Rik Lindeboom
Quantitative Systems Biology
The Lindeboom lab uses quantitative biology to understand the interaction between tumor cells and the immune system. We use (single cell) genomics and proteomics approaches combined with advanced data analysis workflows, to measure exact amounts of cancer-associated molecules. This enables predictive and quantitative modeling of cancer cell behavior and the interaction with immune cells.
Vacancies
We welcome outstanding postdocs and PhD students to submit open applications, and invite master's students for internships of 6 months or longer. Interested candidates can contact Rik Lindeboom for more information.
More about this group
Highlights of the group
NVBMB Prize 2026
April 2026
We are excited to share that Rik Lindeboom has been awarded the NVBMB Prize 2026. This prize recognizes his contributions to molecular biosciences, and we are grateful to the NVBMB for this wonderful recognition.
Veni grant awarded!
August 2025
Excited to announce that Rik got awarded the Veni grant from NWO to investigate how changes in MYC concentration drive epigenetic remodeling and the transformation of healthy cells into cancer cells.
Baking pizza with the lab
August 2025
After a refreshing holiday break, the Lindeboom lab reunited for a cozy dinner at Rik’s place. With Davide sharing a taste of his heritage, we rolled up our sleeves and made delicious Neapolitan pizzas together; a perfect way to kick off the new academic year.
Ryan starts as a PhD student
July 2025
We are excited to announce that Ryan is joining this month as a PhD student in both the Vermeulen and Lindeboom group. Ryan brings extensive expertise in both computational and experimental proteomics. His work will focus on developing single-cell proteomics pipelines and applying them within the RADAR consortium to uncover insights into intratumoral heterogeneity in rare cancers. Welcome, Ryan!
Janne joins the lab
June 2025
After completing a Master’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology at Wageningen University, Janne joined the Lindeboom lab as a PhD student in June 2025 to study transcription factor biology. Her project focuses on how changes in transcription factor concentration affect binding dynamics and epigenetic remodeling, with the aim of uncovering the molecular mechanisms underlying transcription factor–mediated gene expression regulation. We are pleased to welcome Janne to the team and look forward to her contributions.
ZonMW grant with Joo lab to study binding kinetics of antigens to MHC class II and T cell receptors
March 2025
We are grateful to have received the ZonMw Open Competition grant together with Chirlmin Joo at the TU Delft. In collaboration with the Joo lab, we will combine molecular engineering, single-molecule imaging, and genomics to investigate the binding kinetics of antigens to MHC class II and T cell receptors, with the ultimate goal of gaining a deeper understanding of CD4 T cell immunity in disease.
Lab outing: go-karting and spy training
February 2025
The Lindeboom lab outing started with a morning of scientific brainstorming, strategic planning, and updates on the financial status of the lab. In the afternoon, we competed for fasted lap in two heats of go-karting, after which we solved a murder as a team in an escape room. Concluding with dinner in Amsterdam, the first lab outing of the Lindeboom lab was a great success!
Shweta joined the lab as PhD student
January 2025
We are delighted to announce that Shweta Garg has joined us as a PhD student under the ERC-funded TF-KINETIX project.
With her strong foundation in molecular and cellular biology, and a keen interest in quantitative transcription factor biology, Shweta will contribute to uncovering how binding kinetics and energy landscapes of oncogenic transcription factors are regulated at genome- and proteome-wide scales. Her work will aim to develop predictive models that influence transcription factor binding to reprogram genome-wide binding.
We are excited to have Shweta on board and look forward to her contributions to this ambitious project. Welcome to the team, Shweta!
Young Investigator Grant
December 2024
We are incredibly grateful to have received the Young Investigator Grant from KWF Kankerbestrijding and Alpe d'HuZes! This grant will support our work on understanding how antigen presentation dynamics are regulated, with the goal of building quantitative models that enable us to select tumor antigens suitable for therapeutic targeting. We will apply these technologies to penile cancers, a very rare cancer type with many unknowns with regards to its immunogenicity, to study how these processes occur in penile cancers and identify penile tumor antigens.
ERC Starting grant TF-KINETIX awarded to the Lindeboom Lab!
September 2024
Extremely happy and proud to announce that the lab will soon be ERC funded through the awarded ERC Starting grant TF-KINETIX.
In this project, we will set out to uncover how binding kinetics and energy landscapes of oncogenic transcription factors are regulated at genome- and proteome-wide scales!
Interested in joining this project? Enthusiastic and talented individuals that are interested in pursuing a PhD or post-doc in quantitative transcription factor biology are invited to apply via email or the vacancy tab at the NKI website.
Read more about this news in the NKI News and at the ERC website.
Fraser joins the lab as postdoctoral researcher
September 2024
We are happy to announce that Fraser has joined our research group this month.
He will start an exciting new project focused on profiling antigen-TCR interactions. Leveraging his experience in developing large-scale screening methodologies, Fraser aims to create a high-throughput screening platform to measure these interactions at massive scale. We warmly welcome Fraser to the team!
CRI grant to study the interface between cancer and T cells
August 2024
We have received the Technology Impact Award from the Cancer Research Institute! This award will support our work in developing new methods to study the interactions between cancer cells and the immune system at a molecular level. With these tools, we will aim to uncover the proteins and antigens involved in killing cancer cells, which could eventually be targeted in cancer immunotherapy.
A big thanks to the Cancer Research Institute and their donors for this recognition and the support!
Human COVID-19 challenge study published in Nature
June 2024
In this exciting work that wraps up Rik’s post-doctoral work, we unraveled the exact timeline of the cellular responses to inoculation with SARS-CoV-2 in humans.
First grant awarded to the Lindeboom lab
March 2024
We are extremely excited that we were awarded the NWO Open Competition M1 grant! With this grant, we aim to better understand how the immune system can recognize disease by examining the interactions between T cell receptors (TCRs) and disease-associated antigens.
Establishment of the Lindeboom lab featured in Nature Cancer
December 2023
The Lindeboom lab and its opening at the Netherlands Cancer Institute has been highlighted by Nature Cancer in their article on the '2023 Generation'. In this piece, twelve early-career investigators share their thoughts on the experiences they had starting their laboratories in 2023 and reflect on the opportunities they seized and the challenges they faced.
New group leader gives new meaning to phrase ‘to measure is to know’
As of February 1, 2023 biologist and science fanatic Rik Lindeboom will be reinforcing our institute as a junior group leader.
Rik wants biologists to start using exacter measurements, and is an expert in proteins and data analysis. Only through these concrete numbers can we learn to understand why an immune cell does or doesn’t recognize a cancer cell. We joined him for a discussion on love in the lab, bizarre amounts of data, and (in)visible cancer cells.
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