Jan Schmitz

Research

At LUMC, I focus on developing human translational models to study immune-tumor interactions.

One component of my research is embedded in the ERA4Health project “Nanoparticles embedding nucleotide-based antibodies for innovative cancer immunotherapy” funded by NWO, a collaboration between the Xiao group at LUMC and the Garg group at KU Leuven. This project aims to enhance anti-cancer immunity by using nanoparticle-delivered DNA to enable local production of therapeutic antibodies and cytokines. Within this framework, I investigate the effects of this approach on human immune cells, with a particular focus on myeloid cells.

Another focus of my research is the establishment of a tumor-on-chip platform to interrogate tumor-immune dynamics in a controlled, human-relevant setting, including the mechanisms and functional impact of licensed dendritic cells.

Curriculum Vitae

I studied Biology at the University of Cologne, where I completed both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. During my Bachelor’s training, I focused on tumor–microenvironment interactions in aggressive lymphoma and during my Master’s I focused on how redox-signaling pathways influence crosstalk between NK cells and melanoma cells. I conducted my PhD in an industrial setting at Bayer AG, where I led a project developing a therapeutic approach centered on microRNA biology and organ-targeted delivery. My work focused on miRNA-based strategies for lung and liver fibrosis, including AAV- and lipid nanoparticle-based delivery approaches. I integrated advanced human-relevant model systems such as organ-on-chip platforms with multi-omics readouts (including transcriptomics and proteomics) to connect mechanism to therapeutic potential. I completed my PhD in December 2024 and started as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Immunology at Leiden University Medical Center in May 2025 in the group of Dr. Yanling Xiao.