Prof.dr. Pim van den Pijnappel (W.W.M.)
Molecular biologist, head of research lab
Short introduction
I am interested in stem cells, gene expression, and genome engineering. I pioneered the identification of SET-domain protein complexes involved in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression (Genes and Development, 2001). Using homologous recombination in E. coli (Red/ET recombination), I created versatile knock-in alleles in transgenic mice (Nature Biotechnology, 2003). My recent work identified the basal transcription factor TFIID as an important regulator of pluripotency in embryonic stem cells and during reprogramming to iPS cells (Nature, 2013).
In 2012, I moved to Erasmus MC to join the Center for Lysosomal and Metabolic Diseases. Here, I apply advances in stem cell biology and genetic engineering to disease modeling and the development of novel therapies for lysosomal storage disorders. My group focuses on skeletal muscle, cartilage, and the central nervous system in homeostasis and human disease, including Pompe disease and Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS).
Work experience & education
I obtained my MSc in Medical Biology at Utrecht University (The Netherlands). In 1996, I earned my PhD at the same university. I conducted post-doctoral research at the EMBL (Heidelberg, Germany) and the Max Planck Institute (Dresden, Germany). In 2003, I became Head of the Netherlands Proteomics Biological Research Center at UMC Utrecht. In 2012, I was appointed Head of the research lab at the Center for Lysosomal and Metabolic Diseases at Erasmus MC, Rotterdam.