The Department of Neurosurgery at the Yale School of Medicine is excited to announce the appointment of Roel Verhaak, Ph.D., as Professor of Neurosurgery.
Dr. Verhaak comes to Yale from The Jackson Laboratory in Farmington, Connecticut, where he served as a Professor and held the Florine Deschenes Roux Chair for Genomics and Computational Biology. The Verhaak lab conducts groundbreaking work in cancer genomics, leveraging high-throughput technologies and computational methods to unlock the genomic basis of brain tumors and other cancers.
Before his time at The Jackson Laboratory, Dr. Verhaak served as an Associate Professor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he completed pioneering research that redefined how brain tumors are classified based on their molecular make-up. His team identified new subtypes of gliomas, providing a novel framework for diagnosis and treatment that has revolutionized the field. This work prompted the World Health Organization to revise its classification of central nervous system tumors in 2016.
Additionally, Dr. Verhaak and his team found that the glioma subtypes can be defined based on their patterns of DNA methylation, which alters how genes are expressed without changing their actual sequence. When methylation is combined with other clinical features, patient outcomes can be predicted with greater accuracy. His team has also contributed to uncovering defense mechanisms in high-grade gliomas that hide the tumor cells from the body’s defenses in response to cancer treatment.
More recently, Dr. Verhaak and his team have pioneered research by studying the contribution of extrachromosomal DNA to cancer formation in brain tumor cells. Extrachromosomal DNA, known as EcDNAs, contain multiple copies of known oncogenes, are hubs of high transcriptional activity, and are thought to be linked to shorter patient survival and faster cancer progression. Using a novel CRISPR-based technique called ecTag, Dr. Verhaak and his colleagues can tag and visualize ecDNAs in real-time to better understand their role in deadly cancer development. Verhaak is part of the eDynamic Cancer Grand Challenge Consortium, which was recently awarded a $25M grant to understand how ecDNAs can be exploited for new therapy development.
Dr. Verhaak’s findings have been published in top-tier journals, including Nature, Cell, and The New England Journal of Medicine.
As a Professor of Neurosurgery, Dr. Verhaak plans to bring his research to the bedside and make a tangible impact on patient care through partnerships with the department’s robust Neurosurgical Oncology Program, led by Jennfer Moliterno, MD, Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Clinical Director of the Chênevert Family Brain Tumor Center, and other clinical programs across the school. His appointment demonstrates the department’s commitment to investing in impactful and transformative research.
“I’m very excited to be part of the very strong intellectual environment at Yale and to collaborate with the world-class faculty,” says Dr. Verhaak.
"I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Roel Verhaak to our team", said Dr. Murat Gunel, Nixdorff-German Professor of Neurosurgery and Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery. "His groundbreaking research will be invaluable in defining new clinical trials with the ultimate aim of finding a cure for brain tumors. Our department is committed to harnessing Dr. Verhaak's expertise in cancer genomics and innovative techniques to revolutionize patient care and improve outcomes in the fight against these devastating diseases".
Born in the Netherlands, Dr. Verhaak and his family live in West Hartford, where he loves playing soccer in his free time.
To learn more about Dr. Verhaak’s ongoing research and opportunities to join the lab, visit: https://verhaaklab.com/