Professor Nine V.A.M. Knoers received her M.D. in 1986 from the Catholic University Nijmegen, in the Netherlands and her Ph.D. (cum laude) in 1990 from the same University. She was trained and certified as a Clinical Geneticist at the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, where she was appointed assistant professor (1994), associate professor (1999) and full professor (2003), respectively.
Since 2011, she is full professor at the University of Utrecht and chair of the Department of Medical Genetics at the University Medical Centre Utrecht (UMCU). Professor Knoers is chair of the Dutch Society of Clinical Genetics and Member of the Dutch Health Council.
Her major research effort focuses on the identification of genes for inherited renal disorders and on their pathophysiology. The ultimate aim of her studies is to find clues for treatments for these disorders. Over the past years, her team has substantially contributed to the elucidation of genes involved in hereditary kidney diseases, among which the V2R and AQP2 genes for nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, and genes involved in renal hypomagnesemia and syndromic nephronophthisis. Professor Knoers has an extensive national and international network, is a member of several European Consortia on genetic renal disorders (EUNEFRON, EURenOmics) and coordinates the Dutch Scientific Consortium on renal ciliopathies “Kouncil”. She was awarded the Donald Seldin Lectureship of the International Society of Nephrology (World Congres Nephrology 2013, Hongkong), as a recognition of a major contribution in basic science related to nephrology.
Key papers
van der Zanden LF, et al & Knoers NV. Common variants in DGKK are strongly associated with risk of hypospadias. Nat Genet. 2011;43:48-50
Bredrup C, et al., & Knoers NV*, Roepman R*, Arts HH*. Ciliopathies with skeletal anomalies and renal insufficiency due to mutations in the IFT-A gene WDR19. Am J Hum Genet. 2011 Nov 11;89(5):634-43. * equal contribution
Nicolaou N, et al & Knoers NV, Renkema KY, Sonnenberg A. Gain of glycosylation in integrin α3 causes lung disease and nephrotic syndrome. J Clin Invest. 2012 Dec 3;122(12):4375-87.
Renkema KY, Stokman MF, Giles RH, Knoers NV. Next-generation sequencing for research and diagnostics in kidney disease. Nat Rev Nephrol. 2014 Aug;10(8):433-44.