Prof. Dr. A.C.O. (Alfred) Vertegaal

I am professor of Cell Biology and faculty member of the department of Cell and Chemical Biology of the Leiden University Medical Center. I studied Biomedical Sciences and carried out my PhD project at the Leiden University. I received my PhD in 2001.
Summary of my scientific career:
2019 – professor LUMC, department of Cell and Chemical Biology.
2011 – 2019 associate professor LUMC, department of Molecular Cell Biology.
2008 – 2011 assistant professor LUMC, department of Molecular Cell Biology.
2004 – 2008 senior scientist LUMC, department of Molecular Cell Biology.
2001 – 2003 Dutch Cancer Society fellow, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, Dundee, UK

Research in my lab is supported by innovation grants from the Dutch Research Council NWO (Veni, Vidi, Vici) and the European Research Council. I am studying post-translational modification by ubiquitin and the ubiquitin-like protein SUMO, predominantly found in nuclei of proliferating cells. SUMOylation is critical for eukaryotic life and regulates a wide variety of cellular processes including transcription, pre-mRNA splicing, translation, transport, replication and DNA repair. SUMO inhibition leads to loss of genome integrity, blocks cell cycle progression and activates the immune system. Inhibitors of SUMO signal transduction are currently tested for their potential as novel anti-cancer agents. I am developing proteomics approaches to identify thousands of targets of this post-translational modification. Selected SUMO substrates are studied at the functional level to increase our understanding of the critical roles of SUMO in cell cycle progression, genome maintenance and the immune system.