Miikka Vikkula | Professor of Human Genetics
de Duve Institute

Dr Vikkula, MD PhD (1992-93 Helsinki Finland), a professor of genetics, became interested in vascular anomalies at Harvard Medical School 1993-97, and unravelled key concepts in their pathophysiology: genes, second-hits and decisively somatic mutations (2009). He is at the forefront of developing targeted therapies. He has received numerous honours such as the Inbev-Baillet Latour Clinical Prize and the 1st Generet Award (2019). He is a Member of the Royal Belgian Academy of Medicine since 2012. With Prof LM Boon, Co-ordinator of the Vascular Anomaly Center (Brussels), the couple discovered the TIE2 gene for familial venous malformation (1996), and since many others, and made the pivotal demonstration that somatic mutations explain sporadically occurring vascular anomalies (2009). With collaborative efforts to generate the first ever animal model for venous malformation, and its proof of concept treatment with rapamycin, a small molecular inhibitor. Clinical trials are now being conducted with various molecules in various countries. Prof Vikkula is well-known internationally as a major contributor to the understanding of molecular basis of vascular anomalies and lymphedema with >160 peer-reviewed publications, >50 reviews and chapters in major medical text books, and >24000 citations with an H-index of 78 (Google scholar).