PhD, University of Groningen, Netherlands. Former Research Scientist, Shell, Netherlands and the UK. 1988, Full Professor, University of Groningen; 2004, named the Jacobus H. van't Hoff Distinguished Professor of Molecular Sciences. Foreign Honorary Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Member and former Vice-President, Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences. Member, Council of the RSC. Recipient of honours and awards, including: appointed Academy Professor (2008); knighted by Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands; research has been recognized with a number of awards, including the Koerber European Science Award (2003), the Spinoza Award (2004), the Chemistry for the Future Solvay Prize (2015) and the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Research interests include stereochemistry, organic synthesis, asymmetric catalysis, molecular switches and motors, self-assembly, molecular nanosystems and photopharmacology.