Biography

Elsken van der Wall (1960)  has studied medicine at the University of Utrecht and subsequently specialized in internal medicine at the University Medical Center of Utrecht.

In the Dutch Cancer Institute / Het Antoni van Leeuwenhoekhuis in Amsterdam she further specialized in medical oncology while performing research that resulted in her PhD degree on ‘high-dose chemotherapy in solid tumors’ in 1995. From 1995 till 2003 she held a position as medical oncologist at the department of medical oncology at the VU Medical Center in Amsterdam. During this time she spend 14 months as a basic scientist at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Institute at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions (JHMI) in Baltimore, USA . Following her stay at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Institute she became part-time associate professor at JHMI which position she still helds.

In 2003 she was appointed full professor of medicine at the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU) and head of the specialization program in internal medicine. In addition, she became member of the management team of the Division of Internal Medicine and Dermatology of the UMCU, responsible for research and education development within the Division. In 2005, she was appointed as distinguished professor of Utrecht University. In 2007 she left the specialization program in internal medicine and became head of the Cancer Center of the UMC Utrecht. As of 2018 she was appointend chair of the Strategic Program Cancer. Her out-patient clinical activities focus entirely on patients with breast cancer. Together with prof. dr. Paul van Diest, head of the Department of Pathology, she supervises the laboratory for breast cancer research at the UMC Utrecht. The focus of her scientific research is on breast carcinogenesis and she is co-author of over 200 peer-reviewed scientific papers. Outside her regular work she holds various positions that, amongst others, include: member of the Medical Advisory Board of the Dutch Cancer Center Network and member of the Advisory Board of the Dutch Cancer Foundation.. In 2010 she was knighted by former HRM Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, for her contribution to increase breast cancer awareness. In 2015 she received the “Corrie Herman” award, a national award to honour female medical role-models. In 2019 she was awarded with the Supervisor ( promotor) of the Year 2019.