Dirk Willem (Dick) of Bekkum (July 30, 1925 - July 17, 2015) was a Dutch medical radiobiologist. Prof. Dr Van Bekkum studied medicine in Leiden, and became professor in Leiden and Rotterdam.
In 1959 Van Bekkum was co-founder of the Foundation Federation of Medical Scientific Associations. He was director of the Radiobiological Institute TNO in Rijswijk from 1960 to 1990. This institute acquired fame with the research on bone marrow radiation, and its applications for leukemia and other blood diseases. Van Bekkum also collaborated with colleagues to investigate bone marrow transplants. In 1967, they performed the first successful bone marrow transplant in humans.
In 1969 Van Bekkum founded the Foundation for Life Sciences and Society together with Prince Claus. He was chairman of this foundation for a long time. In addition, he was editor and co-author of a large number of cahiers who published the foundation about developments in medical science, and in particular the ethical and social aspects thereof. In 1986, he received the Federa Prize because of his research, which was summed up with 'Research: the long road of mouse to man'. In 2009 he received the Van Walree Prize for science practitioners, along with Arend Jan Dunning. He was co-founder of IntroGene later in Crucell.
Van Bekkum died of cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 89.
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