prof. dr. Frans Russel

About Frans Russel

Frans Russel received his master’s degree of Pharmaceutical Sciences and PharmD from the University of Groningen (1983), obtained a PhD in Pharmacology from Radboud University (1988) and is registered European research toxicologist (ERT). He is full professor (since 2000) and chair (since 2012) of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the Radboudumc and the Faculty of Science, and has served as the director of the bachelor’s and international master’s programme in Biomedical Sciences since 2001. He is elected fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, and appointed member of the Health Council of the Netherlands and the Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board.

Research interests include the role of transporters in drug efficacy and safety, pharmacokinetic modelling and systems pharmacology of therapeutic and off-target bioenergetic drug effects. Current projects study the role of membrane transporters in drug disposition and toxicity with special emphasis on the kidney, liver and multidrug resistance in infectious diseases. In addition, focus is on placental transport and safety of drugs and biopharmaceuticals during pregnancy. By using a systems pharmacology approach computational models have been developed for prediction of brain concentrations of drugs in children, fetal-maternal drug exposure during pregnancy, and for balanced pathway modulation in mitochondrial disease and identification of drug-induced mitochondrial toxicity. An important goal is to translate molecular-based knowledge of drug exposure and action to the clinical setting, to assist in the development of more effective and safer personalized drug therapies.

Additional Functions

• Director, Biomedical Sciences Porgramme (since 2001)
• Member, Health Council of the Netherlands (since 2012)
• Chairman, Dutch Expert Committee on Occupational Safety of the Health Council (since 2017, member since 2013)
• Member, Dutch Medicines Evaluation Board (since 2013)
• Chairman, Scientific Advisory Board Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (since 2020, member since 2014)
• Member, Jury Prix Galien Award (since 2016)