Dorien J.M. Peters is professor of Human Genetics, in particular the molecular and functional genetics of polycystic kidney disease, at the Department of Human Genetics at the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC).

More information about Dorien Peters

Dorien J.M. Peters is professor of Human Genetics, in particular the molecular and functional genetics of polycystic kidney disease, at the Department of Human Genetics at the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC).

Molecular and functional genetics

Molecular and functional genetics studies the structure and function of genes at the molecular level, and how molecular variations affect biological mechanisms. Getting insight into the molecular pathology is important for the development of potential therapies.

Our research aims to understand molecular mechanisms and pathophysiology of inherited or inborn errors of human development and differentiation. Our research has a strong focus on polycystic kidney disease (PKD), a genetic disease characterised by the formation of many fluid-filled cysts in the kidneys. This causes renal failure in the majority of patients in the fifth decade of life.

Different model systems are being used to perform an in-depth analysis of the molecular alterations, to identify new  drug targets and test potential therapies. We also participate in a multi-centre study to analyse the progression of PKD, renal failure and complications of the disease, to identify and validate new tools to monitor disease progression and to identify modifying genes.

Academic career

Dorien J.M. Peters  performed her PhD-research at the Department of Cell Biology and Genetics of the Science faculty of Leiden University. The title of her doctoral thesis  reads ‘Regulation of cAMP-induced gene expression in Dictyostelium discoideum’ (February 13, 1991).

Subsequently, she became post-doc at the Department of Human Genetics of the LUMC and in 1999 she became group leader of the Developmental Genetics research group, first as assistant professor, in 2000 as associate professor and since 2014 as a full professor.  Her inaugural lecture was spoken on April 17 2015 and was titled 'The context matters'.

Prof. dr. Peters has published more than 120 scientific publications. She  was project leader of several multidisciplinary national and international (FP7) research networks and is currently coordinating the Dutch ‘Developing Interventions to hold Progression of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (DIPAK)’ consortium. She is an active (co)-organiser of  international conferences as well as Dutch symposia. She is member of the scientific board of the Dutch Federation of Nephrology (NFN), was member of the Scientific board of the Dutch Kidney Foundation (2011-2017) and member of the board of Dutch Society of Human Genetics (2000-2008).

She is also chair of the Study programme committee for Biomedical Sciences and Member of the MD/PhD-MSc/PhD-committee of the LUMC.

Prizes and honourable appointments

Dorien J.M. Peters received in 2013 the Lillian Jean Kaplan International Prize for Advancement in the Understanding of Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), for excellence and leadership in PKD research. She received in 1996 the Nephrology award from the Dutch Society of Nephrology.