Hans Clevers

Hans Clevers is one of the world's most influential cancer biologists, renowned for elucidating the WNT/beta-catenin signaling pathway and its regulation by the APC tumor suppressor in colorectal cancer. He discovered that intestinal stem cells are defined by WNT target gene expression and that APC mutation activates this pathway constitutively to drive tumorigenesis. He pioneered the development of intestinal organoid systems now widely used to study tumor suppressor function and drug responses. He holds leadership positions at multiple institutions and has been recognized with major prizes worldwide.