Prof. Rein Vos (1955), MD, PhD, studied medicine and philosophy (cum laude) at the University of Groningen. In 1989 he received his PhD (cum laude) with his dissertation ‘Drugs Looking for Diseases – Innovative Drug Research and the Development of the Beta Blockers and Calcium Antagonists’ (Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1991). He is University Professor Theory of Health Sciences at the University of Maastricht. He holds the Chair of the Department of Health Ethics and Philosophy at the Faculty of Health Sciences and Faculty of Medicine, University of Maastricht. He was previously (1982-1997) Associate Professor Social Pharmacy, Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Policy and Special Professor of History of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Research at the University of Groningen.
He has a research interest in ethical and cultural aspects of health care and medical technology. The political, social and ethical aspects of genetics in clinical medicine, public health and social security practices are an important research theme.
He has completed more than twenty research projects, has over 200 (inter)national publications and is involved in many research projects funded by the Dutch Research Foundation and the EU. He is participant and co-contractor of the EU-projects EuroPHEN and GenderBasic, and formerly of the EVIBASE and Gender in Research.

Key publications

•		Vos R, Willems D, Houtepen R. Coordinating the norms and values of medical research, medical practice and patient worlds – the ethics of evidence based medicine in ‘orphaned fields of medicine’. Journal of Medical Ethics 2004; 30(2):166-170.
•		Wieringa NF, Denig P, Graeff PA de, Vos R. Connecting pre-marketing clinical research and medical practice: opinion-based study of core issues and possible changes in drug regulation. Int. J. Technology Assessment in Health Care. 2003; 19(1):202-219.
•		Benschop R, Horstman K, Vos R. Voice beyond choice – hesitant voice in public debates about genetics in health care. Health Care Analysis 2003; 11(2):141-150.
•		Vos R, Houtepen R, Horstman K. Evidence based medicine and power shifts in health care systems. Health Care Analysis 2002; 10:319-328.
•		Vos R, Willems DL. Technology in medicine: ontology, epistemology, ethics and social philosophy at the crossroads. Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics. 2000; 21(1):1-6

Achievements

•		Visiting professor at the centre for Medical Ethics, University of Oslo, Norway.
•		Research Fellow on behalf of the Dutch Science Foundation at the Centre for Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh and the Department of Medical Humanities, George Washington University, Washington D.C.
•		Senior investigator and secretary to the Commission on Orphan Drugs, Dutch Council for HealthCare Research, at the Dutch Ministry of Welfare, Health Care and sports.
•		Member of Directory Board of Dutch Research School on Science, Technology and Modern Culture (WTMC).
•		Member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics.

Staff
Laurens Landeweerd, M.Sci
Studies:
- Philosophy (University of Amsterdam)
- Culture and Science (University of Maastricht).

Past and present projects:

•		Edition of a history of western philosophy (25 Eeuwen Westerse Filosofie; J. Bor).
•		PHD-related function as junior researcher at the University of Maastricht (the problem of identity in pre-implantation genetic diagnosis).
•		co-organisation of 2nd course of Bio-T-Ethics.
•		co-edition of joint publication of Bio-T-Ethics.
•		Treasurer of the Dutch organisation of Philosophy and Medicine (VFG).

Skills:
Theoretical research, philosophical analysis, text edition, organisation.

Fields of expertise:
- The problem of identity in pre-implantation genetic diagnosis
- Theory and history of bioethics
- Theory of ethics in philosophy
- Epistemology and metaphysics
- History of philosophy

Achievements:

•		New edition of 25 Eeuwen Westerse Filosofie (J. Bor), summer 2003.
•		2nd course of Bio-T-Ethics, March 2004.
•		3 articles in the joint publication of Bio-T-Ethics.
•		research on the preconditions of a methodologically sound medical ethics.

Resources useful for the project
Prof. Rein Vos participates in various national and international networks, which can be activated for the tasks of the project. Further relevant contacts are available through his membership of the Dutch National Research Program ‘Ethics, Research and Policy’ of the Dutch Research Foundation and of the Agenda Committee Medical Biotechnology advising the Dutch Ministry of Health, Sports and Welfare.
Laurens Landeweerd has prepared courses of the Bio-T-Ethics group and has much knowledge of the organisation for future courses.

Special assignments
To contribute to courses and research on philosophical, social and ethical aspects of genomics, particularly related to nutrition, sports, pharmaceuticals and public health technologies. Supervising the contribution of Laurens Landeweerd.