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Dick Suurmond In 1978 Polano was succeeded as head of the department by Dick Suurmond (1926-2011). He was born in 1926, studied medicine in Leiden, and received his dermatological training at Polano’s department in The Hague. In 1962 he accompanied Polano to Leiden. A year later he defended his PhD thesis entitled: “Lichen sclerosus et atrophicus and kraurosis vulvae”, before being made associate professor in 1966. In Leiden his research focused on erythropoietic porphyrias, photobiology and phototherapy. Already in 1979 he warned against the deleterious effects of unlimited use of sunbeds and suggested that sales of these tanning devices should be strictly regulated. Not surprisingly, the title of his inaugural speech in 1979, with which he accepted his professorship was “Light on the skin”. In 1980 Willem van Vloten (1941; photograph on page 68) was appointed professor. He had initiated multidisciplinary studies not only on cutaneous lymphomas, but also on dysplastic nevi and melanoma, which formed the basis of two long- standing and very successful lines of research. In 1985 Willem van Vloten left Leiden to become head of the dermatology department in Utrecht. In 1987 the department of dermatology moved to the new hospital buildings of the Academic Hospital Leiden, currently known as the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC). Bert Jan Vermeer Shortly afterwards, in 1988, Suurmond stepped down as head of the department and was succeeded by Bert Jan Vermeer (1942-2004). Vermeer studied medicine in Groningen and followed his residency in dermatology in Leiden. His father was a well-known dermatologist in Amsterdam, and also his son would become a dermatologist. He successfully expanded the research line of Polano and studied the ultrastructure of xanthomas and hyperlipoproteinemias (PhD thesis, 1979). The results of these studies contributed significantly to the understanding of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, topics far away from everyday dermatology. For this reason a successful line of research was discontinued and Vermeer’s interest shifted to photoimmunology. His enthusiasm and creativity, generally in a very non-conformist way, stimulated others, and dermatologic research flourished in the late 80s and 90s as never before. Bert Jan Vermeer served in the board of the European Society of Dermatological Research as treasurer and in 1988 as president. In 1998 he became dean and member of the board of directors of the LUMC. Between 1998 and 2000 Wilma Bergman served as acting head of the department. In 2002 Bert Jan Vermeer stepped down as dean and retired. Plans to continue photoimmunologic research were never accomplished because of his untimely death in 2004. 82 BWEADVSMGFINCORR:Opmaak 1 21-07-2014 17:40 Pagina 82