I was born in The Hague in The Netherlands and educated at the University of Leiden. During my medical education I followed electives in Indonesia, Toronto and Cambridge. I was trained as a surgeon at Leiden University Medical Centre. During my research fellowship in Madison at the University of Wisconsin with Dr. F.O. Belzer in 1986-1988 I became interested in organ donation, ischaemia & reperfusion injury and preservation in transplantation.