Prof. Maurits van Tulder, Ph.D. Prof. Maurits van Tulder is an epidemiologist at the Department of Health Sciences and the EMGO Institute of the VU University in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He is also co-editor of the Cochrane Collaboration Back Review Group (www.cochrane.iwh.on.ca). Van Tulder is the author of many scientific papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has written several books and book chapters. His interests are in evidence-based practice and include trials, systematic reviews and economic evaluations of diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. His main research area is in effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of interventions for musculoskeletal disorders in primary and occupational health care. He participated in several guideline committees and was chairman of the COST B13 European guidelines on the management of low back pain in primary care. He is also director of the two-year research MSc programme on lifestyle and chronic disorders (www.vu.nl/lcd).