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Integrity, transparency, and responsibility guide everything we do.

About us
Meet the team

More than four hundred years after Rembrandt visited an anatomy lesson and created his world-famous painting, we founded the Amsterdam Skills Centre for Health Sciences only a few miles from where the operational theatre of the famous Dr. Nicolaes Tulp once was. History and state of the art technology come together here to create the surgical teams of the future.

Ethics (CVOL)

Commission for the Ethical Handling of Human Tissue (CVOL)
Background
The Amsterdam Skills Centre (ASC) engages in medical education and research employing human tissue which has been donated to medical science for these purposes. These donations are held in the highest regard at the ASC, where our mission is performed with great respect for the donors. Ethical and legal aspects of bequest, handling and donation are given careful consideration, in accordance with donors’ expectations. All information regarding donors is held in the strictest of confidence, in accordance with privacy laws. Each year, a memorial service is held by Amsterdam UMC to commemorate the donors and their contributions to medical science.
Commission for the Ethical Handling of Human Tissue (CVOL)
Legal basis of body donation
The Netherlands’ Funeral Law determines that a body may be dissected in the interests of science or education.[1] Interested potential donors are directed to contact anatomy departments of university hospitals in the Netherlands for detailed information. Donor intention is indicated via a living will for body donation, in which permission is given for the future use of the body and personal/medical data for medical science (research or education).
Commission for the Ethical Handling of Human Tissue (CVOL)
Assessment
The Commission for Ethical Handling of Human Tissue (Commissie Verantwoord Omgang met Lichamen – CVOL) evaluates each educational request for validity. It is imperative that the proposed use of bodies is in accordance with the permission given by the donor, and that ethical and legal conditions are fulfilled. In no case may a body be commercially exploited. In all cases, the identity of the donor remains protected. The use of human remains is always conducted with the utmost respect.
Commission for the Ethical Handling of Human Tissue (CVOL)
Function
The primary task of the CVOL is the assessment of educational proposals received from the ASC. The CVOL is an independent commission which has no financial affiliation with the ASC. The recommendations made by the CVOL are adopted by the ASC.
What to expect:

Spacious mulitfunctional wet labs, 23 fully equipped OR-stations on 1000m2.
Our team

CVOL members

Prof. Dr. Roelof-Jan Oostra

CTO

Prof. dr. mr. Corrette Ploem

Department of Ethics, Law, and Medical Humanities (Health Law), Amsterdam UMC (Chair)

Drs. Jana Hopstaken

Medical Ethicist and PhD candidate (Surgery), Radboud UMC (Secretary)

Dr. Michael van Emden

Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam UMC (Committee Member)

Dr. Martijn Finken

Pediatric Endocrinologist, Vice Chair Medical Ethics Review Board, Amsterdam UMC, Chair Biobank Review Committee, Amsterdam UMC (Committee Member)

Prof. dr. Joris van der Pos

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Amsterdam UMC, Chair Medical Ethics Review Board, Amsterdam UMC, Vice Chair Biobank Review Committee, Amsterdam UMC (Committee Member)

Independent observer on behalf of ASC:

Drs. Masie Rahimi

MD, PhD candidate, Department of Surgery, Amsterdam UMC and Coordinator Laparoscopy Courses ASC

[1] See Article 67 (1) of the Funeral Law

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