Dr. Kim Smits

During her PhD, which she obtained in 2006, dr. Kim Smits studied polymorphisms in the serotonin transporter as biomarkers predictive for antidepressant response and she developed a clinical decision model for the treatment of depression. Thereafter, her research focus switched to cancer research and, since 2006, she conducted various molecular-epidemiologic studies mainly focussing on colorectal and renal cancer. Parts of these studies were performed at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, John Hopkins University, and at the department of Therapeutic Radiology at Yale University.

In 2012, she accepted a position as the head of the Trial Office/Data Centre of MAASTRO clinic (DCM) where she was responsible for the management of the clinical trial office, and involved in over 35 (inter)national studies, both single-centre and multi-centre.

In 2017, she switched back to research as an assistant professor where she is working on the identification and validation of novel biomarkers in liquid biopsies for different cancer types, with a focus on renal cancer.