Prof.dr. C.J. (Christi) van Asperen is professor of Clinical Genetics, in particular clinical genetic advice in oncogenetics. She is working as a professor-medical specialist in the Department of Clinical Genetics in the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC). Since 2018 she is member of the committee for scientific integrity of University Leiden and LUMC.

More information about Christi van Asperen

Prof.dr. C.J. (Christi) van Asperen is professor of Clinical Genetics, in particular clinical genetic advice in oncogenetics. She is working as a professor-medical specialist in the Department of Clinical Genetics in the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC).  

She is coordinator in the LUMC of the NFU Expertise Center Familial and hereditary breast cancer. In addition, she fulfills advisory functions for quality aspects within Clinical Genetics, such as the Clinical Genetic and Counseling Advisory Group (SAG) and the ESHG Eurogentest Quality Sub-Committee.

Since 2018 she is member of the committee for scientific integrity of University Leiden and LUMC.

Clinical Genetics

Recognizing families with a genetic predisposition to cancer is important in connection with the possibility of prevention. If such a predisposition proves to exist, regular examination of patients and family members can detect tumors at an early stage, which is favorable for the prognosis. Sometimes there is also the option to perform a risk reducing operation before malignant abnormalities have occurred. In addition to the possibility of prevention, recognition is also important because the treatment of hereditary forms of cancer can sometimes deviate from that of non-hereditary forms. Approximately 5 to 10% of the common forms of cancer appear to be hereditary.

From a Clinical Genetics point of view, dealing with hereditary cancer is: giving advice and leaving choices. However, by no means all persons who are eligible are referred for genetic counselling. 

The chair ‘Clinical Genetics, in particular clinical genetic advice in oncogenetics’ is dealing with subjects like how can DNA- testing be part of standard care for more oncological patients and the clinical significance and the provision of genetic counselling in this particular field. 

This topic fits in well with the National Science Agenda (NWA): Route 'Personalized medicine: going out of the individual'. Within this route, this fits with question 81 of the NWA: 'How does knowledge of genetics play a role in understanding, screening and treating (rare) diseases?'

Academic career

Prof. dr. C.J. (Christi) van Asperen studied medicine at the University of Amsterdam. After her medical specialization as a Clinical Geneticist at the AMC in Amsterdam (1991) she specialized further in oncogenetics.

She obtained her doctorate at Leiden University in 2004 on the thesis:
Risk estimation in familial breast cancer.
Supervisors: Prof.dr. M.H. Breuning and prof.dr. J.C. van Houwelingen. Co-supervisor: Dr. G.H. de Bock

In 2012 she was appointed professor at Leiden University at the Faculty of Medicine, part of the LUMC, to be employed in the field of Clinical Genetics, in particular clinical genetic advice in oncogenetics. On 24 May 2013 she gave her lecture entitled: 'Dealing with hereditary cancer: giving advice and leaving choices'

Since 2013 she has been appointed Head of Clinical Genetics at the LUMC.
The Department of Clinical Genetics consists of two sections; section Genetic counselling hereditary advice (outpatient clinic for Clinical Genetics) and section LDGA (Laboratory Diagnostic Genomics).

See also her science articles on PubMed.

Publications