NCA extends Annemarie de Zoete’s position as chiropractic PhD researcher at Vrije University

With an overwhelming majority, the members of the Netherlands’ Chiropractors’ Association (NCA) voted to extend the position of Dr Annemarie de Zoete at the Vrije University (VU) in Amsterdam.

This proposal was on the agenda for the NCA General Assembly on Friday 1 October 2021 and the members were very clear in their financial as well as their moral support. This means that Dr De Zoete can continue her important work on updating the Cochrane review on acute low back pain and also supervising up-and-coming researchers. She will become the second chiropractic PhD researcher whom the NCA supports financially .

Since obtaining his PhD from the VU in 2008, Dr Sidney Rubinstein has continued to work as a researcher and PhD supervisor at the VU, more recently as assistant professor.

Aside from financial support from the NCA, Dr Rubinstein’s position is co-funded by the Belgian Chiropractors’ Union and the European Chiropractors’ Union.

“This university affiliation and scientific position is vital in establishing chiropractic as part of mainstream healthcare in the Netherlands,” says Jan Geert Wagenaar, vice-president of the ECU.

“Without the financial support of the members of the NCA, this position would cease to exist. We are proud of the fact that our association members stand squarely behind our researchers,” reports Gitte Tønner, president of the NCA, who continues: “In other countries, chiropractic is already naturally integrated in the healthcare system and university milieu – hopefully, we’ll get there too in the Netherlands, but we will have to make the first moves.”

Congratulations to Dr De Zoete!