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On 12 September, a farewell symposium was held for Frans Cremers, Professor of Molecular Biology of Inherited Eye Diseases. Over 200 national and international collaborators gathered to celebrate his remarkable career in ophthalmogenetics.
The auditorium buzzed with warmth and admiration as long-standing colleagues from the Netherlands, Canada, the USA, and Belgium, shared stories, scientific milestones, and personal memories. A surprise visit from the mayor of Heumen added to the occasion, as he appointed Cremers a Knight in the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands. This prestigious Dutch honor fittingly recognizes his pioneering contributions to science and patient care.
A career defined by discovery and compassion
Cremers has worked for 40 years at Radboud university medical center, with the exception of one year spent in Dallas, Texas, and he will officially retire in December 2026. His pursuit of a career in the field of hereditary blindness could appear as a serendipitous trajectory. He began his PhD in 1986, just as the human genome was being mapped for the first time. He was studying the X chromosome and discovered the gene responsible for choroideremia, a rare inherited form of blindness. His early work spanned both hereditary blindness and deafness, and after 2000, he focused on inherited retinal diseases and contributed to the discovery of over 30 associated genes. In the past decade, his research has centered on ABCA4-associated Stargardt disease.
His work on ABCA4 exemplifies the influence Cremers has had on the lives of patients. His efforts to stratify ABCA4 mutations into severity categories have enabled more accurate prognostic assessments and the development of risk estimates for children of Stargardt patients, creating opportunities for personalized genetic counselling. Christina Fasser, President of Retina International, thanked Cremers for his profound understanding of patients’ needs, saying his work “continues to inspire us all.” For Cremers, seeing the real-world impact of his research has been one of the most rewarding aspects of his career and highlights the power of patient-centered research.
One factor that Cremers attributes his successful career to is the strength of collaborations. In 2008, he co-founded the European Retinal Disease Consortium, a network which today is made up of 22 research groups. Built on the principles of open science to allow for effective sharing of data and resources, the consortium has produced over 250 joint, peer-reviewed publications. His active networking has also facilitated the recruitment of more than 11,000 inherited retinal disease patients for cost-effective DNA sequencing at Radboud university medical center. Reflecting on decades of scientific partnerships, one speaker remarked, “I’ve interacted and collaborated with many scientists over my 45 years, but nobody beats Frans.”
From left: Susanne Roosing (Radboudumc), Carel Hoyng (Radboudumc), Elfride de Baere (University of Ghent), Rando Allikmets (Columbia University), Frans Cremers (Radboudumc), Christina Fasser (Retina International), Rob Koenekoop (McGill University), Rob Collin (Radboudumc).
Passing the torch: Lessons from a lifelong mentor
Cremers has played a vital role in training the next generations of researchers in the field of genetic eye diseases. He has supervised 41 PhD candidates - seven of whom graduated cum laude, and five of whom are now full professors. He was a recurring lecturer at the biennial Eye Genetics course in Bertinoro, Italy, and more locally he served as director of the international research Master’s program Molecular Mechanisms of Disease from 2005 to 2010. One speaker shared, “Frans always gives junior people the opportunity and the feeling that their opinion is valued,” highlighting his commitment to mentorship and inclusive science.
His valedictory lecture, titled Back to the future: lessons learned, offered six guiding principles for early-career scientists. Namely, (1) focus on your publications, (2) build a small team, (3) surround yourself with happy colleagues, (4) be bold, (5) be generous, and (6) make your own mistakes. These lessons reflect not only his scientific philosophy, but also his open-mindedness, tenacity, and generosity that colleagues have long admired. Today, Radboud university medical center is recognized as a center of expertise in inherited retinal diseases – a legacy shaped by Cremers’ dedication to research, education, and global collaboration.
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A blog by Lara Holtes (PhD candidate @ Dep. Human Genetics)
Jr. editor for Radboudumc Research Institute for Medical Innovation
