Nelleke Verhave appointed head Animal Research Facility  

Nelleke Verhave has been appointed head of the Animal Research Facility of Radboud university medical center, effective September 1. She succeeds Otto Boerman, who will retire this year with a retirement.  

Nelleke Verhave (43) studied Animal Science in Wageningen and received her PhD from VU Amsterdam and TNO. Following her PhD, she started as a lecturer in the field of Laboratory animal Science, animal behavior and welfare at Utrecht University. In 2014, she became responsible for quality assurance for the entire laboratory animal science chain at the Animal Welfare Body (AWB Utrecht) as an Animal Welfare Officer. Since 2017, Nelleke has been working as chair of the AWB Leiden at LUMC and Leiden University.

She is active in several national networks in the field of research with laboratory animals, where she strives with a deep sense of interest for the highest achievable quality standards and nuance in the debate on laboratory animal research.  

Nicolai Giling, managing director of the research institute of Radboudumc: ‘Together with colleagues at Radboud University, we are pleased with this appointment. In Nelleke we see a solid head of the ARF, who with her experience can represent research with laboratory animals internally and externally well and connect people. Her qualities will enable her, together with members of the ARF management team, the ARF advisory board and the boards of Radboud University and Radboudumc, to lead the facility successfully and future-proof in the coming years. We are confident that Nelleke will do an excellent job in this position, and we wish her every success. We thank Otto Boerman in advance for his commitment to the ARF and Radboudumc.’ 

Future challenges

Nelleke Verhave on her appointment: 'It is and remains a challenge to bring nuance to the debate on laboratory animal research. In my view, we can do this through clear communication about the use of animals for research and how we as a research community with the ARF meet the scientific quality standards that apply. Not only for the work with the animals themselves, but also housing, care and facilities are important in this regard. As head of the ARF, insight, guts, and creativity are essential to connect politics, science and practice and create a stimulating research environment. I look forward to collaborating with all colleagues in and around laboratory animal research!'