Eduard van Zalen, graduated at the University of Utrecht in analytical chemistry, specialized on environmental methods.
Van Zalen Joined the NFI in 1991, where he subsequently had the positions of Head of Environmental Crimes, Project manager New Laboratory Facilities NFI (26.000 m²) and location manager for a collaboration unit between the NFI, the Dutch Police and the Prosecutors Office.
Since May 2008 Van Zalen has been employed as programme manager CBRN within the Netherlands Forensic Institute. The CBRN programme at NFI is focused on both the development of CBRN forensic methods as well as international cooperation working on this subject with organizations such as IAEA, INTERPOL, EUROPOL and OPCW.
In this position Van Zalen has been in charge of developing the Dutch GIFT Basket for the Nuclear Security Summit 2014, has been Coordinator of the EC funded Framework 7 project GIFT (Generic Integrated Forensic Toolbox), is co-chair of the Outreach and Training working group if the NF-ITWG and has been vice-chair of the Forensic working group of the OPCW’s Scientific Advisory Board. Since August Van Zalen is the co-chair of the Nuclear Forensic Working group of the GICNT.