Personal profile
Biography
Pieter Vader graduated in Chemistry (B.Sc., 2005) and Drug Innovation (M.Sc., 2007) from the University of Utrecht. He earned his PhD degree in 2012 from the University of Utrecht on the subject of targeted delivery of siRNA to inhibit tumor angiogenesis.
From 2012 to 2014, Pieter was employed as a (senior) postdoctoral fellow at the University of Oxford, UK, in the lab of Prof. Matthew Wood, supported by a NWO Rubicon fellowship. The research topic was development of small RNA-loaded extracellular vesicles for targeted delivery.
In 2014 he moved back to The Netherlands to continue his work at the University Medical Center Utrecht. Currently, he is Associate Professor at CDL Research and at the Department of Experimental Cardiology. His main research interests are in the field of therapeutic applications of extracellular vesicles, including unraveling the mechanisms underlying extracellular vesicle-mediated cargo transfer. His research has been supported by a NWO Veni Grant (2014), ERC Starting Grant (2019), Dutch Heart Foundation Dekker Senior Scientist Grant (2019), NWO Vidi Grant (2020) and ERC Consolidator Grant (2023). In 2021, Pieter was awarded the Prix Galien Research Award for his work on drug delivery.
Fellowship & awards
- 2023 ERC Consolidator Grant for the project: "Unravelling extracellular vesicle heterogeneity to inspire improved therapeutic RNA delivery systems"
- 2020 NWO Vidi grant for the project: "Molecular drivers of extracellular vesicle targeting and RNA transfer – towards improved delivery"
- 2019 ERC Starting grant for the project: "Overcoming cellular barriers to therapeutic RNA delivery using extracellular vesicles"
- 2019 Dutch Heart Foundation Dekker Senior Scientist grant for the project: "Therapeutic mRNA delivery to the myocardium for cardiac regeneration"
- 2014 NWO Veni grant for the project: “Inspired by nature: Extracellular vesicles as potent RNA delivery platforms”
- 2011 NWO Rubicon grant for the project: "Cell-derived microvesicles for delivery of small RNAs to tumours"
External positions
Associate Editor - Editoriale werkzaamheden - Elsevier BV
6 Feb 2024 → 31 Dec 3999
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
-
Harnessing extracellular vesicles for endochondral bone regeneration: Mechanisms and applications
Staubli, F., Zhou, Y., Vader, P., Hofmann, S., Bergsma, J. E., Gawlitta, D. & Man, K., Mar 2026, In: Acta Biomaterialia. 212, p. 168-186 19 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Spotlight on innovation: key insights from the extracellular vesicle cluster meeting at the European Innovation Council
Adamo, G., Amarantos, I., Arzimanoglou, I., Bergese, P., Bongiovanni, A., Bussolati, B., Cauda, V., Chiari, M., Garinis, G. A., Giebel, B., Guazzi, P., Jurga, M., Neri, C., Ohlsson, P., Rohde, E., Sales, G., Trapani, I., Vader, P., Vainio, S. & Wauben, M. H. M. & 2 others, , Jan 2026, In: Cytotherapy. 28, 1, 101976.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Downloads (Pure) -
A fusion protein that targets antigen-loaded extracellular vesicles to B cells enhances antigen-specific T cell expansion
Offens, A., Teeuwen, L., Gucluler-Akpinar, G., Steiner, L., Kooijmans, S., Mamand, D., Weissinger, H., Käll, A., Eldh, M., Wiklander, O. P. B., Andaloussi, S. E. L., Karlsson, M. C. I., Vader, P. & Gabrielsson, S., 10 Jun 2025, In: Journal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release Society. 382, 12 p., 113665.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Downloads (Pure) -
A modular strategy for extracellular vesicle-mediated CRISPR-Cas9 delivery through aptamer-based loading and UV-activated cargo release
Elsharkasy, O. M., Hegeman, C. V., Driedonks, T. A. P., Liang, X., Lansweers, I., Cotugno, O. L., de Groot, I. Y., de Wit, Z. E. M. N. J., Garcia-Guerra, A., Moorman, N. J. A., Boonstra, S. H., Bosman, E. D. C., Lefferts, J. W., de Voogt, W. S., François, J. J., van Wesel, A. C. W., El Andaloussi, S., Schiffelers, R. M., Kooijmans, S. A. A. & Mastrobattista, E. & 2 others, , 21 Nov 2025, In: Nature Communications. 16, 1, 10309.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Downloads (Pure) -
Bottom-Up Synthesis and Purification of Extracellular Vesicle Mimetics
van de Schepop, L., Stiemsma, Y. L., Wichers, L. X., Hotting, E. S., Smits, S., Seinen, C. W., Edelbacher, T. V., Barendrecht, A. D., van Wesel, A. C. W., Schiffelers, R. M. & Vader, P., Nov 2025, In: Journal of Extracellular Vesicles. 14, 11, p. 1-18 18 p., e70190.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Downloads (Pure)
Activities
- 1 Consultancy