Healthy behaviors for all - powered by science
Program support: Joske Nauta
Contact: aph.hbcd@amsterdamumc.nl
Mission and goals
Chronic (non-communicable) diseases -mainly diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer- account for the majority of total disease burden worldwide. These chronic diseases are largely preventable by promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors are shaped by a complex interplay of factors; conditions in which people are born, grow up, live, work, age and individual features. Promoting healthy behaviors requires multifactorial interventions in the complexity of real-life settings. Interventions should both address the environment and the individual, and therefore demands close collaboration between a broad range of disciplines.
The goal of the HB&CD research program is to create, disseminate and exchange knowledge on health-related behaviors and interventions. We focus particularly on the mechanisms shaping these behaviors, their impact on health, and health promotion strategies. In doing so, we aim to reduce the burden of chronic diseases and related functional limitations, and improve quality of life/wellbeing. In line with our motto: "healthy behaviors for all - powered by science", we prioritize groups with a high risk of developing chronic diseases across the life course, including lower socio-economic and ethnic minority groups.
Program Leaders
Research themes
The health behaviors covered within HB&CD include alcohol use, dietary behavior, physical activity, sedentary behavior, sleep and smoking. The chronic diseases covered within HB&CD include, but are not limited to, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Our research centers around:
- the distribution of health behaviors across the population and changes over time;
- the determinants of health behaviors, including individual, environmental and genomic factors;
- the measurement of health behaviors;
- the impact of health behaviors on chronic diseases and functioning/quality of life/wellbeing;
- the development, implementation and evaluation of interventions promoting healthy behaviors.
There is a strong focus on maximizing the societal relevance of research, and to achieve this we closely collaborate with actors in the public health domain such as the Municipal Health Service in Amsterdam. We aim to apply a participatory approach, involving end-users in the development of interventions and research projects with a strong focus on potential for wider implementation.
Working groups
Various working groups are active within the HB&CD research program. Each of these working groups has a different focus, and a brief description of their main objectives is provided below.
Chronic disease epidemiology
This working group aims to harmonize and coordinate observational studies that investigate (lifestyle) risk factors of chronic diseases and disease burden, including methods of measurement. Their network stimulates knowledge exchange and debate about (methodological) questions, novel statistical approaches, and enhances collaborations across institutes.
Contact: Mirthe Muilwijk: m.muilwijk@amsterdamumc.nl
Geoscience and Health Cohort Consortium
The Geoscience and Health Cohort Consortium ( GECCO) is a Dutch infrastructure to support researchers to study the relation between environmental characteristics and health. In GECCO, fine-scale objectively measured social and physical environmental data are linked to individual-level data from more than 20 (longitudinal) cohort studies across the Netherlands. GECCO is coordinated by Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc, and governed by a steering group with representatives of all the GECCO-affiliated institutes.
Contact: Jeroen Lakerveld: j.lakerveld@amsterdamumc.nl
Participatory research
This working group aims to create an overview of the range of currently used participatory research approaches and methods within HB&CD, and wishes to connect researchers for the promotion of knowledge- and experience exchange. Two main goals of the working group are; (1) starting-up a consensus project on terminology, and (2) working on guidelines for conducting and reporting participatory research.
Contact: Manou Anselma: m.anselma@amsterdamumc.nl
Systems thinking and public health
This working group aims to further build expertise on systems science in public health, which is currently limited, by fostering cooperation between HB&CD researchers on the theory and analytics of the systems science approach. All HB&CD researchers who have an interest in the systems science approach can participate.
Contact: Wilma Waterlander: w.waterlander@amsterdamumc.nl
Program council
The program leaders of the Health Behaviors & Chronic Disease research program chair the HB&CD Program Council. This program council consist of a selection of senior researchers of the research program who meet regularly to implement or update the research program-specific strategy and to discuss anticipatory or reactive response to external events.
Program council members | |
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Teatske Altenburg | Bas van den Putte |
Ingeborg Brouwer | Joreintje Mackenbach |
Wilma Waterlander |
Medior council
The Health Behaviors & Chronic Diseases research program has a medior council. The aim of the medior council is to create a group of peers amongst whom medior researchers can hold inter-vision, lectures, or organize workshops about issues particularly relevant to those in their mid-career. The typical medior researcher has obtained a PhD and is already working for some years as a post-doc or assistant professor. But anyone who considers him or herself to be a medior is welcome to join.
Medior council members | |
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Coosje Dijkstra | Wilma Waterlander |
Femke van Nassau |
Junior council
The Health Behaviors & Chronic Disease research program has installed a HB&CD Junior Council that provides program leaders with solicited and unsolicited advice and helps them with the organization of research program-specific activities or events.
Junior council members | |
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Heike Garritsen | Anne Vos |
Thao Minh Lam | Jelle Arts |
Noreen Siddiqui |
Research program members
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AC Huizink
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Ageeth HofsteengeDR.IR.
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AHM WillemsenProf.
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Aiarpi Ezdoglian
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Albertine Baauw
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Amber BootsMSc
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Amber van der HeijdenPhD
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Amika SinghDR.
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Angie C. Luna PinzonMSc
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Anita C. J. RavelliMEng PhD
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Anja de KruifDRS.
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Annelinde Lettink
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Annemarie M. Teitsma - Jansen
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Annemarie Y. A. M. Reilingh
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Annemijn A. de Ruigh
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Annette MollPI PROF.DR.
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Anouk Driessen
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Anton KunstPI Prof. PhD
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Ardine de Wit
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Barbara A. HuttenPI MSc PhD
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Bedra Horreh
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Ben P. van Nieuwenhuizen
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Bonnie Maria van Dongen
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Brittany A. Boerstra
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Bryn Hummel
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BT Strooij
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Carline Wesdorp
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Caroline Silveira Bolling
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Charles Hayfron-Benjamin
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Christel de Raaff
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Christopher L. Pell
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CM Renders
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Coosje Dijkstra
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Daniella Brals
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Danique Heemskerk
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Donna C. E. Beerda
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Donny C. C. Kreuger
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Elke Vlemincx
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Eric P. Moll Van CharantePI Prof. MD PhD
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Erik J. A. J. BeuneMSc PhD
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Erik RietveldPI PhD
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Erik van Spronsen
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Esmé EgginkMSc
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Esmée Oude Geerdink
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Eva van der LindenMD
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Evert VerhagenPI PROF.DR.
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Femke RuttersDR. Assistant professor, Principal Investigator
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Femke van NassauDr. DRS.
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Fenna A. EbbensPhD
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Fiona Hagenbeek
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Frank SnoekPI PROF.DR.
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Frouke M. Kingma
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Froukje TakensMSC.
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Giel NijpelsPI PROF.DR.
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Gioia Nydia MuruMSC.
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Hamideh Jahanbakhsh
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Han KemperPROF.DR.
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Hanan Bozhar
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Hanne SponseleeMsc
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Hanneke van Dongen
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Hanneke Wijnhoven
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Haykanush Ohanyan
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HE Brandt
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Heike H. GarritsenMSc
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Hekmat Alrouh
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Helga Emke
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Henrike Galenkamp
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Henrike Galenkamp - van der PloegPhD
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Hilde van der Aa
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Huib F. van Waegeningh
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IHM Steenhuis
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Ilja ReintenMSc
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Inge de Wolf
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Ingeborg Brouwer
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Irene G. M. van ValkengoedPI PhD
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Irma Huiberts
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J Halberstadt
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J. H. (Hans) de VriesPI Prof. PhD
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Jaap Seidell
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Jacqueline HugtenburgPI DR.
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James Brown
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Janneke HartingPI PhD
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JE Neter
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Jelle Arts
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Jelmer van SchoonhovenMSc
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Jenny Marks-VieveenDRS.
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Jeroen LakerveldPI DR.
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Jesper Knoop
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Jiska EmbayeMSC.
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Jizzo BosdrieszMA MSc PhD
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Johan E. van LimbergenPI
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Joline BeulensPI PROF.DR.IR.
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Joreintje MackenbachPI DR.
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Joshua A. N. van Apeldoorn
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Josine StuberMSc. BSc.
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Joske NautaDR.
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Jouke Jan Hottenga
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Judith JelsmaDr.
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Karien StronksPI Prof. PhD
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Karin SwartDR.
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Karolina SzadekDRS.
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Katrina Messiha
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Kunshan Goh
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L VogtPI Prof. MD PhD
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Laura BelmonMSC.
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Laura Schaap
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Leandra Koetsier
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Lenka GroeneveldMSC.
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Lies ter Beek
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Linda W. P. Dusseljee - PeutePhD
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Lisa Wilderink
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Loes CrielaardMSc
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Lotte M. de BoerBSc
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Lotte van Dammen
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Luc L. Hagenaars
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Luca ValerioPhD
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Maartje van Stralen
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Magreet M. Harskamp-van GinkelMSc
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Mai Chin A PawPI PROF.DR.
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Mandy SpaanPhD
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Manon Rouche
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Manou Anselma
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Maria Matias de PinhoPhD
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Marieke BlomPhD
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Marieke P. Hoevenaar - BlomPhD
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Marike van der LeedenPI DR.
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Marlinde van Dijk
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Martijn StuiverDR.
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Martina Pontesilli
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Martina Pontesilli
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Mary NicolaouPhD
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Mathilde D. A. KarstenMEng
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MC Adriaanse
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Megan E. Astley
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Melanie HafdiMD MSc
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Meredith Overman
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Mirjam P. FransenPI PhD
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Mirte A. G. KuipersPhD
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Mirthe MuilwijkPhD.
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Mohamed E. Ahmed
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Monique SteegersPI PROF.DR.
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MR Olthof
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Nicole den BraverMSC. PhD
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Nicole van den Bogerd
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Noekie van LieshoutMSc
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Noor E. SimonsMSc
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Noreen Siddiqui
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Patrick BrienesseMEng PhD
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Paula Sterkenburg
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Peter HarmsMSc
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Petra EldersPI PROF.DR.
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Philip Dijkhorst
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Rebecca PainterPI MD PhD
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Reinoldus GemkePI PROF.DR.
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René Pool
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Renee BolijnMSc
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Rixt A. Smit
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Robin L. A. Smits
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Roderick Slieker
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Romain Meer
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Romy Slebe
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Rosa D. WoudaMSc
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Sabine van Oort
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Sabrina WeltenMSC.
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Sandra KooijProf. PROF.DR.
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Sandra P. J. Simons
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Sanne Kremers
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Sanne VeldmanDR.
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Sara Rachdan
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Saskia Boonzajer FlaesMSC.
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Sharon Remmelzwaal
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Sidney Rubinstein
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Sietske Luijten
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Simon Geerse
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Stijn Hogervorst
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Taymara AbreuMSC.
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Tessa C. M. van Gastel
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Tessa Klarenbeek
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Tessa R. D. van Deelen
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Tessa RoseboomPI Prof. PhD
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Thao Minh LamMSc.
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Ties M. van Brussel
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Tim van de GriftDR.
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Trynke Hoekstra
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Vanessa C. HarrisMD PhD
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Vincent Wekker
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W Kroeze
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Welcome M. Wami
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Wieger P. VoskuijlPI MD PhD
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Wilhelmus L. A. M. de KortProf. MD PhD
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Willem van MechelenPI PROF.DR.
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Wilma WaterlanderPI PhD
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Wouter A. DreschlerPI Prof. MEng PhD
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Xanthe de Voogd
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Yassmina Ben Haddi