Paul Coffer studied Biochemistry at Oxford University and obtained his PhD from the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research in London, UK where he identified Protein Kinase B (PKB/AKT), a critical intracellular hub regulating multiple cellular processes. He then relocated to the Hubrecht Laboratory for Developmental Biology and Stem Cell Research. This postdoctoral research was involved in investigating the mechanisms by which hematopoietic cytokines can regulate gene expression through transcription factor phosphorylation.

In 1995 Paul moved to the Department of Respiratory Medicine at the University Medical Centre Utrecht to initiate his research group. During this period, work involved studying the role of intracellular signal transduction pathways in regulating both the production and function of leukocytes. Work in his group also demonstrated that PKB-mediated phosphorylation of Forkhead transcription factors (FOXO) was critical for the regulation of leukocyte proliferation and survival. These studies laid the groundwork for his further research into the regulation of hematopoietic stem cell-fate decisions.

In 2005 Paul Coffer was appointed Professor of Pediatric Immunology moving to the Wilhelmina Children's Hospital (UMCU). During this time research was expanded to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying T-regulatory cell biology in the context of autoimmunity and cancer.

In 2010 he moved to the UMC Utrecht Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM)as Professor of Cell Biology and  in 2013 worked at  Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York) for 14 months in Sasha Rudensky's Lab. 

Current research is driven by both fundamental and clinical questions intersecting the fields of tumor biology, immunology and regenerative medicine. This is focused on identifying pathways of cellular communication that can be exploited to selectively target cells in both cancer and (auto)immunity. This translational research applies a broad range of state-of-the-art molecular and cell biological approaches as well as in vivo and ex-vivo models of disease (www.cofferlab.science). 

Since 2024, Paul is Vice-dean Utrecht Life Sciences, one of the four strategic themes of Utrecht Iniversity.