was born in Amsterdam in 1951. After finishing medical school in Groningen in 1975 and fulfilling his military duties he entered resident training obstetrics and gynaecology in 1978.

From 1984 until 2002 he worked as a general gynaecologist in Eindhoven. In 2002 he was appointed  as a professor gynaecology and endoscopic surgery in the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam. His fields of interest are minimal invasive (endoscopic) surgery, imaging and allied techniques as well as training of residents OG.

He was founder of the Dutch society of gynaecological endoscopy and minimal invasive surgery (WGE) and is currently the Secretary General of the European Society of Gynaecological Endoscopy. He was congress president of the 17th annual meeting  of the ESGE in Amsterdam in 2008.

As  head of the resident training Obstetrics and Gynaecology in the VU University medical center he is responsible for the training and education of 36 residents in and outside the center. He published more than 150 papers in peer reviewed journals, among them many on gynaecological ultrasound of the uterine cavity and of adnexal masses. New studies on 3D ultrasound of the uterus and adnexal masses are underway.

Since 2006 he is co-organizer in collaboration with Medison of the 3D ultrasound courses in the VU University Medical Center. The courses are well attended and highly appreciated.