Bachelor of science in mathematics, physics and astronomy, 1967; master of science in experimental physics, 1970; Ph.D., 1978; from 1970 through 1978 he worked as researcher in the Van Der Waals Laboratory at the Amsterdam University; from 1978 through 1985 he worked as scientist at the Netherlands Bureau of Standards; from 1985 through 1990 he was the assistant of the chief for management of research organizations in the ministry of formation and science; from 1990 through 2001 he worked as the director of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen - KNAW; currently he works as director of the "Interuniversitair Oogheelkundig Instituut - IOI / The Netherlands Ophthalmic Research Institute - NORI in Amsterdam"; hobbies: sports, baseball; one of five candidates from the Netherlands in the 1977 ESA selection (only Wubbo Ockels was selected as an astronaut); place of residence in 1977: Wilnis.