Niek van Bree awarded the Dan Grandér Research Prize 2025
Niek van Bree, previously a doctoral student at the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology at Karolinska Institutet, has been awarded the 2025 Dan Grandér Research Prize for his thesis “Development of Translational Models and Identification of Novel Therapeutic Targets for Medulloblastoma”. This annual award recognises the best doctoral thesis in cancer research at Karolinska Institutet.
Niek van Bree’s research focuses on improving the study of medulloblastoma, the most common aggressive brain tumour in children. By developing new human‑based and animal models, his work sheds light on the earliest stages of tumour formation. Using stem‑cell technology, he has demonstrated how reprogrammed Gorlin syndrome patient cells can form medulloblastoma-like tumours in mice, recreating early developmental changes associated with this tumour type.
A complementary zebrafish model revealed how injected tumour cells migrate to the brain region where medulloblastoma develops. This offers a rapid way to study tumour growth and responses to potential treatments.In his research studies, Niek van Bree also demonstrates that galectin-1 and galectin-3 proteins are active in certain tumour subgroups. Furthermore, it suggests that blocking galectin-3 can prevent tumour growth in animals.
“I am incredibly honoured to receive the Dan Grandér Prize. It means a great deal to have my work on childhood brain tumours recognised, highlighting the need to develop advanced models, such as organoids, stem‑cell systems and novel animal models, to better understand how these tumours develop and how they can be treated more effectively. This recognition strongly motivates me to continue my research in oncology, and I am deeply grateful to my colleagues, mentors and everyone who has supported me along the way,” says Niek van Bree.
Jury’s statement
“Niek van Bree has developed innovative biological models of medulloblastoma, the most common highly malignant brain tumour of childhood, providing mechanistic insights that advance our understanding of disease predisposition and identify new opportunities for therapeutic targeting.”
About the award
The Dan Grandér Research Prize was established in 2018 in memory of Professor Dan Grandér and is awarded annually to the best doctoral thesis in cancer research at Karolinska Institutet.
Dan Grandér began his research career in 1985, defended his thesis in 1991, and at the time of his passing in 2017 was a professor and head of the Department of Oncology-Pathology at Karolinska Institutet. He dedicated his entire career to cancer research and was especially committed to mentoring young scientists.