Willie (Wilhelmina) was born and raised in Utrecht, The Netherlands. She studied veterinary medicine at Utrecht University with differentiation companion animals. The first 2 years after receiving here degree she worked as a relief veterinary practitioner in several companion animal clinics in the Netherlands. Hereafter she went to Bern Switzerland for a residency in veterinary pathology. In 2011 she became a diplomat of the European College of Veterinary Pathologists and the Royal Netherlands Veterinary Association (KNMvD). In 2023 she obtained a PhD on the subject of intervertebral discs and articular proces joints in the neck of horses. Willie is currently employed at the VPDC. Here she is involved in teaching, diagnostics and  research. She has special interest in neuropathology.