Marco is assistant professor and group leader of the Biosemantics group, LUMC, Human Genetics department. His research focus is on making state-of-the-art computer science applicable to enhance biomedical research (e-Science), particularly the application of computational knowledge discovery and linked data techniques to address translational research challenges of rare human diseases.

He started his career studying the role of the genome and chromatin in the functioning of the cell. After including computer science in his MSc on molecular and cellular biology, he worked as a multidisciplinary researcher in research groups in both life science and computer science research groups.

Biosemantics group is known for co-founding and advocating the FAIR data principles. At an international level, Marco is focused on the implementation of FAIR principles to create a powerful substrate and world-wide robust infrastructure for knowledge discovery across distributed rare disease data resources. He co-leads the rare disease user community of the European life science data infrastructure ELIXIR, and the cross-project rare disease data linkage plan and linked data and ontology task force. He also leads the initiative to organise a Global Open FAIR implementation network for rare diseases. GOFAIR implementation networks are a mechanism to implement the European Open Science Cloud.