Ronald Plasterk

Ronald Hans Anton Plasterk (born 12 April 1957) is a Dutch scientist, entrepreneur and retired politician of the Labour Party (PvdA).

He has earned a PhD degree in biology, specialised in molecular genetics.

Plasterk attended a Gymnasium in The Hague from 1969 till 1975.

Plasterk attended highschool at the gymnasium (school) Sint Janscollege in The Hague between 1969 and 1975.

He then studied biology at the Leiden University and economics at the University of Amsterdam.

During this period he wrote for the student newspaper.

From 1980, Plasterk also studied economics at the University of Amsterdam, of which he completed the propaedeutics in 1981.

He then went to the Leiden University, where he obtained his MSc degree cum laude in biology in 1981.

From 1981 to 1984 he worked as a researcher at the biomedical institute of the Leiden University before earning his PhD degree in natural science in 1984.

In 1981, he obtained an MSc degree Cum Laude in biology.

Beside this, Plasterk also served on the Municipal Council of Leiden from 11 October 1982 until 1 September 1984.

Plasterk worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California from January 1985 until November 1987.

Afterwards, he worked at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England where he conducted research on Caenorhabditis elegans, a nematode used as a model organism.

In Cambridge he worked together with British later Nobel laureate John Sulston.

Plasterk worked as a researcher at Netherlands Cancer Institute from November 1987 until February 2000 and served as director of the Oncology department of the Netherlands Cancer Institute from July 1989 until February 2000.

Plasterk is also a prolific author, having written more than a dozen books and articles since 1990 about molecular biology, molecular genetics, education and atheism.

In November 2023, Plasterk was appointed scout during the 2023–2024 Dutch cabinet formation, and he later became informateur for a coalition consisting of the PVV, the VVD, NSC, and BBB.

The week before Plasterk would release his report – in February 2024 – NSC pulled out of the talks, citing financial setbacks and Plasterk's delayed information about them.

Plasterk called the statement "muddled" and denied having withheld details.

In his final report, he advised the four parties to continue talking, and Kim Putters was selected as the new informateur.

Plasterk worked as a professor of molecular biology at the Free University Amsterdam from January 1993 until February 1997 and as a professor of molecular genetics at the University of Amsterdam from February 1997 until February 2000.

Plasterk worked as director of the Hubrecht Institute (research institute for developmental biology and stem cells in the Netherlands) an affiliation of the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences from February 2000 until February 2007 and was a professor of molecular genetics at the Utrecht University from February 2000 until February 2007.

He became active in the public sector and occupied numerous seats as a nonprofit director on several boards of directors and supervisory boards (Wellcome Trust, European Molecular Biology Organization, European Centre for Nature Conservation and the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences) served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government (Health Council) and as a political pundit and columnist for Intermediair, Volkskrant and Buitenhof.

After the election of 2006, Plasterk was appointed as Minister of Education, Culture and Science in the Cabinet Balkenende IV, taking office on 22 February 2007.

The Cabinet Balkenende IV fell on 20 February 2010 after tensions in the coalition over the extension of the Dutch involvement in the Task Force Urozgan of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until the Labour Party cabinets members resigned on 23 February 2010.

Plasterk was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 2010, taking office on 17 June 2010 serving as a frontbencher and spokesperson for Finances.

After the Leader of the Labour Party and Parliamentary leader of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives Job Cohen announced that he was stepping down as Leader and Parliamentary leader in the House of Representatives following increasing criticism on his leadership, Plasterk announced his candidacy to succeed him.

Plasterk lost the leadership election to fellow frontbencher Diederik Samsom on 16 March 2012.

Following the election of 2012 Plasterk was appointed as Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in the Cabinet Rutte II, taking office on 5 November 2012.

Plasterk took a medical leave of absence from 29 June 2016 until 16 September 2016 during which Minister for Housing and the Central Government Sector Stef Blok served as acting Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.

On 10 September 2016, Plasterk announced his retirement from national politics and that he wouldn't stand for the election of 2017.

The Cabinet Rutte II was replaced by the Cabinet Rutte III following the cabinet formation of 2017 on 26 October 2017.

Plasterk retired from national politics and became active in the private sector and public sector.

Following his position as minister, Plasterk joined the company myTomorrows as chief scientific officer in December 2017.

Being a former Minister in the Cabinet of the Netherlands, he has been the founder and CEO of Frame Cancer Therapeutics since December 2018.

Next to his work at Frame, he has been appointed as professor at the University of Amsterdam since September 2018.

He left myTomorrows in December 2018 and founded the startup company Frame Cancer Therapeutics.

of which he is also the CEO.

Frame Cancer Therapeutics is a pharmaceutical company that is dedicated to the development of novel cancer immunotherapies.

Besides this, Plasterk has also been appointed as professor at the University of Amsterdam in September 2018.