Lourens Waldorp is an Associate Professor at the University of Amsterdam within the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences , specifically the Department of Psychological Methods . His research focuses on network theory, causal inference, and statistical modeling in psychology and neuroscience. University of Amsterdam IAS Fellow (2024) His research interests include: Network psychometrics Causal inference in psychological models High-dimensional statistical methods Dynamical systems in psychopathology Graph theory applications Signal processing for biophysical data The trends in his recent publications center on causal modeling, network analysis of psychopathology, and statistical techniques for time-series data. He has developed methods for perturbation graphs, moderated network models, and dynamic intervention frameworks. Notable scientific awards : IAS Fellowship for 6 months (2024) He advises PhD students like Kyra Evers and collaborates with researchers across disciplines, including J. Haslbeck , D. Borsboom , and O. Ryan . His work intersects with network theory and clinical psychology .
Theo Hofman is an Associate Professor and Program Director in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). He specializes in integrated design methods for complex engineering systems, focusing on powertrain systems for automotive, maritime, and aerospace applications. His work emphasizes computational design synthesis, machine learning, and model-based optimization. Education: Hofman holds an MSc (1999) and PhD (2007) in Mechanical Engineering from TU/e. He has held roles at Thales Cryogenics and Drivetrain Innovations before joining TU/e. He also served as an Invited Professor at ETH Zurich and Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France. Research Interests: His research spans hybrid electric vehicles, powertrain design, energy management systems, and sustainable transportation. Key areas include automated design tools, thermal management, and co-design of plant and control systems. Applications include electric trucks, ships, and aircraft. Articles Trends: His recent publications (2021–2025) emphasize electric vehicle infrastructure optimization, battery systems, and control strategies. Key themes include energy efficiency, thermal management, and co-design methodologies for automotive and mobility systems. Scientific Awards: IEEE VPPC 2024 Best Paper Award. Advising & Grants: He has supervised over 104 MSc, 14 PDEng, and 10 PhD students. Active projects include the 'Green Transport Delta' initiative (2021–2024) and Bosch Transmission collaborations. His courses include 'Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Powertrain Design' and 'Automotive Systems Engineering Project.' Labs/Teams: He leads the Group Hofman and collaborates with the MEGEVH (France) and TU/e’s EAISI Mobility initiative. His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to affordable and clean energy, industry innovation, and climate action.
Prof. Iris F.A. Vis is a Professor of Industrial Engineering at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Economics and Business. She specializes in logistics and operations management, focusing on optimizing processes through quantitative and qualitative methods. Her work intersects logistics with sectors like healthcare, education, and energy. She leads major projects such as SMiLES (sustainable mobility-logistics integration) and designs logistics solutions for personalized learning systems in schools. She has advised over a dozen PhD students and collaborates with industry partners globally. Awards include Fellowship in the Netherlands Academy of Engineering. Education: M.Sc. Mathematics (Leiden University), PhD in Operations Management (Erasmus University Rotterdam) Roles: Captain of Science for Topsector Logistics, Member of multiple national advisory boards Research interests span sustainable transportation networks, port optimization, healthcare logistics, and educational logistics. Key projects include LNG supply chain design, offshore wind farm maintenance planning, and synchromodal transport networks. Over 45 peer-reviewed publications and 18 media engagements highlight her impactful contributions. Teaching includes courses on supply chain network design, technology-enabled innovation, and operations management at all academic levels. She advises on industrial partnerships and digital transformation initiatives in the Northern Netherlands region.
Wolf Ketter is a Full Professor of Next Generation Information Systems at the Department of Technology and Operations Management, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, and Chaired Professor of Information Systems at the University of Cologne. He serves as Director of the Institute of Energy Economics (EWI) in Cologne and leads the Erasmus Centre for Future Energy Business in Rotterdam. He is a leading figure in designing sustainable smart markets using advanced computing and simulation techniques. His research focuses on Information Systems , Machine Learning , Energy Economics , and Sustainable Smart Markets . He pioneered the use of Competitive Benchmarking through simulation platforms like Power TAC to tackle complex sustainability challenges. His work bridges computer science, economics, and business to design intelligent systems for energy, transportation, and resource allocation. The recent articles highlight a strong trend toward real-time decision-making in sustainable systems—such as electric bus operations, shared electric vehicles, traffic signal control via reinforcement learning, and local energy markets. These reflect his focus on AI-driven optimization , smart market design , and urban sustainability . Scientific Awards: INFORMS ISS Design Science Award (2012) Runner-up for Best European IS Research Paper (2013) ERIM Top Article Award (2013) ERIM Impact Award (2014) He has supervised over 10 PhD students and secured significant research impact through grants and collaborative projects. His editorial roles include serving on the boards of Information Systems Research and MIS Quarterly , the top journals in the IS field. He has chaired over 20 international conferences and workshops, advancing global discourse in trading agents and sustainable systems. Wolf Ketter founded and leads the Learning Agents Group at Erasmus University and chairs the annual Erasmus Energy Forum . His labs and teams focus on building simulation environments and AI agents to model and improve real-world sustainable markets, particularly in energy and mobility.
Michel Mandjes is a Professor at the University of Amsterdam's Faculty of Science and holds a Visiting Professor position at the Faculty of Economics and Business (FEB). His research focuses on stochastic processes, queueing theory, and probability theory, with applications in risk modeling, network analysis, and operations research. Recent publications highlight his contributions to multivariate Hawkes processes , Lévy-driven systems , and dynamic random graphs , emphasizing large deviations, rare event simulation, and statistical inference. His work bridges theoretical probability with practical challenges in traffic flow, financial risk, and social network modeling. The trends in his research include the development of stochastic models for network stability, appointment scheduling optimization, and inference techniques for non-stationary processes. His methodological innovations often leverage advanced probability theory and queueing frameworks to address real-world problems in transportation, healthcare, and finance.
Prof. Dr. ir. Hans Heesterbeek is a full Professor of Theoretical Epidemiology at Utrecht University's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. He holds a dual appointment in the Department of Farm Animal Health within the Population Health Sciences sector. His research focuses on the dynamics of infectious diseases at the intersection of biology, medicine, and mathematics, with emphasis on wildlife epidemiology and complex systems. He chairs Utrecht University's Committee for Research Integrity and has held leadership roles in departments like Animals in Science and Society. Education: MSc Phytopathology (Wageningen University, 1986), MSc Mathematics (University of Amsterdam, 1988), PhD in Mathematical Biology from Leiden University (1992) Affiliations: Editor-in-Chief of Epidemics journal, Senior Editor at Proceedings of the Royal Society B , Chair of ZonMw's Open Competition grant program Research interests include: Mathematical modeling of disease spread Ecological epidemiology of zoonotic pathogens Role of wildlife in disease transmission Historical analysis of epidemic understanding Key contributions: Co-developer of the R₀ reproduction number framework, foundational to global epidemiological modeling. Active in interdisciplinary work linking theoretical ecology to societal systems. Currently writing a book on the history of epidemic science. Grants: Vici laureate (€1.3M, 2005-2010). Organizes biannual Epidemics conferences. Advises on public health policy during outbreaks like the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.
Prof. Dick den Hertog is a Full Professor at Tilburg University's Department of Econometrics and Operations Research, part of the Tilburg School of Economics and Management (TiSEM). His research focuses on operations research methodologies with applications in humanitarian logistics, supply chain optimization, and robust decision-making under uncertainty. He collaborates with organizations like the UN World Food Programme to enhance operational efficiency in complex environments. Key research areas include robust optimization techniques, supply chain management in developing regions, and the integration of satellite data with machine learning for infrastructure analysis. His work addresses challenges such as food aid distribution, disaster response logistics, and predictive modeling for transportation systems in data-scarce areas. Notable projects include developing analytical tools for the WFP's supply chain planning and creating algorithms for weather-informed road speed prediction. He is affiliated with the Tilburg Sustainability Center and the Operations Research research group, contributing to both academic advancements and real-world impact through optimization solutions.
Nima Monshizadeh Naini is a Professor in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Groningen. He holds the position of Chair of the IEM Program Committee and serves on the boards of ENTEG and YSEN. His academic journey includes a PhD in Control Systems from the University of Groningen (2013, Cum Laude), followed by postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge (2016-2017) and the University of Groningen (2014). He has been an Assistant Professor since 2018 and was awarded the NWO Open Competition Grant in 2021. His research focuses on Cyber-Physical Human Systems (CPHS) , addressing two core areas: (1) Coordination of self-interested users in power systems and traffic networks using dynamic information design and game-theoretic mechanisms; and (2) Privacy-aware control and optimization with tailored encryption methods for dynamic systems. Applications include energy markets, microgrids, and smart grids. He has published extensively in top venues like IEEE CDC and Automatica, with key topics including privacy-preserving algorithms, distributed control, and optimal intervention design. His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to affordable energy and responsible consumption. Education: PhD in Control Systems, University of Groningen (2013) Research Associate, University of Cambridge (2016-2017) Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Groningen (2014) Awards: Cum Laude distinction for PhD thesis (2013) NWO Open Competition Grant (2021) Advising & Grants: Supervised 5 PhD students Editorial roles in IEEE journals and conference proceedings Labs/Teams: Leading the Cyber-physical systems group within the Smart Manufacturing Systems institute.
Willem van Jaarsveld is Associate Professor in Stochastic Optimization for Supply Chain and Logistics at TU/e, specializing in Markov Decision Processes and Deep Reinforcement Learning applications. He collaborates with industry partners including ASML, Philips Healthcare, and NS Maintenance to implement data-driven solutions for inventory control and maintenance logistics.
Dr. Tarek Alskaif is an Associate Professor of Energy Informatics at Wageningen University & Research, specializing in the intersection of information technology and energy systems. He leads research on smart energy systems, focusing on electricity markets, distributed energy resources, and AI-driven solutions. His work integrates modeling, optimization, and big data analytics to advance the sustainable energy transition. Education: PhD in Energy Informatics (2012–2016, Cum Laude) from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain. Postdoc at Utrecht University’s Copernicus Institute (2016–2020). Current roles include coordinating the BSc Data Science Minor and teaching Python and Big Data courses. Research interests emphasize leveraging digitalization for energy systems, including smart grids, electric mobility, and battery storage. Notable projects include HighLO Energy Markets (EU-funded, using particle physics and AI for market transparency) and MESSM (coordinated via TKI Urban Energy). He also leads the AI ELSA Lab (NWO-funded). Editorial roles include Associate Editor for IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid and IEEE Power Engineering Letters . Member of IEEE, the Netherlands Institute for Research on ICT (4TU.NIRICT), and the Technical Program Committee for IEEE SmartGridComm and PSCC 2026. Has supervised over 50 students (MSc/BSc) and 7 PhDs. Projects address challenges like grid congestion, EV charging optimization, and decentralized energy trading. His work bridges academic research with industry collaborations, including partnerships with CERN and ACER.
Dr. Tom Boot is an Associate Professor at the Department of Economics, Econometrics & Finance at the University of Groningen. He holds a PhD in Econometrics from Erasmus University Rotterdam (2017) and an MSc in Econometrics from the same institution (2012), along with an MSc in Physics from the University of Groningen (2010). His research focuses on econometric theory applied to macroeconomic forecasting, high-dimensional data analysis, and causal inference. He has been recognized with the Veni grant (2021–2024) for his work on forecasting methodologies. Boot’s research interests include improving forecast accuracy through methods like subspace projections, structural break modeling, and privacy-aware marketing analytics. His recent work explores privacy-utility trade-offs in data-driven marketing and unbiased estimation techniques for clustered errors. He has supervised PhD students including Jhordano Aguilar Loyo and Gilian Ponte, whose theses addressed panel data heterogeneity and differential privacy applications. Boot is also a program director for the MSc Econometrics, Operations Research, and Actuarial Studies (since 2024). His contributions to econometrics span over a dozen peer-reviewed publications, with a focus on advanced statistical techniques for economic forecasting and policy analysis. Collaborations include work with institutions like Harvard/MIT and the organization of workshops on causal inference and machine learning.
Dr. Duarte Guerreiro Tomé Antunes is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering , Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), specializing in control theory. He is affiliated with the Control Systems Technology Group and focuses on optimal/stochastic control and networked control systems. Research emphasizes overcoming the curse of dimensionality in large-dimensional systems through approximate control strategies. Explores event-triggered control for networked systems with latency and computational constraints. Teaches Optimal Control and Dynamic Programming , Training Project 4 , and Robotic Seminars . Publications highlight advancements in: Event-triggered methods for linear quadratic control Stability analysis of networked systems with asynchronous links Frequency-domain modeling of control loops with data losses Switched system regulation via informed policies
Marcus Gerhold is an Assistant Professor in the Formal Methods and Tools group at the University of Twente's Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science. His research focuses on model-based testing for software reliability in critical infrastructures, particularly railway systems, alongside significant contributions to game design and programming language analysis. His educational background includes: PhD in Computer Science from University of Twente (2018): Choice and Chance: Model-based Testing of Stochastic Behaviour MSc in Mathematics from Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena (2013): Embeddings of Weighted Morrey Spaces BSc in Mathematics from Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena (2011): Entropy-, Approximation- and Kolmogorov Numbers on Quasi-Banach Spaces Gerhold's research integrates theoretical model-based testing with practical critical infrastructure applications . His work on railway conformance testing addresses EULYNX controller validation, while his game design research explores affective mirroring in NPCs and procedural dungeon generation. The code modernity analysis stream leverages static analysis to quantify legacy code evolution across languages like Python and PHP, revealing version identification challenges through deep learning. Publication trends show consistent focus on model-based testing methodologies (40%), railway safety applications (25%), and innovative game design/code analysis (35%). Recent work increasingly incorporates AI/ML techniques for UML assessment and Python version identification, while maintaining rigorous formal methods foundations. He actively mentors 63 students across all academic levels and contributes to major research initiatives: STORM_SAFE (ERDF, 2024): Daily Supervisor for WP1/WP2 on software reliability for critical infrastructures ZORRO (KIC grant, 2023): Daily Supervisor for WP4 on zero downtime in cyber-physical systems MISSION (MSCA RISE, 2021-2025): Interim coordinator (early 2024) for space systems modeling As part of the Formal Methods and Tools research group, Gerhold participates in European collaborations while serving on SAC-SVT 2024 and FormaliSE 2023 program committees.
Remco M. Dijkman serves as Full Professor in Information Systems at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), chairing the Information Systems group within the Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences school. He additionally holds a Full Professor position at EAISI High Tech Systems and acts as research director for high-tech supply chains at the European Supply Chain Forum—a network of over 50 multinational companies. His research centers on Business Process Management with emphasis on data-driven optimization of business processes. His academic background includes both PhD and Master's degrees in Computer Science from the University of Twente. Publications span Information Systems, Computers in Industry, and Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology, with over 100 papers and service on the editorial board of Information Systems. He has held visiting positions at New York University, Hasso Plattner Institute, IBM Zurich Research Lab, Humboldt-University Berlin, and Queensland University of Technology. Dijkman's research interests focus on detecting, diagnosing, and predicting optimal execution scenarios in business processes, developing mathematical models for quantitative process analysis , and resource assignment optimization . These are primarily applied in transportation logistics and high-tech supply chains, where he investigates data-driven predictions for transport order assignment and supply chain planning. His work bridges artificial intelligence with practical business applications. Recent publications (2024-2025) reveal concentrated efforts in deep reinforcement learning for resource allocation, process pattern discovery, and software library development (GymPN, SimPN). Key trends include predictive process monitoring for healthcare applications, event data enrichment frameworks, and uncertainty handling in logistics planning—demonstrating strong interdisciplinary integration. Scientific recognition includes: Best Demo Award (2019) Best Reviewer Award (2016) Test of Time Award (2019) He has supervised 150 students, including Lotte Vugs who received the Dow Chemical Best OML Master Thesis Award in 2020. Grant leadership spans eight projects: NXTGEN Smart Industry (2023-2030), CollChain (2023-2029), CERTIF-AI (2020-2025), FENIX (2019-2023), and DynaPlex (2021-2024), focusing on digital twins, federated networks, and AI-driven supply chain solutions. Dijkman directs the Information Systems group at TU/e and leads the European Supply Chain Forum's high-tech supply chain research. His work integrates with semiconductor manufacturing and transportation logistics through collaborations with industry partners, while his 2023 invited talks at Technical University of Munich and Humboldt University Berlin highlight his international engagement.
Han La Poutré is a Professor at Delft University of Technology and a Senior Researcher/Manager at CWI's Intelligent and Autonomous Systems group. His research focuses on multi-agent systems, computational intelligence, and optimization techniques for Smart Energy Systems (SES), integrating electrical engineering and economics frameworks. M.Sc. in Mathematics (1986, TU Eindhoven) Ph.D. in Computer Science (1991, Utrecht University) His work spans game theory , reinforcement learning , and market mechanism design for energy grid optimization, addressing challenges in congestion management, demand-side bidding, and AI-driven media sector innovation. Recent projects include AI, Media & Democracy Lab and RESCUE (Cyber-Physical Energy Security). Key trends in his 2020-2025 publications include: Hybrid fairness/welfare frameworks for grid congestion Double-sided auction mechanisms for heat/power markets Deep reinforcement learning in discrete action spaces Game-theoretical cybersecurity modeling Multi-temporal demand response coordination Scientific Awards 2015: Best paper award at GECCO-2015 He has led NWO-funded projects like Computational Capacity Planning in Electricity Networks and served as Vice President of ERCIM. Current affiliations include ACM Transactions on Intelligent Systems editorial board.
