He studied medicine at the University of
Amsterdam where he graduated as an
M.D. in
1986; he subsequently did two years of clinical work before coming to Geneva at
the Faculty of medicine of the University of Geneva to work as a research
assistant in the lab of Paolo Cerretelli;
Ph.D. (on the topic of exercise limitation at high
altitude) 1994 at the Free University of Amsterdam; then he spent two years in
the lab of Peter Macklem at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, working on
respiratory mechanics during exercise in healthy subjects and in a human model
of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; subsequently returned to Geneva where
he continued research in the field of exercise physiology but also worked on IT
technology for learning and medical education; in October 2002 he was appointed
professor of exercise sciences at the Faculty of medicine of the University of
Geneva in the department "Unite de Developpement et de Recherche en Education
Medicale"; one of five candidates from the Netherlands in the 1992
ESA
selection (only André
Kuipers was selected as an astronaut);
hobbies: to read and be out-doors, sports activities include (mountain)
running, cross-country skiing, telemark skiing and rock/alpine
climbing.