Prof.dr. Robert Heeger  is professor (emeritus) of ethics at Utrecht University, at present working in the Ethics Institute. 1968-1976 he lectured at Uppsala University. 1986-2004 he also lectured in animal and veterinary ethics in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University. Since 1986 he is a member of the Animal Experiment Committee of the Netherlands Vaccine Institute, Bilthoven. 1987-2002 he was research director of the university's Centre for Bioethics and Health Law. 1991-1995 he was president of the Societas Ethica: European Society for Research in Ethics. 1993-2002 he was a member of the Dutch Council for Animal Matters, The Hague. 1993-2003 he was president of the Netherlands School for Research in Practical Philosophy. 1999-2005 he was on the board of the Swedish National Research Programme 'Ethical, Legal and Social Aspects of Genome and Gene Technology Research'. Since 1998 he is (together with prof. A.W. Musschenga) founding editor-in-chief of Ethical Theory and Moral Practice: An International Forum (Springer). His main areas of research are ethical theory and animal ethics