In 2004, Professor French was recruited to the Neuro-Oncological Laboratory as a molecular biologist with a strong background in molecular screens with subsequent functional analysis of candidates. His lab is part of the ErasmusMC Cancer Center and the hersentumorcentrum’, with tight links to the neuro-oncology clinic, and is strongly embedded in the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). His research focusses on the identification of clinically relevant subgroups of glioma using state-of-the-art ‘omics’ techniques and makes use of clinically well annotated patient samples (including material from large randomized clinical trials). He has used such samples to understand the evolution of gliomas, identify specific mutations associated with patient prognosis and identify subgroups patients that benefit from adjuvant PCV chemotherapy. His lab also performs functional analysis on genes involved in glioma-genesis, mainly focusing on IDH1 and EGFR. He has analysed mutation and tumour type-specific downstream pathways of both genes and show that (and explain why) i) specific IDH-mutations are associated with longer survival or ii) why only specific mutations-drug combinations respond to EGFR inhibitors.