Titia de Lange

Titia de Lange is a world leader in telomere biology and discovered the shelterin complex that protects chromosome ends. Her identification of TRF1, TRF2, and other shelterin components revealed how telomeres are distinguished from DNA damage sites. She demonstrated that disruption of telomere protection activates ATM and ATR DNA damage pathways, directly relevant to cancer genome instability. Her structural insights into t-loops and telomere architecture have fundamentally shaped the field.