug repurposing. Screening of plant extracts for therapeutic use has received the public award of the top sector of Horticulture and starting materials (2023). Together with Maastricht University and the department of Respiratory medicine (Erasmus MC), my team investigates bone-related markers on extracellular vesicles in plasma of lung cancer patients, aiming to identify biomarkers that can predict the onset of bone metastases.
In my educational role, I teach bone physiology and (pathologic) bone histology to medical bachelor students at Erasmus MC, I deliver guest lectures on innovative treatment strategies for bone metastases at RUAS, and guide master and bachelor students during their internships in the lab.

Links:

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/marjolein-van-driel-3364a15
Researchgate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marjolein-Driel/research

I was trained as a cell biologist and obtained my PhD in 2002 at the University of Leiden, the Netherlands. From then onwards I worked at the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where I am currently group leader of the Calcium and Bone Metabolism research group as part of the Bone Diseases research line and coordinating head of the 11 laboratories within the department of Internal Medicine. I am a daily board member of the departmental Research Council, a member of the steering team on dialogue sessions and I represent the Dijkzigt theme as a steering member for the novel next generation research tower.

My research focus areas are bone tissue (re)generation and calcium/phosphate homeostasis. In collaboration with Lidy Fratila-Apachitei and Pouyan Boukany, I am interested in novel ways to study bone anabolic approaches, making use of human bone-derived extracellular matrix and microphysiological systems such as organ-on-chip technology, respectively. In collaboration with PIs Fernando Rivadeneira and Evert van Velsen, I am exploring mechanisms of action for novel genes/proteins underlying both common and rare bone conditions, both derived from population studies and patients treated within the Erasmus MC Bone Centre.

I have been a board member of the Dutch Society for Calcium and Bone Metabolism and within the European Calcified Tissues Society (ECTS), I held positions in scientific program committees as well as the E-learning and corporate engagement and sponsoring action groups. Having been the treasurer since its foundation in 2017, I am currently the president of the international Bone Marrow Adiposity Society (BMAS) and council member of the International Federation of Musculoskeletal Research Societies (IFMRS).

Links
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4403-6497

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bram-van-der-eerden-6583a56/

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=zxQ2CYgAAAAJ

Links:

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Richard-Feelders
 

Dr. Hans Hofland is an internist-endocrinologist and associate professor at the Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, specializing in endocrine oncology. His clinical work focuses on all types of neuroendocrine tumors (NET), in close collaboration with surgical and nuclear medicine teams.

Dr. Hofland is the current Head of the Erasmus MC ENETS Center of Excellence, medical lead for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy and founding chairman and current secretary of the Dutch Belgian NET Society (DBNETS). He is actively involved in translational and clinical cancer research aimed at improving personalized care for patients with NET. Particular focus has been on the molecular characterization and treatment of functioning NET, including carcinoid syndrome and pancreatic syndromes, and on improving radionuclide therapy for NET and other endocrine tumors.

Dr. Hofland is principal investigator of>10 clinical phase I-IV trials and biobanking initiatives in the NET field. His work has directly led to the implementation of radionuclide therapy early in the international ENETS guidelines of hormonal NET syndromes.

Links

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0679-6209

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.nl/citations?hl=nl&user=JCiFAWwAAAAJ

X: @HansHofland1

Bluesky: @hanshofland.bsky.social

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/hans-hofland-a51233a2

EMC website: J. (Hans) Hofland, MD - Researcher - Erasmus MC

Dr. Carolina Medina-Gomez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Endocrinology, at Erasmus MC. With a background spanning chemical engineering, microbiology, and biostatistics, she brings a uniquely multidisciplinary perspective to complex biological questions.

After completing her BSc in Chemical Engineering and Microbiology in Colombia and MSc in Biostatistics at Hasselt University, Carolina pursued dual Master's and PhD training in Genetic Epidemiology at Erasmus MC Rotterdam. Her dissertation, "Disentangling the Heterogeneity of Bone Accrual," was awarded Best Thesis (2014-2016) by the Dutch Society of Bone and Mineral Research. She has received multiple international recognitions from the European Calcified Tissue Society, American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, and International Conference on Children's Bone Health.

Carolina and other collaborators established microbiome research at Erasmus MC by generating comprehensive datasets for the Rotterdam Study and Generation R cohorts. Her work has shown how gut microbiota influences musculoskeletal health, and the relation of microbiome profiles with metabolic diseases across the lifespan. She is also involved in initiatives analyzing samples from multiple body sites within Erasmus MC.
As principal genetic data analyst for Erasmus MC's flagship cohorts, Carolina has contributed to the identification of over 150 genetic loci influencing bone density, body composition, and metabolic traits. This work extends through major international consortia (GIANT, CHARGE, GLGC, GEFOS), where she has co-authored high-impact meta-analyses and applied analytical frameworks including those for admixed populations.

Carolina's research leverages large-scale biobank data (UK Biobank, LifeLines, All of Us) and benefits from collaborations with international research centers. She was also part of the research team developing the Musculoskeletal Knowledge Portal (https://msk.hugeamp.org/), providing the musculoskeletal research community with integrated -omics data mining capabilities. She supervises doctoral and master's students and coordinates graduate courses in genetics and microbiome research at Erasmus Postgraduate School, training the next generation of researchers in multi-omics approaches to complex traits.

Links:  

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7999-5538

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Carolina-Medina-Gomez-2

https://bonecraft.nl/maria-carolina-medina-gomez/ 

Marco Medici is an internist-endocrinologist at Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. After he obtained his PhD in 2014, he did a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Harvard Institutes of Medicine and Brigham and Women’s hospital in Boston, USA. He published over 100 peer-reviewed papers and his research is predominantly focused on the personalization of diagnosis and treatment of thyroid dysfunction. For this, he initiated the ThyroidOmics Consortium (www.thyroidomics.com), which currently includes 50 cohorts with>300,000 participants. Furthermore, he is the PI of a multicenter LT3/LT4 combination therapy trial (www.t3-4-hypotrial.nl) and associate editor for the European Thyroid Journal.

Links:

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marco-Medici

Eskeatnaf Mulugeta is a molecular and computational biologist trained in pharmacy. He is Head of the Endocrine Tumor Laboratory at Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam (Erasmus MC), a position he assumed in 2025. Eskeatnaf holds a Bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy and three Master’s degrees in Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, and Molecular Medicine. He completed his PhD at Erasmus MC and conducted postdoctoral research at the Institut Curie in Paris, focusing on cancer genomics and epigenomics. After his postdoc he established an independent research group at Erasmus MC.
His research aims to uncover the pathophysiological mechanisms of endocrine tumors and to identify molecular drivers of tumor growth and hormone production. He combines experimental molecular biology with computational approaches to reconstruct gene regulatory networks underlying endocrine tumor behavior. His work also explores the roles of the epigenome and the noncoding genome in personalized medicine and the development of novel diagnostic approaches. In addition, he develops and applies single‑cell omics techniques and analytical methods to resolve tumor heterogeneity and link molecular perturbations to cellular phenotypes. He also has a special focus on the naked mole-rat endocrine system and how it contributes to their eusociality, as well as on investigating the mechanisms underlying their exceptional longevity and cancer resistance.
Eskeatnaf coordinates the Genetics and Genomics course at a graduate school and serves as a lecturer in computational biology.

Links:

ORCID:                     0000-0003-4045-4835 

Google Scholar:      https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=o5XA41sAAAAJ

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Eskeatnaf-Mulugeta

Links:

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sebastian-Neggers

Julie Refardt, MD, PhD, is a dedicated clinical researcher specializing in endocrinology at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. With a strong foundation in both medicine and research, she is committed to advancing the understanding and treatment of complex neuroendocrine disorders.

Dr. Refardt began her academic journey in Basel, Switzerland, where she earned her MD from the University of Basel in 2009. She then pursued her specialization in internal medicine, completing it in 2015, followed by a specialization in endocrinology in 2017. Her clinical expertise provided the perfect platform for her transition into research, which began in 2013 with investigator-initiated clinical trials focusing on water-sodium disturbances. Her work in the field of AVP deficiency (central diabetes insipidus) and hyponatremia has led to multiple high-impact publications and her appointment as a member of international guideline committees.

In 2019, Dr. Refardt joined the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam to expand her research into neuroendocrine disorders, which led to her PhD completion in 2023 at Erasmus University Rotterdam. After a brief return to Switzerland, Dr. Refardt came back to the Netherlands in 2023, where she now works as a staff member and research group leader. Her research is focused on enhancing diagnostic accuracy and treatment options for patients with neuroendocrine disorders such as AVP deficiency, acromegaly, Cushing’s disease and other pituitary disorders.

Links
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3040-4685

Research Gate: www.researchgate.net/profile/Julie-Refardt

Google scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=T55pSAsAAAAJ&hl=en

Links:

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Fernando-Rivadeneira

Dr. Alba Sabaté-Pérez is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Internal Medicine at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. She studied Chemistry at the University of Barcelona, specializing in molecular design and drug synthesis, and later completed a Master’s degree in Biotechnology at the same institution. Driven by a growing interest in physiology and cell biology, she pursued a PhD in Biomedicine at IRB Barcelona, supported by a personal grant from the University of Barcelona. Her doctoral research explored autophagy-dependent molecular mechanisms regulating adipose tissue development and metabolism.
Her current research investigates how sex differences and hormonal signaling shape adipose tissue function and systemic energy balance. She combines molecular biology, endocrine approaches, and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived adipocytes models to study the mechanisms underlying metabolic regulation in health and disease.
During her scientific career, Dr. Sabaté-Pérez identified TP53INP2 as a molecular switch that promotes brown adipogenesis while repressing white adipogenesis, linking autophagy to energy expenditure and storage. She also characterized two adipocyte-secreted factors, Neuritin-1 and complement factor D, as key endocrine signals controlling brown adipose tissue metabolism.
In addition to her research, she is committed to mentorship and training of young scientists, and has supervised projects from bachelor’s to PhD level. She is also actively involved in scientific outreach, participating in scientific fairs for children and organizing scientific workshops for high school students. Dr. Sabaté-Pérez serves as a board member of the Association of Spanish Scientists in the Netherlands (CENL), where she promotes community building, fosters collaborations, and organizes conferences between institutions in the Netherlands and Spain.

Links:

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alba-Sabate-Perez

Links:

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mesut-Savas

Jenny A. Visser, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where she leads the Metabolism and Reproduction Laboratory. She studied Animal Science at Wageningen University and obtained her PhD at Erasmus University Rotterdam with a thesis titled “Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH): Molecular mechanisms of action.” She subsequently completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), where she identified one of the AMH type I receptors. Upon being recruited back to Erasmus MC, she expanded her research on AMH and played a pivotal role in the development of the widely used AMH assay and in establishing AMH levels as a clinical marker of ovarian reserve.
 
Dr. Visser’s current research program centers on understanding the biological mechanisms underlying obesity, metabolic health, and its interaction with reproductive dysfunction, with a strong emphasis on sex differences. Her work centers on three key areas:
* Genetic and molecular drivers of obesity, including how patient‑specific mutations alter metabolic signaling pathways.
* Sex‑specific regulation of adipose tissue, investigating how brown and white fat respond differently to sex steroids and glucocorticoids.
* Regulation of anti‑Müllerian hormone (AMH) in PCOS, aiming to understand how AMH contributes to both reproductive and metabolic dysfunction.
 
Her laboratory integrates physiological, genetic, molecular, and cellular approaches in mouse models, human cell systems—including induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)—and population cohorts. This translational framework aims to uncover mechanisms that can ultimately guide patient‑tailored therapeutic strategies.
 
Leadership, Service, and Professional Activities
Within Internal Medicine, Dr. Visser chairs the executive committee of the Clinical and Experimental Medicine initiative (CEMi), which aims, amongst others, to strengthen research integration across basic, translational, and clinical domains within the department. She is also a member of the management team of the Netherlands Health Research and Innovation Center (NL‑WHRIC) at Erasmus MC.

Internationally, she is a member of the international Genetics of PCOS (iPCOS) and the Reproductive Genetics (ReproGen) Consortia. She has held multiple leadership roles within the European Society of Endocrinology, including co‑chairing the Focus Area Reproductive and Developmental Endocrinology and co‑founding and formerly co-chairing European Women in Endocrinology (EUWIN). For the Endocrine Society, Dr. Visser has served in several high‑impact roles, including Chair of the Annual Meeting Steering Committee for ENDO 2023, member of the Board of Directors, and chair of the Nominating Committee. She currently serves as Deputy Editor for Endocrinology and as Early Career Reviewer Advisor for the Endocrine Society journals.

 Links:

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jenny-Visser

Links:

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Elisabeth-Van-Rossum

Links:

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Evert-Van-Velsen

Prof. W. Edward Visser (endocrinologist) obtained his MD and PhD at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam (The Netherlands). He did a postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute of Metabolic Science in Cambridge (University of Cambridge, UK). Currently, he is chief of division of Endocrinology at the Erasmus Medical Center. He also heads the Erasmus MC Thyroid Group, including the research laboratory and runs specialized thyroid clinics.
 
Edward has great interest in understanding normal and disordered cellular thyroid hormone signaling. His research group performs translational and clinical studies in this field. Particularly, they are interested in phenotyping patients, elucidating mechanisms of disease and developing a therapy for MCT8 deficiency.

Links:

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Edward-Visser

Mariëtte Boon (MD, PhD) is an obesity physician and assistant professor at the Obesity Center CGG and the Endocrinology. She studied both Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and obtained her PhD with honours from Leiden University Medical Center, studying the role of brown adipose tissue in metabolic disease. Her current research focuses on the mechanisms underlying obesity and cardiometabolic disease, with a specific focus on stress, adipose tissue metabolism, inflammation and ethnic differences, particularly in individuals of South Asian descent. Throughout her studies, she integrates fundamental and clinical research.

She has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications, including papers in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, Nature Communications, and Cell Metabolism, and received various national and national grants, including NWO-VENI, NWO-VIDI, a Senior Fellowship from the Dutch Diabetes Research Foundation and a collaborative grant from the Dutch and British Heart Foundation. Furthermore, she received various awards for her research, including the KNAW Young Scientist Award and Gratama Award for scientific excellence.

Beyond academia, she is committed to societal impact and science communication. Together with prof Liesbeth van Rossum, she wrote the international bestseller VET belangrijk (Fat: The Secret Organ), translated into ten languages, and more recently VET belangrijk 2.0. She is a frequent invited speaker at national and international conferences on obesity, cardiometabolic health, and personalized treatment strategies. Furthermore, she is part of the prevention network of the Dutch Cardiovascular Alliance and board member of the Young Erasmus Academy. 

Links:

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mariette-Boon