After my study Biology at the University of Utrecht and PhD in Infectious Diseases and Immunology at the University of Leiden, The Netherlands (with honors), I have been involved in research on infectious diseases and vaccine development in various jobs. Besides in vitro methods I have extensive experience with in vivo models, including small laboratory animals, farm animals and non-human primates (NHP). The research included development and use of (new) animal models for important human diseases, such as TB, schistosoma and malaria. Extensive management expertise was built up, first as Director of the Experimental Animal facilities of the Animal Sciences Group of Wageningen UR, in Lelystad and later as Chairman of the Animal Science Department of the Biomedical Primate Research Centre (BPRC) in the Netherlands, where I am currently also Deputy Director. I have been, or are, board member of various scientific societies, such as EBSA and the NVP and advisor for various organisations on animal research -related issues, such as the Technical Advisory Workgroup on animal models for TB for Aeras (2003-2010), (ethics) advisor in various EU projects and member of an independent ethics committee on animal experimentation in the Netherland. Currently I am also Chairman of the scientific advisory board of IDMIT and Chairman of the Vaccine Platform of EATRIS. Ina addition to my position at the BPRC, I have been appointed f(for 1 day a week) as professor "Welfare of Laboratory Animals" at the Department Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.