Two Oncode Investigators, Leila Akkari (Netherlands Cancer Institute) and Marvin Tanenbaum (Hubrecht Institute), have been awarded the 2025 Ammodo Science Award for fundamental research. This prestigious award is given to leading scientists in the Netherlands who conduct groundbreaking fundamental research. Akkari and Tanenbaum will each receive €350,000 to continue their research in the upcoming years.
This recognition highlights the power of fundamental science as a driver of innovations. “We are proud that the groundbreaking research of Leila Akkari and Marvin Tanenbaum has been recognized with the Ammodo Science Award this year. Their fundamental insights open new perspectives for diagnostics and treatment. The fact that the Ammodo Award for biomedical sciences has been given to Oncode researchers for the fourth time in a row underlines the power of our mission: cracking the code of cancer and translating fundamental insights into impactful innovations” says Jan Paul Medema, Head of Oncode Institute & Scientific Director.
How tumors manipulate the immune system
Oncode Investigator Leila Akkari has developed a fundamentally new view on the role of the immune system in cancer. She discovered that certain immune cells are ‘reprogrammed’ by tumors and then contribute to tumor growth, instead of counteracting it. Using advanced techniques, she demonstrated how specific immune cells in brain tumors contribute to the growth of the tumor cells. Her work identifies new targets for the treatment of brain and liver cancer.
Visualizing the life of molecules
Oncode Investigator Marvin Tanenbaum developed an innovative technology to visualize dynamic biomolecules in living cells. His ‘SunTag’ system, embraced by cell biologists worldwide, makes it possible to follow individual proteins in real time. This method revealed, among other things, that most genes can produce different protein variants. This is something that was for long considered impossible. He also developed the VIRIM technology with which his group was able to demonstrate how the genes of a virus are switched on and off during infection – a breakthrough with major implications for both infectious disease and cancer research.
The Ammodo Science Award
The Ammodo Science Award for fundamental research is awarded every two years to eight researchers from four scientific domains: Biomedical Sciences, Humanities, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences. The award emphasises the importance of free and curiosity-driven research that contributes to our fundamental knowledge of the world – and ultimately to practical applications.