I acquired a love for science at an early age and turned my curiosity into the nature of the Universe into my profession. Please check out my Professional Homepage hosted at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, USA, to learn more about my research as an astronomer and my management contributions to NASA Space Astronomy missions. Or review my profiles on, e.g.,
While I was a student, I chaired the Leidsche Flesch student union in 1986.
Throughout my life I have been a big sports fan. I myself am an avid runner, and have, e.g., completed 12 marathons, 24 half-marathons, and a 30K race since 2004. See my race results on
I used to play chess in my youth. With my high school team we captured
the Dutch National Championship in 1983.