Hans Clevers

Hans Clevers
Clevers in 2013
Born	(1957-03-27) 27 March 1957 (age 59) Eindhoven
Nationality	Dutch
Fields	Molecular genetics
Institutions	Hubrecht Institute - Utrecht University - UMC Utrecht - The Princess Maxima Center for pediatric oncology
Education	University of Utrecht
Doctoral advisor	Cox Terhorst
Known for	Research on normal stem cells and their potential for regenerative therapy
Notable awards	Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences

Johannes Carolus (Hans) Clevers (born 27 March 1957) is a professor in molecular genetics, a geneticist, physician, medical researcher who was the first to identify stem cells in the intestine and is one of the world's leading researchers on normal stem cells and their potential for regenerative therapy. Clevers obtained his M.D. in 1984 and his Ph.D. in 1985 at Utrecht University and was a professor in immunology there between 1991 and 2002. Since then, he is Professor in Molecular Genetics at the same university. He received the Spinoza Prize in 2001 and became director of the Hubrecht Institute in 2002. He was elected as the president of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) to succeed Robbert Dijkgraaf from 2012-2015. Clevers has his own research group at the Hubrecht Institute and is director Research of the Princess Maxima Center for pediatric oncology since 1 June 2015. In 2013 he was awarded the $3 million Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for his work

Hans Clevers began studying biology at the University of Utrecht in 1975, then began studying medicine as well. He spent part of his seven years of biological study in Nairobi, Kenya, and also, in his words, “did some rotations” at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda. He received an M.Sc. in Biology in 1982, an M.D. in 1984 and a Ph.D. in 1985. For his PhD he studied under Rudy Ballieux. From 1986 to 1989 he did postdoctoral work under the direction of Cox Terhorst at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard University. It was there that Clevers cloned the T-cell gene CD3 epsilon. After his stint at Harvard, he returned to the Netherlands. Describing his path to his career as a medical researcher, Clevers said the following: “There was a bit of an awkward route. I actually studied biology first, and then took up medical school at about the same time....Did two separate studies, graduated from both, was going to be a pediatrician, then decided to spend a year in science, liked it so much more that I realized I didn’t – I shouldn’t become a real doctor. I was not good with – I liked patients, but I was a little bit impatient with them. I then decided to go for a post-doc at Boston to Dana Farber, where I really learned the trade.”