Sander Rensen (1975) is a cell biologist and SMBWO registered immunologist by training. He applies this background in translational research at the Department of Surgery at Maastricht University.

His studies focus on the disturbances of metabolism in cancer cachexia, a multifactorial syndrome characterized by weight loss and systemic inflammation that has a major negative impact on the survival of cancer patients. Clinical observations and tissue samples from patients with pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, or colorectal cancer form the basis for mechanistic studies using innovative 3D organoid culture systems.

His specific aims are to identify tumor-derived mediators responsible for tissue loss and dysfunction in cachexia, characterize the immune system of patients with cachexia, understand the interaction between cancer cachexia and therapy resistance, develop novel tools for assessing cachexia severity, and address the role of body composition alterations in cachexia.

Next to supervising the research which is done by several PhD students, post-docs and technicians in his group, he is actively writing research grants and performing

various teaching tasks within the Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences at Maastricht University.

He is among the initiators of the preclinical

Dutch Pancreatic Cancer Group, an assembly of scientists who perform basic and translational research on pancreatic cancer, embedded in the clinically focused Dutch Pancreatic Cancer Group. He serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle