Born in De Meern (NL) in 1976, Marten Poley attended Gymnasium education in Utrecht from 1988 to 1994. He then studied Health Policy and Management at Erasmus University Rotterdam from which he graduated MSc in 1999. From 1996 to 1999, he was a student research assistant at institute for Medical Technology Assessment (iMTA). After his graduation, he joined iMTA as a researcher. His field of interest is the cost-effectiveness evaluation of health care interventions. He has undertaken a wide range of health technology assessments, for example regarding medication distribution systems, general practitioners' laboratory test ordering, and the combining of economic and ethical arguments in prioritizing health care interventions. From 1996 onwards, his main research area has been the cost-effectiveness of neonatal and pediatric surgery. To this end, he has been part-time employed by the Department of Pediatric Surgery at Erasmus MC Sophia Children's Hospital in Rotterdam since 2002. In 2005, he obtained his PhD degree from Erasmus University Rotterdam based on his dissertation 'Cost-effectiveness of neonatal surgery: a matter of balance'. Current research activities at the Department of Pediatric Surgery range from cost-effectiveness studies of interdisciplinary care teams, parental support programs, and patient safety initiatives, to the follow-up of adults who as newborns underwent surgery for major birth defects. Finally, Marten takes part in teaching activities within the institute of Health Policy and Management (iBMG). Next to his professional activities, Marten is reading law at Erasmus University School of Law. He expects to graduate in 2007, with a LLM thesis in the field of health care law.