dr. F.J. (Frank) Dekker

Nov. 2012 – Now

Associate professor, University of Groningen, The Netherlands 
Project on novel detection methods and small molecule inhibitors for the epigenetic regulation and lipid signalling in inflammation as part of the department Chemical and Pharmaceutical Biology.  

Sep. 2007 – Nov. 2012

Assistant professor (tenure track), University of Groningen, The Netherlands 
Project on small molecule inhibitors histone acetyltransferases in inflammation in the department Pharmaceutical Gene Modulation under supervision of Prof. Dr. H.J. Haisma. 

Jul. 2004 - Jul. 2007

Postdoctoral researcher, Max-Planck Institute, Dortmund, Germany 
Project on the synthesis of a compound collection around the ß-lactone core structure and studies on their activity on different esterases and phosphatasesResearcher in the department for Chemical Biology under supervision of Prof. Dr. H. Waldmann. 

Feb. 2000 – Jun. 2004

Promotion, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. 
PhD on the dissertation entitled: Modulation of protein-protein interactions in signal transduction. in the department of Medicinal Chemistry in the faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences under supervision of Prof. Dr. R.M.J. Liskamp and Dr. N.J. de Mol.  

Sep. 1995 – Jan. 2000 

Pharmacy, Utrecht University, The Netherlands 
Graduation project in the department Medicinal Chemistry in the faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences under supervision of Prof. Dr. R.M.J. Liskamp on the topic Binding studies on Leu-Enkephalin Derivatives in an ELISA Assay. 

Sep. 1989 – Sep. 1995

Secondary school, VWO, Calvijn College, Goes, The Netherlands 

Education management

2022 - now Programme director master Medical Pharmaceutical Sciences

2020-2021 Chair board of admission pharmacy curriculum

2015-2017 Chair education committee pharmacy curriculum.

Research funding

Dec. 2012 – Dec. 2017

ERC starting investigator grant, European Union, 1.500,000 euros

Sep. 2012 – Sep. 2017

VIDI grant from Netherlands organization of scientific research (NWO), 800,000 euros.

Sep. 2007 – Sep. 2010

Marie Curie European Reintegration Grant, European Union, 45,000 euros

Sep. 2007 – Sep. 2012

Start-up Grant University of Groningen, 110,000 euros.

Jul. 2005 – Jul 2007

Marie Curie Stipendium, European Union, 92,697 euros.

Jul. 2004 - Jul. 2005

TALENT-Stipendium from NWO, 24,000 euros.

Awards

2013 Runner up for the European Federation of Medicinal Chemistry (EFMC) prize for a young medicinal chemist in academia.

2010 Nominated for in the election ‘teacher of the year 2009-2010’ (best 10%).

2003 Presentation award of the NWO-meeting ´Pharmacochemistry´ in Lunteren, The Netherlands.

2001 Poster award of the NWO-meeting ´Design and Synthesis´ in Lunteren, The Netherlands.

Current research team

Nov. 2022 - Nov. 2026 Zhengyan Wu (PhD student)

Nov. 2021 - Nov. 2025 Jianqiu Zhang (PhD student)

Nov. 2020 - Nov 2024 Chunlong Zhao (PhD student)

Oct. 2019 - Oct. 2023 Deng Chen (PhD student)

Nov. 2019 - May 2023 Angelina Osipyan (PhD student)

Former team member

Oct. 2017 - Oct. 2021 Zhangping Xiao (PhD student)

Oct. 2016 - Oct. 2020 Fanguan Cao (PhD student)

Sep. 2016 - Sep. 2020 Gerian Prins (Ph student)/collaboration with Prof. Olinga, Biopharmacy

Sep. 2015 - Sep 2019 Hao Guo (PhD student)

Sep. 2015 - Sep 2019 Martijn Zwinderman (PhD student)

Sep. 2014 - Sep 2018 Tjie Kok Go (PhD student)/collaboration with Prof. Poelarends, Pharmaceutical Biology

Oct. 2013 - Sep. 2017 Hannah Wapenaar (PhD student, obtained PhD)

Jan. 2013 - Jan. 2017 Thea van den Bosch (PhD student, obtained PhD)

Dec. 2013 - Dec. 2016 Niek Leus (Post-doc)

Dec. 2012 - Dec. 2016 Nikolaos Eleftheriadis (PhD student, obtained PhD)

Nov. 2012 - Nov. 2016 Maria–Eleni Ourailidou (PhD student, obtained PhD)

Jun. 2009 - May. 2013 Rosalina Wisastra (PhD student, obtained PhD)

Jan. 2007 - Dec. 2011 Massimo Ghizzoni (PhD student, obtained PhD)

Invited lectures

28 Mar 2019 Rauischholzhausen, Germany. Lecture on the MIF workshop from the X-Kingdom MIF – Cross-kingdom analysis of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) functions). Title: Opportunities and challenges in the development of small molecule modulators of MIF.

22 Jan. 2019 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Lecture on the Symposium Advances in Chemical Biology, DECHEMA. Title: Targeting protein lysine acetylation in inflammatory lung diseases.

22 Sep 2017 Porto, Portugal. Lecture on the EpiChemBio and MuTaLig COST joint meeting. Title; Targeting protein lysine acetylation in inflammatory lung diseases.

13 Feb. 2017 Tel Aviv, Israel. Lecture on the annual meeting of the Isreal Chemical Society (ICS). Title; Novel chemistry biological methods to detect enzyme activity in inflammation.

9 Sep. 2016 London, UK. Lecture on the Epigenetics Discovery Congress. Title: KATching lysine acetylations in inflammation.

22 Mrt. 2016 Naples, Italy. Lecture summer school translational epigenetics. Title; KATching lysine acetylation in inflammation.

10 Sep. 2015 Lodz, Poland. Lecture on the COST meeting biomimetic radical chemistry. Title; Novel chemical biological methods for detection of enzyme activity in inflammation.

28 Aug 2015 Riga, Latvia, Lecture on the InnovaBalt conference. Title; Aqueous oxidative Heck reaction as a novel protein labeling strategy.

9 Dec. 2014 San Francisco, USA. Lecture on the OMICS group conference. Title; Novel chemistry-based tools to study epigenetic enzymes in inflammation.

16 Jul. 2014 Berlin, Germany. Lecture on the symposium Bioorthogonal chemistry from the GDCh Title; Aqueous oxidative heck reaction as a novel protein ligations strategy.

30 Oct. 2013 Vilnius, Lithuania. MC meeting COST action epigenetics from bench to bedside. Title; Novel strategies to investigate histone acetylation in inflammation.

21 May 2013 Rome, Italy. Summer school on epigenetics from the COST action epigenetics from bench to bedside. Title; Development of small molecule modulators of histone acetylation as a novel approach in drug discovery.

6 May 2013 Bologna, Italy. MC meeting COST action biomimetic radical chemistry. Title; Novel inhibitors and activators of lipoxygenases and their role in NF-kB mediated signaling

10 Apr. 2013 Warsaw, Poland. Lecture for a collaboration with the Nencki Institute. Title; The development of novel methods to inhibit and detect histone acetylation in inflammation

13 Mrt. 2013: Solingen, Germany. WG4 meeting COST action epigenetics from bench to bedside. Title; The development of novel methods to inhibit and detect histone acetylation in inflammation

30 Jan. 2013: Maastricht, The Netherlands. Seminar at the university of Maastricht. Title; The development of novel methods to inhibit and detect histone acetylation in inflammation

22 Oct. 2012: Lunteren, The Netherlands. Plenary lecture at the NWO-meeting. Title; Expanding the molecular toolbox in anti-inflammatory drug discovery.

9 Jul. 2012: Poitiers, France. Summerschool; Players of the epigenetic symphony. Title; Development of novel tools to modulate and investigate histone acetyltransferases activity.

Committees

STSM coordinator and member of the management committee of the EU COST action ‘Epigenetic Chemical Biology (EPICHEM)’ (CM1406).

Treasurer of the section ‘Medicinal Chemistry’ for the Royal Netherlands Chemical Society (KNCV).

Member of the board of the NWO study group Medicinal Chemistry. 

Previous committees

Member of the management committee of the EU COST action ‘biomimetic radical chemistry’ (CM1201).

STSM coordinator and member of the management committee of the EU COST action ‘Epigenetics from bench to bedside’ (TD0905).

Member of the evaluation committee of the pharmacy curriculum.

Events 

15-16 Sep. 2016, Symposium 'Creating new collaborative research proposals' for the EU-COST action EpiChemBio in Groningen, The Netherlands.  

22 Mar. 2013, Symposium Medicinal chemistry and (epi)genetics in Utrecht, The Netherlands 

8 Jun. 2010, Pharmacy day Groningen on the topic ‘chemical biology as strategy in drug discovery’.

27-28 Aug. 2007, Symposium ‘crossing borders in chemical biology’ in Rolduc, The Netherlands.