Valk Lab
Comprehensive analyses of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) using genomics to better understand AML biology and improve AML patient outcomes
Peter (P.J.M.) Valk
E-mail: p.valk@erasmusmc.nl
Scopus: link
PubMed: link
Contact:
Leenke de Jong-de Visser, secretary, m.dejong-devisser@erasmusmc.nl
Dr Peter J.M. Valk received his PhD degree in 1999 at the Department of Hematology at Erasmus University Rotterdam, on the identification of novel leukemia oncogenes using retroviral mutagenesis (with Prof Dr B. Löwenberg). He worked as a research fellow awarded by the Dutch Cancer Society in the Department of Hemato-oncology at the Children’s Hospital in Boston (with Prof Stuart Orkin). In 2000, Dr Valk returned to the Department of Hematology at the Erasmus University Medical Center as Associate Professor and Head of the Hemato-oncology Laboratory (cytology and molecular diagnostics – reference laboratory in HOVON-AMLSG-NCRI clinical trials).
Our research
The department of Hematology at Erasmus MC is involved in clinical and translational research aimed at the improvement of treatment and diagnosis of hematological malignancies. The department coordinates and participates in multicenter clinical trials (HOVON/SAKK) and has a major focus on the delineation of the biology of hematologic malignancies and the development of molecular diagnostics for these diseases. The aim of these programs is to dissect the cellular and molecular pathogenesis of these conditions and translate them to clinical practice.
Dr Valk’s main interest is unraveling the molecular heterogeneity of hematologic malignancies, in particular acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Using various genome-wide technologies, such as gene expression profiling, genotyping and next generation sequencing, Dr Valk revealed novel insights into the heterogeneity and biology of AML. His work has developed molecular biomarkers that are incorporated into routine risk-stratification and clinical care of AML patients. More recently Dr Valk has focused on the detection of molecular minimal residual disease In AML, clonal hematopoiesis and germline predisposition to myeloid malignancy.
Our team
Peter Valk, principal investigator
Francois Kavelaars, research technician
Melissa Rijken, research technician
Jolinda Konijnenburg, research associate
Lisanne Beugelink, PhD student
Emma Boertjes, PhD student
Tim Grob, PhD student
Christian Vonk, PhD student
Alumni
Roxanne Cromwell
Key publications
Grob T, Sanders MA, Vonk CM, Kavelaars FG, Rijken M, Hanekamp DW, Gradowska PL, Cloos J, Fløisand Y, van Marwijk Kooy M, Manz MG, Ossenkoppele GJ, Tick LW, Havelange V, Löwenberg B, Jongen-Lavrencic M, Peter Valk. Prognostic Value of FLT3-Internal Tandem Duplication Residual Disease in Acute Myeloid. Leukemia. J Clin Oncol. 2023; 41(4):756-765.
Peter Valk, Verhaak RGW, Beijen MA, Erpelinck CAJ, Barjesteh van Waalwijk van Doorn - Khosrovani S, Boer JM, Beverloo HB, Moorhouse MJ, van der Spek PJ, Löwenberg B, Delwel R. Prognostically Useful Gene-Expression Profiles in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. New Engl.J.Med. 2004, 350: 1617-1628.
Verhaak RG, Goudswaard CS, van Putten W, Bijl MA, Sanders MA, Hugens W, Uitterlinden AG, Erpelinck CA, Delwel R, Lowenberg B, Peter Valk. Mutations in nucleophosmin NPM1 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML): association with other gene abnormalities and previously established gene expression signatures and their favorable prognostic significance. Blood 106(12), 2005: 3747-54.
Taskesen E, Bullinger L, Corbacioglu A, Sanders M, Erpelinck CA, Wouters BJ, van der Poel-van de Luytgaarde S, Damm F, Krauter J, Ganser A, Schlenk RF, Löwenberg B, Delwel R, Dohner H, Peter Valk, Dohner K. Prognostic impact, concurrent genetic mutations and gene expression features of AML with CEBPA mutations in a cohort of 1182 cytogenetically normal AML: further evidence for CEBPA double mutant AML as a distinctive disease entity. Blood. 2010; 117(8):2469-75.
Rockova V, Abbas S, Wouters BJ, Erpelinck CAJ, Beverloo HB, Delwel R, van Putten WLJ, Löwenberg B, Peter Valk. Risk-stratification of intermediate-risk acute myeloid leukemia: integrative analysis of a multitude of gene mutation and gene expression markers. Blood. 2011; 118(4):1069-76.
Jongen-Lavrencic M, Grob T, Hanekamp D, Kavelaars FG, Al Hinai A, Zeilemaker A, Erpelinck-Verschueren CAJ, Gradowska PL, Meijer R, Cloos J, Biemond BJ, Graux C, van Marwijk Kooy M, Manz MG, Pabst T, Passweg JR, Havelange V, Ossenkoppele GJ, Sanders MA, Schuurhuis GJ, Löwenberg B, Peter Valk. Molecular Minimal Residual Disease in Acute Myeloid Leukemia. N Engl J Med. 2018; 378(13):1189-1199.
Sanders MA, Chew E, Flensburg C, Zeilemaker A, Miller SE, Al Hinai AS, Bajel A, Luiken B, Rijken M, Mclennan T, Hoogenboezem RM, Kavelaars FG, Fröhling S, Blewitt ME, Bindels EM, Alexander WS, Löwenberg B, Roberts AW, Peter Valk, Majewski IJ. MBD4 guards against methylation damage and germline deficiency predisposes to clonal hematopoiesis and early-onset AML. Blood. 2018;132(14):1526-1534.
Wouters BJ, Lowenberg B, Erpelinck-Verschueren CA, van Putten WL, Peter Valk, Delwel R. Double CEBPA mutations, but not single CEBPA mutations, define a subgroup of acute myeloid leukemia with a distinctive gene expression profile that is uniquely associated with a favorable outcome. Blood. 2009. 113(13):3088-91.
Abbas S, Lugthart S, Kavelaars FG, Schelen A, Koenders J, Zeilemaker A, van Putten WJ, Rijneveld A, Löwenberg B, Peter Valk. Acquired mutations in the genes encoding IDH1 and IDH2 both are recurrent aberrations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML): prevalence and prognostic value. Blood 2010; 116(12):2122-6.
Grob T, Al Hinai ASA, Sanders MA, Kavelaars FG, Rijken M, Gradowska PL, Biemond BJ, Breems DA, Maertens J, van Marwijk Kooy M, Pabst T, de Weerdt O, Ossenkoppele GJ, van de Loosdrecht AA, Huls GA, Cornelissen JJ, Beverloo HB, Löwenberg B, Jongen-Lavrencic M, Peter Valk. Molecular characterization of mutant TP53 acute myeloid leukemia and high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome. Blood. 2022;139(15):2347-2354.