deBuren

"We are our brains. Everything we do, think, not do, is determined by our brain" dixit Prof. Dick Swaab, doctor, neurobiologist and associate brain researcher at the Netherlands Institute for Neurosciences (NINKNAW), where he is head of the neuropsychiatric disorder research group.

His main interest is in sexual differentiation and the ageing of the human brain, depression and Alzheimer's Disease. He was also the founder of the Brain Bank, where donors' brain tissue is stored and prepared for research. Dick Swaab is known mainly for his findings in the field of the anatomy and physiology of the brain, and especially for his research into the effects of hormonal, biochemical and chemical factors on brain development in the womb.

His research has frequently been controversial. His findings regarding the differences between the brains of homosexuals and heterosexuals and the physical and functional differences in the brains of men and women have come in for particular criticism. However, he is not afraid of controversy and continues to propagate his findings and scientifically-based views with conviction.