Professor Karin de Visser has won the 2025 Josephine Nefkens Prize. De Visser is a group leader at the Netherlands Cancer Institute, the research institute of the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Cancer Institute, and is a professor by special appointment at Leiden University Medical Center. She will receive a medal and €100,000 to spend on her research. The prize will be awarded on November 4th at Rotterdam City Hall.
Karin de Visser is a global leader in tumor immunology research. Over the past decade, she has become a leading figure in the field of tumor immunology and the role of the innate immune system in cancer progression and metastasis.
Her research focuses on the interplay between tumors and immune cells, particularly myeloid cells. "She has provided fundamental insights into how inflammatory responses outside the tumor environment promote metastasis and how immune cells influence therapy response," says the jury.
Clinical and societal impact
The jury particularly praises De Visser's ability to translate her fundamental research into clinical applications. Through her intensive collaboration with physicians, she is involved in multiple clinical studies, allowing her research to have a direct impact on patient treatment.
She also strives to share her knowledge and expertise with the public. "She regularly gives lectures to patients and appears in the media, where she makes complex scientific findings understandable for the general public," the jury stated.
Oncode
Since 2003, Karin de Visser has received over €16 million in grants for her research. She has received personal grants such as VIDI, VICI, and ERC Consolidator grants, and is active in numerous national and international committees and research networks. For example, she is affiliated with Oncode, a Dutch research institute that unites over 800 oncology researchers. She is also a member of EMBO, Academia Europaea, and the AACR Tumor Microenvironment Steering Committee. In 2025, she received the prestigious Pezcoller-Marina Larcher Fogazzaro EACR Women in Cancer Research Award.
Moreover, Karin de Visser is not only a scientific pioneer but also an inspiring role model for young researchers, particularly women in science, according to the jury. "She combines scientific excellence with modesty and accessibility, qualities that make her beloved by colleagues and PhD students."
Indispensable
Karin de Visser embodies everything the Josephine Nefkens Prize stands for, according to the board of the Josephine Nefkens Prize. "It should be awarded to an exceptional and socially engaged scientist who conducts excellent, innovative, and clinically relevant research and actively shares this knowledge with colleagues, patients, and society. Her work is a vital link in the future of cancer treatment."
The Josephine Nefkens Prize is a triennial award for cancer research. The prize is presented under the auspices of the Josephine Nefkens Prize Foundation and Erasmus University Rotterdam. The prize is awarded to an outstanding cancer researcher. The nomination of the laureate is approved by the Executive Board of Erasmus University. The jury members of the Josephine Nefkens Prize 2025 are Prof. Carla van Gils, director of the Dutch Cancer Society (KWF) and professor of clinical epidemiology of cancer, Utrecht University; Prof. John Haanen, internist-oncologist, AVL and research group leader, NKI; emeritus prof. Martin Lammens, neuropathologist, University Hospital Antwerp; Prof. Tamar Nijsten, head of the Department of Dermatology, Erasmus MC; Prof. Annemie Schols, dean of the FHML, Maastricht University; emeritus prof. Catherine Verfaillie, stem cell institute, University Hospital Leuven; Prof. Roland Kanaar, head of the Department of Molecular Genetics, Erasmus MC, laureate 2022.
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