Cancer, Stem Cells and Developmental Biology

Cancer, Stem Cells and Developmental Biology is aimed at research in the field of molecular developmental biology and genetic processes in plants, animals and humans. Fundamental developmental processes are frequently affected in human disease. Many of the important genes and mechanisms controlling development also regulate adult physiology, and deregulation may result in pathological conditions. Our understanding of the genome (all genes) and the proteome (all proteins) is increasing rapidly, but the regulatory processes that shape our bodies (and, when affected, cause diseases such as cancer) are still poorly understood and require fundamental research. New genomics technologies are now enabling us to monitor the expression of some 20,000 genes simultaneously and to determine which genes are active. These techniques not only help us to better understand physiological pathways, but also help to identify those genes involved in disease and trace their mutations more easily.

The Cancer, Stem Cells and Developmental Biology programme aims to prepare students for PhD study in one of the participating or associated groups. Alternatively, students leaving after obtaining their MSc degree will profit from a solid education in molecular genetics, in addition to their specialised knowledge of developmental biology.

MSc graduates trained in both fundamental and disease-oriented aspects of biomedical genetics are in great demand. They will find their way to:

• academic research;
• research institutes (fundamental research);
• biotechnology;
• the pharmaceutical industry;
• policy-making organisations in science and health care;
• education.

By the end of their Master’s programme, the majority of our students already have secured a PhD position within the Research School of Cancer, Stem Cells and Developmental Biology (CSDB) or elsewhere in Utrecht, The Netherlands, or abroad. Even of the foreign students (about 30% of our students are non-Dutch), the majority tend to stay on in Utrecht to continue their studies in PhD positions.

Our programme is directly linked to the PhD programmes Cancer, Stem Cells and Developmental Biology and Clinical and Translational Oncology of the Graduate School of Life Sciences.