Personal History
Date of birth: May 21, 1941
Birthplace: Santiago, Chile
Nationality: Chilean
Residence: Denmark
Education
Biochemistry, University of Chile, 1964.
PhD in Biochemistry. University of Iowa, 1965-1968.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, England. Under J.D. Smith S. Brenner and F. Crick, 1971-1975.
Employment history
1970-1973: Assistant professor at the Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Chile.
1973-1975 Member of the staff of the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, England.
1975-1986: Associate professor, Biostructural Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Denmark.
1986: Professor of Medical Biochemistry, Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Aarhus University, Denmark.
1987-2001: Professor and Chairman, Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Aarhus University, Denmark.
1989-1990: Chairman, Aarhus University Bioregulation Research Centre, Denmark.
1991-2001: Chairman, Danish Centre for Human Genome Research, Aarhus, Denmark.
2001-2014: Scientific Director, Institute of Cancer Biology, Danish Cancer Society Copenhagen, Denmark.
2002-2014: Coordinator, Danish Centre for Translational Breast Cancer Research, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2014-2021 Associated Scientific Director of the Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2022-2023 Guest Researcher at the Danish Cancer Center, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2023- Advisor to the Science Policy Committee of the European Academy of Cancer Sciences (EACS).
Other appointments and responsibilities
Chairman of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) Council (1997-1999).
Secretary General of the Federation of the European Biochemical Societies (FEBS) (1999 – 2007).
President of the European Molecular Biology Conference (EMBC/EMBO) (2000-2003).
President of the European Life Sciences Forum (ELSF) (2001-2007).
Vice President of the Human Proteome Organization (HUPO) (2002).
Member of the Executive Committee of the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR) (2003).
Member of the Working Group established by Commissioner Busquin to coordinate cancer research in Europe (2003).
President of the Initiative for Science in Europe (ISE) (2005-2007).
Member of the FP7Advisory Group on Health Research (2006-2012).
Editor-in-Chief of Molecular Oncology (2007-2021).
Member of the EC Working Group on World-class Infrastructures (2007).
Leader of the European Partnership for Action Against Cancer (EPAAC) WP 8 (2008).
Member of the Board of the Organization of European Cancer Institute’s OECI) (2008-2012).
Chairman of the Policy Committee of the European CanCer Organisation (ECCO) (2008-2014).
Member of the ERA Expert Group on World-class Research Infrastructures for the European Research Area (ERA) (2008).
Chair of the European Partnership Action Against Cancer (EPAAC) research coordination work package (2009).
Member of the International Scientific Advisory Committee of Gustave Roussy (2009).
Co-leader of Scientific Coordination of the Horizon 2020 EurocanPlatform project (2011).
President of the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR) (2011-2014).
Vice-President of the Alliance for Biomedical Research in Europe (2011-2014).
Chairman of the Science Policy Committee of the European Academy of Cancer Sciences (EACS) (2014-2021).
Advisor to the Board of Cancer Core Europe (2014).
Advisor to the Scientific Panel for Health in Horizon 2020 (2015).
Member of the European Commission Research, Innovation and Science Experts (RISE) a high-level group of policy experts who advised Commissioner Moedas (2015-2017).
Areas of Research Interest
- Proteomic strategies for health and disease.
- Translational research in breast and bladder cancer.
- Science policy (evidence-based advice to inform policy).
Achievements
1. Proteomics in cell biology and translational cancer research
Professor Celis, a pioneer in the field, is widely acknowledged as one of the founders of proteomics ( https://doi.org/10.1002/pmic.201000780). His group’s groundbreaking work introduced protein identification techniques to map HeLa cell proteins and developed the first protein database in 1981. The group laid the groundwork for proteomics by annotating the databases with information gathered from applications to cell biology problems, particularly cell proliferation and transformation. In collaboration with J. Vandekerckhove, he introduced large-scale protein identification using microsequencing. The group also used several cell biology techniques and published Cell Biology: A Laboratory Handbook, which contains comprehensive state-of-the-art protocols essential for research in life sciences.
Later, in close collaboration with pathologists and surgeons, the group’s significant focus on translational cancer research led to insightful analyses of bladder and breast tumors. Their expertise was instrumental in identifying markers within the context of translational research and contributed to the characterization of the breast tumour interstitial fluid, a promising source of biomarkers.
These studies provided invaluable insights into the complexities of translating discoveries into clinical applications. They also underscored the urgent need for science policy engagement, encouraging us to provide evidence-based advice to inform policy.
In addition to the above scientific accomplishments, Prof. Celis trained numerous graduate and postdoctoral scientists and technical people.
1. Science Policy Activities
Creation of the ERC
As Secretary General of FEBS, Prof. Celis, in collaboration with EMBO (Frank Gannon), EMBL (Fotis Kafatos) and ELSF (Kai Simmons), initiated a European, interdisciplinary, and inclusive movement that led to the creation of the European ERC. This institution funds exploratory research projects of excellence at the frontiers of knowledge in all areas of science, inspiring the next generation of scientists. The event of scientists campaigning for funding bottom‐up research by the EU Framework Programs exclusively on scientific grounds was unique in the recent history of European science policy ( https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1016/j.molonc.2014.03.013).
The European Cancer Mission
In 2017, prof. Celis and former Lithuanian Minister Dainius Pavalski proposed a Mission on Cancer to Commissioner Moedas based on the activities and aims of the cancer community. The process started right after Commissioner Busquin created the European Cancer Research Area (ECRA) in 2003. In February 2019, the European Competitiveness Council approved the Mission on Cancer in Horizon Europe, and its implementation plan is underway. You can find a detailed description of the process at ( https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/1878-0261.13632).
Reaching where we stand today required building communities, identifying leaders, engaging all the relevant stakeholders along the cancer continuum, organizing science, encouraging collaboration between researchers across borders and beyond, promoting interaction and synergies at EU, national and regional levels, providing evidence-based advice to inform policy and speaking with a single voice on wider policy issues.
Honours
Recipient of a medal from the College de France (1987).
Recipient of a medal from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile.
Wonderful Copenhagen Congress Organizer of the Year (1998).
Hirai Prize, Japan (1999).
Selected by Barons Who’s Who among the Europe 500 leaders for the new century (2000).
Recipient of a Medal from the Polish Academy of Science (2004).
Recipient of the Dansk Selskab for Cancerforsknings Hæderspris 2006.
FEBS Diplôme D’Honneur (2011).
Cancer mission award, best researcher award/ Science Father (2024)
Academic Memberships
Foreign Member of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters.
Member of the Chilean Academy of Sciences (Foreign Corresponding Member).
Member of the Academia Europaea.
Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO).
Editorial Work
Editor in Chief of Molecular Oncology (2007-2021).
Associated Editor of Electrophoresis (1992)
Associated Editor of Molecular and Cellular Proteomics (2001)
Member of the editorial Board of Technology in Cancer Research and Treatment (2001).
Member of the Editorial Board of Molecular Cancer (2005).
Editor of Cell Biology: A Laboratory Handbook (Elsevier) (1997-2005).
Member of the Editorial Board of Cancer Biomarkers (2005).
Member of the Editorial Board of Cancer Detection and Prevention (2005).
Special advisor to the Encyclopedia of Life Sciences, Nature, McMillan (1997).
Senior editor of FEBS Open Bio (2011).
Other Activities
Member of the Scientific Board of the National Institute of Oncology SAB, Budapest (2023).
Supported Miklós Kásler, former head of the National Institute of Oncology Budapest and Minister of Human Resources in Hungary, in creating the Central Eastern European Academy of Oncology, now connecting 21 countries for international collaboration to decrease present inequalities (2019).
Contributed to the EACS accreditation methodology of Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Excellence (2018).
Member of the International Steering Committee of the Gago Conferences on European Science Policy (2018-).
Member of the EMBO Course Committee (2013).
Member of the EAGLES group of the European Federation of Biotechnology (2009).
Proposed to the European Cancer Organisation (ECCO) the creation of the European Academy of Cancer Sciences (2009).
Proposed to the European Cancer Organisation (ECCO) the creation of the Science Policy Committee (2008).
Member of the Advisory board of CREATE Health, Lund, Sweden (2007).
Member of the European Commission working group on World Class infrastructures (2007).
Member of the FP7 Advisory Group on Health Research (2006).
Chair of the review panel of the Finnish Centre’s of Excellence in Cell Biology¨ (2005).
Member of the Advisory Board of the Friedrich Meischer Institute in Basel, Switzerland (until 2004).
Chairman of the Federation of European Cancer Societies Working Group to lobby for cancer in the European Union Framework Programme 7 (2004).
Member of the Advisory Board of the Institute of Medical Technology in Tampere, Finland (2003).
Organizer of a meeting with scientists, policy, and decision‐makers at UNESCO in Paris to convince the European Commission to allocate economic support for the analysis of collaboration among institutes for translational cancer research (2003).
Member of the Advisory Board of the Institute of Medical Technology in Tampere, Finland (2003).
Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncologicas. (CNIO), Madrid, Spain (2002).
Chair of the Review panel of Finnish Academy professors (2001).
Danish representative to the World Alliance of Cancer Research Organizations (2001).
Member of the EMBO electronic information committee (2001).
Danish representative to the World Alliance of Cancer Research Organizations (2001).
Member of the Education Committee of the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB) (2000).
Founding member of the Council of the London Diplomatic Academy (2000).
Proposed the creation of the Science Policy Committee of the Federation of the European Biochemical Societies (FEBS) (1999).
Member of the International Board of Advisors of the Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICBM). Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile (1998).
Leader of the Danish delegation to the Mega science Forum on Bioinformatics (1996).
Advisor to the European Union on International Nucleotide Sequence Databases 1996).
Danish delegate to the EMBL Council (1994-2004).
Chairman of the Nordic Molecular Biology Organization (NOMBA) (1990 -1994).
Chair to the Symposium and Prize Committee of the Danish Cancer Society.
European Union Observer to the International Nucleotide sequence database collaboration.
Danish representative to the World Alliance of Cancer Research Organizations (2001-).
Secretary of the first PhD program Committee in Biochemistry in the Faculty of Science and Faculty of Medicine of the University of Chile (1971).
Organization of Congresses
Chief Organizer of the 25th FEBS Congress in Copenhagen (1998).
Chair of the Scientific Committee and Organizer of the First HUPO Annual Congress, Versailles, France (2002).
Co-organizer of the ASBMB/IUBMB meeting in Boston (2004).
Chief organizer of the 22nd EACR Congress, Barcelona, Spain (2012).
Organization of Courses, Meetings, and Conferences
Chief Organizer of the EMBO course on “Nonsense Mutations and tRNA Suppressors”, Aarhus (1978).
Chief Organizer of NATO Summer School on “Transfer of Cell Constituents into Eukaryotic Cells”, Portugal (1981).
Chief Organizer of a FEBS Course on “High-Resolution Two-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis of Proteins”, Aarhus (1981).
Chief Organizer of an EMBO workshop on “Standardizing a Numbering System for Human and Mouse Proteins Separated by Two-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis”, Denmark (1981).
Chief Organizer of NATO Summer School on “Gene Expression in Normal and Transformed Cells”, Portugal (1982).
Co-organizer of a FEBS Laboratory course on “Selected Techniques in Cell Biology”, Austria (1983).
Chief Organizer of NATO/Gulbenkian Foundation/FEBS International Summer School on “Cell Transformation”, Portugal (1984).
Chief Organizer of the Danish Research Academy and Bioregulation Research Centre laboratory course on “Basic and Specialized Techniques in Cell Biology”, Aarhus (1989).
Chief Organizer of FEBS-IUB-Bioregulation Research Centre Course on “Protein Databases Based on the Analysis of 2D gels”, Aarhus (1989).
Chief Organizer of International Course on “Basic and Specialized Techniques in Cell Biology” (for technical staff), Aarhus (1990).
Chief Organizer of FEBS Advanced Lecture Course on “the Organization and Dynamics of the Cytoskeleton”, The Fuglsø Centre, (1990).
Chief Organizer of FEBS Practical Course on “Basic and Specialized Techniques in Cell Biology”, Aarhus (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993).
Chief Organizer of the 1st Annual Symposium of the Danish Cancer Society, Copenhagen, (1993).
Chief Organizer of the NOMBA Symposium on “Control of Gene Expression”, The Fuglsø Centre, (1994).
Chief Organizer of FEBS Practical Course on “Techniques in Cell Biology”, Aarhus (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997).
Chief organizer of EMBO Workshop “Frontiers of Molecular Biology”, Copenhagen (1997).
Co-organizer of EMBL Summer School on “Molecular Biology”, Fuglsø, (1997).
Chief Organizer 25th FEBS Congress, Copenhagen (1998).
Co-organizer of FEBS/EMBO Practical Course on “2D and Mass Spectrometry for Proteomic Research in Cell Biology”, Aarhus and Heidelberg, (1999).
Co-organizer Danish Cancer Society Symposium, Copenhagen, (1999).
Co-organizer of EMBO/FEBS Practical Course on “2D PAGE and Mass Spectrometry in Cell Biology”, Aarhus and Heidelberg, (2000).
Co-organizer international ICRO training course on “Techniques for the Study of Functional Genomics”, Santiago, Chile, (2000).
Chair of the Scientific Committee of the First HUPO Annual Congress, Versailles, France (2002).
Co-organizer Danish Cancer Society Symposium (2003).
Co-organizer of the Danish Society Cancer Symposium (2004).
Co-organizer of the ASBMB/IUBMB meeting in Boston (2004).
Co-organizer of a conference honoring the life and legacy of the late José Mariano Gago (1948- 2015), European Parliament, Brussels (2016).
Co-organizer of the first Gago Conference, Porto, Portugal (2018).
Co-organiser of a Conference at the Vatican Academy of Sciences,” Boosting the Social Impact of Innovative Cancer Research” (2018).
Co-organizer of the Cancer Core Europe Summer School in Translational Cancer Research (2021).
Co-organizer of the The Porto European Cancer Research Summit. Porto, Portugal (2021).
Co-organizer of the 5th Gago Conference on European Science Policy, Heidelberg, Germany (2022).
Co-organizer of a Conference at the Vatican jointly organized by the European Academy of Cancer Sciences and the Vatican Academy of Sciences,” Strategies to decrease inequalities in cancer therapeutics/care and prevention” (2023).
Relation with Chilean scientists participating in meetings in Europe
During his tenure as Secretary General of FEBS (1999-2007) and President of the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR) (2011-2014), Prof. Celis played a pivotal role in connecting Chilean scientists to participants of the FEBS and EACR Congresses, providing them with invaluable opportunities to showcase their research on global platforms.
Books
Transfer of Cell Constituents into Eukaryotic Cells (1980). J. E Celis, A. Graesmann, and A. Loyter.
Nonsense Mutations and Transfer Ribonucleic Acid Suppressors (1st Edition) (1984). Julio E. Celis and John D. Smith.
Two-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis of Proteins. (1st Edition) 1984. Julio Celis and Rodrigo Bravo.
Cell Transformation (1985). Julio Celis and Adolf Graessmann.
Micro injection and organelle transplantation techniques. Methos and Applications 1986). J. E. Celis, A. Graessmann, A. Loyter.
Cell Biology: A Laboratory Handbook (2005)., Julio Celis, Nigel Carter, Kai Simons, J. Small, Tony Hunter and David Shotton.
Publications:
384 publications. The site https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Julio-Celis list all the publications.