In Memoriam - associate professor Hans Brussee
On 15 April, our much-beloved and highly respected former colleague Dr Hans Brussee passed away from cancer. In January 2025, Hans began experiencing neck pain. Initially, it appeared to be a herniated disc, but sadly, the diagnosis was soon revised, and his condition proved untreatable. Hans was 77 years old.
Hans worked at the Faculty of Science from 1984 until his retirement. After training as a chemical analyst, he pursued a degree in Chemistry during evening hours. He joined the Leiden Institute of Chemistry (LIC) in the group of Professor Arne van der Gen, where he was given the opportunity to conduct PhD research titled: “Chiral cyanohydrins versatile building blocks in organic synthesis”. He earned his doctorate in 1992 and was appointed associate professor. When Arne van der Gen retired in 2000, Hans brought his expertise to the Department of Pharmacochemistry at the Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR), led by the newly appointed Professor Ad IJzerman. Hans became a well-rounded chemist and an inexhaustible source of questions and insights in organic chemistry - a field that played a vital role in the department’s conceptual research.
Hans was a skilled organic chemist with wide-ranging interests. He was a beloved colleague, co-supervisor and lecturer. With great enthusiasm, he taught organic chemistry to student of chemistry and bio-pharmaceutical sciences, always bringing along a cart filled with material for live demonstrations. His boundless energy and creativity inspired both young (pharmaco)chemists and colleagues to embrace chemistry as integral part of modern drug research. He made significant contributions to the chemical design and synthesis of new molecules with potential as future medicines.
Hans also helped professionalise the department with his expertise, particularly in laboratory safety. He played a key role in organising synthesized compounds by assigning them a so-called LUF (Leiden University Pharmacochemistry) code – provided their composition and purity met the required standard. This system later proved essential with the introduction of the first “electronic notebooks”.
Even after retiring, Hans remained closely connected to the department and faculty. For example, he always came to departmental outings, the faculty New Year's reception, as well as the Tuesday Talks. Of course, Hans also had a rich life outside of work. He was an avid diver and made many trips to coral-rich places. In addition, he was remarkably handy, whether crafting a Sinterklaas surprise, installing a new heating system, or working on a sailing or motor yacht.
Hans was a warm and kind-hearted man, genuinely interested in his colleagues and students. He was always ready to lend a listening ear, offer thoughtful advice, and provide practical support whenever he could, even after his retirement. We will miss him dearly. Our thoughts are with his loved ones: his wife Wil, two sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, and further family.
Laura Heitman, Margot Beukers and Ad IJzerman, former colleagues of Hans Brussee