UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository)
Later childhood effects of perinatal exposure to background levels of dioxins in
the Netherlands
ten Tusscher, G.W.
Publication date 2002
Link to publication
Citation for published version (APA):
ten Tusscher, G. W. (2002). Later childhood effects of perinatal exposure to background levels of dioxins in the Netherlands.
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AA WORD OF THANKS
Wordss are inadequate to express my gratitude to the many people who havee played a role in the realisation of this thesis. Specifically I would likee to mention:
Anna-Leena,, for the past few years you have put up with a husband who alwayss seemed to be behind his computer. You have had to sacrifice a lott for this thesis to be completed and it would not have reached completionn without your continued support and assistance.
Daniell and Joshua, the last months you have often been disappointed that Daddyy could not play with you because he had to work. Each time I heardd "we want to play with Daddy", and Daddy had to say: "not now" -yourr disappointed looks broke my heart, and gave me a terribly guilty feeling.. Now we have to catch up on lost time. It is very appropriate that youu complete my book by covering it with your fingerpainting.
Prof.. Nanny Koppe, my promotor and mentor. Thank you for the confidencee you placed in me and for the wonderful opportunity you gave mee to perform this study with you. It always struck me that whenever youu said, "I wouldn't be surprised if it worked like this ..." ("Het zou me niett verbazen als het zo zat ..."), you were nearly always proven correct. Yourr knowledge, insight, inquisitivity and intuition are the cornerstones off this thesis. Also a big thank you to you and Pier for the many hours spentt working together at your home, and the many lunches and cakes youu supplied over the years! Your company at the numerous congresses wee visited together always made for an enjoyable time, and we have sharedd many memorable moments and laughs together.
AA special word of thanks must go to my co-promotors, Prof. Henk Spekreijsee and Dr. Hans van der Slikke, and to the Commission, Prof. Hugoo Heymans, Prof. Vyvyan Howard, Prof. Sjef Vos, Dr. Frans de Jongh,, Eh*. Nico Schellart and Dr. Tom Vulsma. I am honoured that you agreedd to be in the Commission. Vyvyan thank you for coming all the wayy from Liverpool to join in.
Marcell Rouwenhorst and Sandra Spieksma, thank you for being my paranymphs,, and more importantly, thank you for your years of
friendship.friendship. It is only natural that you be my paranymphs. We spent manyy hours studying together during "med school". Marcel, you are
probablyy the only one, apart from my promotor, to have read all the versionss of all the manuscripts. Thank you for your critical appraisals. Margalithh van Huiden-ten Brink, you, too, have been an integral part of thiss study. Thank you for all the hours of secretarial work you did for us. II have seldom met someone as organised as yourself!
Gerdaa Stam, your many, many hours spent searching through the archivess in order to collect the data for the clefts study must be mentioned.. Your perseverence saw you researching the birth charts of nearlyy 30 000 births! Thank you also for assisting us in De Heel.
Franss de Jongh, not only one of our lung function experts, but also our computerr hardware and software expert! Thank you for all the extra hourss spent on our computers.
Hanss Oosting, thank you for your assistence with the statistics - I guess I shouldd have paid more attention during the statistics courses during my universityy days! On the other hand, whenever you said that the results weree significant I immediately had the confidence that this was true. Thankss to both you and Siebelle for the working hours spent at your homee and your warm hospitality.
Matthijss Westra, thank you for allowing us to use your medical rooms duringg the Saturday afternoons. Your frequent words of encouragement andd enthusiasm are very much appreciated.
Sjeff Vos, Henk van Loveren and Peter Steerenberg, thank you for all the timee and effort you put into the haemato logical and immunological study. Yourr critical questions helped shape the manuscript.
Henk-Jann Guchelaar and Joost Koch, thank you for all the effort put into thee caffeine test. You approached the study with quiet professionalism andd thoroughness. Having you on our team made a big difference.
Nicoo Schellart, Dik Reits and Henk Spekreijse, the geniuses behind the MEGG and EEG study! Nico and Dik you have put countless hours into ourr study, for which I am very grateful, not to mention all the time you madee available to me for my many questions. Clinicians and physicists
oftenn have different ways of looking at things and this diversity has made ourr working together so pleasant and rewarding. The fact that you came too see my newborn son bears witness to your warm and friendly characters.. Thank you for all your support these past five years.
Bobb van Dijk, Jeroen Verbunt, Jan de Munck, Ilonka Manshanden, Peter-Jann Ris and KNAW MEG centre staff, and Marieke van Leeuwen, Mustafaa Kurt and Mirjam Janmaat, thank you for performing the MEG testingg and assisting with the data analysis. You were great with "our children". .
Teunn van Manen, Tanya Mies and colleagues, thank you for all the time andd effort put into the psychological testing of the children. You receivedd much praise from the children and their parents for the manner inn which they were treated by you.
Dee Heel Zaans Medical Centre and personnel, thank you for graciously allowingg this study to take part under your auspices and for the generous usee of your facilities.
Prof.. Hugo Heijmans and prof. Joke Kok, thank you for the support you havee given to our study; I am grateful for the priviledge of having you andd dr. Wilfried Hack train me as I specialise as paediatrician.
AA special word of thanks must go to the financial contributors to this studyy and thesis: the University of Amsterdam, and especially the Departmentss of Paediatrics and Neonatology of the Emma Children's Hospitall Academic Medical Centre; National Institute of Public Health andd the Environment (RIVM); Greenpeace International; Stichting Ecobaby;; CRI Technology Services BV; Cambridge Isotope Laboratories. .
Prof.. Freek de Wolff, thank you for the lead and mercury determinations. Dr.. R. van Assenbergh, thank you for the generous use of your maxillo-faciall surgery facilities, equipment and examination rooms.
Gran,, you are a survivor. You survived the haulocast and many hardshipss in life. You taught me perseverence and how to see, amidst the woe,, the positive side of life. That perseverence has seen me through manyy years of study and five years of doctoral research!
Warren,, Darryll and Tracy, my sibs and my heroes. Your example and stimulationn has helped me to achieve more than I thought possible.
Brendan,, sadly you can no longer share memorable events such as this withh us.
II am deeply grateful to my parents, Margo & Bryan and Wim. Thank youu for always providing a stimulating home environment and so many opportunitiess for us to grow and experience life. You always made it a priorityy that the children study further, and the fact that two are accountantss and two are doctors is a tribute to your continued support andd encouragement. Few people are as fortunate as we are, having such warmm and loving parents.
