Prof. Jan Theeuwes is a Full Professor of Cognitive Psychology at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam's Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, leading the ERC-funded research group on statistical learning and attention. He holds additional roles as Distinguished Visiting Research Professor at the William James Center for Research (Lisbon) and Visiting Professor at Zhejiang University (China). With over 474 publications and two ERC Advanced Grants (2013 & 2019), his work spans visual attention, statistical learning, and applied human factors in road design. He pioneered the 'Self-Explaining Roads' concept, revolutionizing global road safety design, and co-developed Open Sesame, a widely used open-source experiment builder. His research integrates EEG, fMRI, and computational modeling, addressing topics like distractor suppression, emotion, and leadership influence. Over 25 PhD students have graduated under his mentorship, many securing academic roles across Europe. Education: Cum laude degrees in Experimental Psychology (Tilburg University) and a PhD (VU Amsterdam, 1992). Key awards include the Bertelson Award (2001) and KNAW membership (2010). He advises the Dutch Department of Transportation and founded the Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam (IBBA) in 2016. Ancillary roles include leadership in European psychological societies and consultancy for Attention Architects, applying eye-tracking research in corporate settings.
Prof. Sander Bohte is a part-time full professor of Computational Neuroscience at the University of Amsterdam (Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences) and an honorary full professor of Bio-inspired Neural Networks at the University of Groningen. He serves as a Scientific Staff Member and Group Leader in the Machine Learning department at CWI, Amsterdam. His work bridges computational neuroscience and machine learning with a focus on continuous-time information processing. Key research interests include: Spiking Neural Networks with predictive coding and multi-compartment models Biologically Plausible Learning in recurrent and deep architectures Working Memory modeling via reinforcement learning Neuromorphic Computing for real-time systems and GPU acceleration His recent publications highlight trends in neural adaptation , predictive coding , and SNN hardware-software co-design . Awards include the Veni Innovational Research Grant (2004) and ERCIM grant (2013) . He actively supervises MSc theses and leads grants like the NWO KIC project 'Selfhealing Neuromorphic Systems' (2024).
Dr. Koen Haak is an Associate Professor at Tilburg University's Department of Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence within the Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences. His research focuses on vision science, neuroimaging, and AI applications in healthcare. He leads projects like 'Bridging the gap between visual function and functional vision' (NWO Vidi) and 'Neuroimaging biomarkers for predicting vision training success after stroke' (NWO KIC). He collaborates with institutions such as the Donders Institute and the Lifelong Vision Consortium. His work contributes to UN SDGs related to health and innovation. Research interests include analyzing brain imaging data to predict functional vision outcomes, developing machine learning tools for clinical trials, and studying visual cortex plasticity. He has authored 51+ publications, including papers in Nature Neuroscience and Translational Psychiatry . Awards include NWO Veni (2016) and Vidi (2020) fellowships. He teaches courses on computer vision and AI at Tilburg University. Current projects explore predictive analytics for eye treatments, thalamocortical connectivity, and sleep disruption effects in maritime pilots. His lab develops methods like connectopic mapping and deep learning for MRI analysis, with applications in Alzheimer's, autism, and psychiatric disorders.
Professor Sander Nieuwenhuis (Leiden University) specializes in Cognitive Neuroscience of Decision Making through behavioral, EEG, and pharmacological approaches. His work bridges prefrontal cortex function and noradrenergic system mechanisms in human cognition. Studied cognitive psychology (Groningen) and earned PhD (Amsterdam, 2001) International experience: Cambridge University (visiting research), Princeton University (postdoc) Research focuses on noradrenaline's role in attention, decision-making, and cognitive control via: Locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system dynamics Phasic vs. tonic alertness effects Cognitive task performance under neuromodulator deficiency Neuroprotective pathways in Alzheimer's models Recent publications analyze DBH deficiency (Jepma et al., 2011) and attentional blink mechanisms (Nieuwenhuis et al., 2005). His Temporal Attention Lab integrates fMRI, genetics, and computational modeling . Teaching leadership includes: Chair of Research Master Program Committee Coordinator of Scientific Writing courses
Dr. Ben Harvey is an Associate Professor (with Ius Promovendi) in the Perception Group of the Department of Experimental Psychology at Utrecht University, Netherlands, within the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. He is based at the Helmholtz Institute and can be contacted at b.m.harvey@uu.nl. Harvey completed his DPhil at Oxford University with Professor Oliver Braddick in 2009, followed by postdoctoral work with Professor Serge Dumoulin at Utrecht. In 2015, he moved to Coimbra on a starter grant from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology before returning to Utrecht in 2016 as an Assistant Professor. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2019 and has led his own research group since 2015. Harvey's research focuses on characterizing sensory and cognitive systems in the human brain, particularly neural responses and computations within these systems. His work combines cutting-edge neuroimaging approaches with computational modeling and behavioral experiments. Initially studying the early visual system as a model of neural processing, he extended invasive animal neurophysiological approaches to non-invasive human neuroimaging. His recent work investigates neural responses underlying cognition in the human association cortex, examining how visual space and number processing differs between cultures and in clinical disorders. His fingerprint reveals expertise in Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Numerosity, Receptive Field, Visual Cortex, Population Receptive Field, Nerve Potential, Early Visual Cortex, and Topographic Maps. His publication record demonstrates significant impact, with works like 'Topographic representation of numerosity in the human parietal cortex' (2013) receiving over 360 citations. His research spans visual neuroscience, with emphasis on how the brain processes visual information, attention mechanisms, and numerical cognition, revealing generalized quantity processing systems in the human brain. Award for highest-rated abstract (2013) Brain Centre Rudolph Magnus Research Award (Best Paper of the Year) (2014) Causal link between cortical organization and conscious perception: human fMRI and electrophysiology (2009, 2010) Harvey has been actively engaged in knowledge dissemination, with multiple invited talks at institutions including INSERM in Paris (2016) and the University of Parma (2015). His research has received significant media attention, with interviews on National Public Radio (NPR) USA, Livescience.com, and Science Magazine in 2013. Beyond academic publications, he writes popular science articles exploring the relationship between visual neuroscience and visual arts. As part of the Helmholtz Institute Experimental Psychology research program, Harvey collaborates widely to investigate visual space and number processing across different populations, contributing to our understanding of how these cognitive functions vary between cultures and in clinical disorders.
Joost Batenburg is a Professor at Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science (LIACS) , with a chair in Imaging and Visualization . He is affiliated with the Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) and serves as Program Director for the interdisciplinary Society, Artificial Intelligence and Life Sciences (SAILS) initiative. His research focuses on tomographic image processing and reconstruction , where he has published over 80 journal articles and 60 conference papers. Current projects include Universal Three-dimensiOnal Passport for process Individualization in Agriculture (UTOPIA) and Center for Optimal, Real-Time Machine Studies of the Explosive Universe (CORTEX) , both funded by NWO grants. He leads the FleX-Ray Lab , a custom CT system integrated with advanced data processing algorithms. His research spans discrete tomography , real-time imaging pipelines , and AI-enhanced reconstruction methods , with applications in industrial inspection, agricultural analysis, and cultural heritage conservation. Recent articles demonstrate novel approaches to: Single-shot dynamic object tomography using level-set methods and motion modeling X-ray scattering quantification for defect detection in real-time systems Cross-modal image registration between CT scans and physical photographs Auto-differentiation in CT workflows combining classical and machine learning algorithms Scientific Awards: Dutch Award for ICT Research (2018) C.J. Kok Prize (2007) Philips Mathematics Prize (2006) He has supervised numerous PhD candidates including Mary Go, Eani Lachmansingh, and Zhichao Zhong, while maintaining editorial roles at IEEE Transactions on Computational Imaging and Journal of Mathematical Imaging and Vision . His work bridges theoretical mathematics with practical applications in agriculture, industry, and art conservation.
Prof. Floris de Lange is a Professor at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, and holds a part-time W3-Professorship in Cognitive Computational Neuroscience at the University of Bonn. His research focuses on understanding how top-down factors like goals, attention, expectations, and prior knowledge shape perception, cognition, and decision-making. He uses behavioral and neuroimaging techniques (MEG, fMRI, TMS) to study these processes in healthy and pathological brains. Key research themes include predictive perception, attention, and the neural mechanisms underlying decision-making. His work has been supported by prestigious grants such as the Vici and ERC Consolidator Grants. He teaches courses on Attention and Prediction, Cognitive Control, and Neurophysiology of Cognition and Behaviour. Education: Not explicitly stated in the provided text. Awards: Vici Grant (NWO), ERC Consolidator Grant, Ammodo Science Award, and others. Labs/Teams: Leads the Predictive Perception and Cognition group within the Donders Institute. His research highlights the brain’s predictive nature, demonstrating how expectations modulate sensory processing in early visual cortex and influence decision-making. He collaborates internationally, including an adversarial testing project on theories of consciousness.
Peter Desain is a Professor and Principal Investigator at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University. His work focuses on developing advanced brain-computer interfaces (BCI) leveraging evoked potentials, particularly through code-modulated visual and auditory stimuli. He pioneers methods like noise-tagging and Bayesian dynamic stopping to enhance BCI efficiency and accessibility. His research spans neurotechnology, electrophysiological modeling, and clinical applications such as objective EEG audiometry and ALS communication aids. Recent studies emphasize gaze-independent systems, semantic decoding, and minimizing BCI calibration requirements. Key contributions include optimizing c-VEP code-books, real-time fMRI neurofeedback for memory contexts, and literature reviews on BCI design trends. Experimental pilot studies explore auditory attention and high-frequency SSVEP dynamics. No scientific awards are explicitly mentioned. His work integrates multidisciplinary approaches, bridging neuroscience, machine learning, and engineering to advance human-computer interaction and clinical tools.
Paul Tiesinga is Professor of Neuroinformatics at Radboud University's Faculty of Science, where he directs the Neuroinformatics group at the Donders Centre for Neuroscience. His research focuses on understanding information processing in the brain, particularly the role of oscillations ('brain waves') in cognitive functions and disease mechanisms. He combines computational modeling with experimental approaches including optogenetics to investigate cortical dynamics. As Director of Education for the Institute for Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy, he oversees academic programs while maintaining active research in: Computational modeling of cortical circuits Oscillation mechanisms in neural coding Data sharing policies for neuroscience Information transfer between brain areas His recent publications reflect advances in neurotechnology development, thalamocortical connectivity analysis, and novel methodologies for neural data interpretation.
David Terburg is Associate Professor in Social Neuroscience at Utrecht University's Department of Psychology (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences). His research examines neurobiological mechanisms of social behavior using multimodal approaches including hormone administration, fMRI, and lesion studies. His research focuses on: Neural basis of social motivation and aggression Amygdala function in threat processing and escape behaviors Hormonal modulation of social decision-making Cross-species validation of social neuroscience findings Analysis of his publications shows strong emphasis on the basolateral amygdala's role in rapid threat responses, and hormonal influences (testosterone, oxytocin) on social cognition. Recent work develops neurocomputational models of cerebellum-amygdala interactions. Scientific awards include: NWO Veni Award (2013) for research on neuroendocrine mechanisms of defense behaviors He teaches courses in neuropsychology and social neuroscience, employing methods like eye-tracking and psychophysiology. His lab uses pharmacological interventions and neuroimaging to study clinical populations including psychopathy and social anxiety. Research is supported by Dutch Science Foundation grants and involves international collaborations across Europe and South Africa.
Prof. Dr. Martin Vinck is a Professor at the Donders Centre for Neuroscience in the Department of Neurophysics , Radboud University. He is also a Research Group Leader at the Ernst Strüngmann Institute for Neuroscience and a faculty member at the International Max Planck Research School for Neural Circuits . Current affiliations: Radboud University, ESI Frankfurt, Max Planck Research School Positions: Professor, Research Group Leader, Review Editor for eLife Research Interests span computational and systems neuroscience, focusing on predictive processing in biological and artificial neural networks. His lab investigates: How distinct excitatory/inhibitory neurons regulate plasticity and flexible information processing Neural ensemble coding via spatio-temporal patterns and spike sequences Self-supervised learning mechanisms using spatial/temporal predictions Gamma oscillations, synchronization, and their role in visual encoding Scientific Contributions include developing algorithms for high-dimensional neural data analysis, co-supervising key studies on interneuron dynamics, and pioneering work on predictive coding in V1. His grants include the ERC Starting Grant (2019) and VIDI Grant (2024) . Lab Members include PhD students Jinke Liu, Jahan Esfandiarii, Athanasia Tzanou and alumni Irene Onorato, Marius Schneider, Ana Clara Silveira Broggini . He actively promotes open science , develops the Spike Toolbox , and reviews for journals like Neuron, eLife, PLoS Computational Biology .
Hans van Dijk serves as a Senior Researcher in the Signal Processing Systems group within the Department of Electrical Engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology. He simultaneously holds leadership and research positions at multiple institutions, heading the Clinical Physics department at Kempenhaeghe (an institute specializing in Epileptology and Sleep medicine) and working as a Senior Researcher at the University Hospital in Ulm, Germany. His multidisciplinary career bridges engineering, clinical neurophysiology, and sleep medicine. Dr. van Dijk's research focuses on biomedical engineering applications in Clinical Neurophysiology, with particular expertise in electrophysiological techniques including EEG, EMG, and ECG. His work centers on developing and applying signal processing methods to diagnose neurological disorders, with specific emphasis on seizure detection using EEG , High-Density EMG for facial and masticatory muscles , and alternative diagnostic methods for sleep disorders . His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on applying machine learning techniques to sleep medicine and epilepsy monitoring. Analysis of Dr. van Dijk's recent publications (2021-2025) reveals a consistent research trajectory in developing advanced signal processing methods for clinical neurophysiology. His work spans three main domains: epilepsy monitoring and seizure detection (particularly in children), sleep disorder diagnostics (using multimodal approaches beyond traditional polysomnography), and advanced EMG techniques for motor unit analysis. His research increasingly incorporates deep learning and multi-modal sensor fusion approaches to improve diagnostic accuracy while reducing the invasiveness of monitoring procedures. 2699 citations according to Scopus metrics 101 research outputs documented in institutional repository Active research collaboration with Philips Research and Kempenhaeghe Contributions to UN Sustainable Development Goals through medical diagnostics research Dr. van Dijk supervises research activities with 8 documented supervised works, collaborating extensively with clinical and engineering researchers across multiple institutions. His research program integrates signal processing expertise with clinical needs in neurology and sleep medicine, developing practical solutions for monitoring and diagnosing neurological disorders. His work at Kempenhaeghe focuses on translating engineering innovations into clinical practice for epilepsy and sleep disorder patients.
Fatemehsadat Arzanforoosh is a Researcher at the Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center. Her doctoral thesis (2024) focused on glioma oxygenation and vasculature using MRI techniques. Her research interests include advancing MRI applications for brain tumor characterization, particularly gliomas and gangliogliomas. She investigates tumor microvasculature, hypoxia, and vascular dynamics through interdisciplinary approaches. Collaborations involve intraoperative Doppler ultrasound and histology correlation. Her work bridges clinical MRI with neuro-oncology, aiming to improve preoperative tumor assessment and treatment strategies. Key research areas include perfusion MRI, BOLD imaging, and dynamic susceptibility contrast techniques. She contributes to both experimental and review articles, highlighting MRI's role in understanding glioma biology and vascular pathophysiology. Her studies emphasize translational applications, such as clinical oxygen extraction fraction metrics. Current efforts focus on refining MRI protocols for tumor hypoxia detection and vascular analysis. No scientific awards are explicitly mentioned in the provided texts. She has advised no listed students but collaborates with multidisciplinary teams in neuroimaging and oncology. Her work is part of Erasmus MC's broader Radiology & Nuclear Medicine initiatives, contributing to advancements in diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for brain tumors.
Mirjam Keetels is a Lecturer at Tilburg University, affiliated with the Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology within the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Her research focuses on multisensory integration, speech perception, developmental dyslexia, and cognitive neuropsychology. She has contributed to studies exploring audiovisual processing, sensory-motor integration, and perceptual organization in both typical and atypical populations. Her work often addresses how visual and auditory inputs interact in contexts like speech perception and dyslexia. Recent publications highlight her investigations into causal perception in audiovisual stimuli, deficits in phonetic recalibration in dyslexia, and neural mechanisms underlying multisensory integration. Courses taught include academic skills in psychology and experimental psychology modules. No scientific awards or grants are explicitly mentioned in the provided text. She advises no listed students, and no lab affiliations are noted.
George Azzopardi is an Associate Professor in Pattern Recognition at the University of Groningen, affiliated with the Bernoulli Institute. He leads the PRISMA team, focusing on robust AI, medical imaging, and interdisciplinary applications in astronomy and forensics. His roles include coordinating the Applied AI theme at the Jantina Tammes School and leading WG4 of the EU GLITSS COST Action. Education: PhD in Computer Science (University of Groningen, 2013), MSc in Advanced Methods in Computer Science (Queen Mary University London, 2008), BSc in Computer Science (Goldsmiths College London, 2006). Research Interests: Brain-inspired algorithms, image processing, predictive analytics, and applications in radio astronomy, forensics, and medical diagnostics. His work emphasizes robustness in AI models and cross-domain collaborations. Publications span advancements in COSFIRE filters, deep learning robustness, and interdisciplinary applications like radio galaxy classification and biometric systems. Recent trends include enhancing model explainability and combating adversarial attacks. Awards: Ben Feringa Impact Award (2023), ENLIGHT Impact Award (2024) Advising: Supervises PhD students in AI-driven medical imaging, radio astronomy, and computer vision. Collaborates with institutions like ASTRON, UMCG, and industry partners Ziel NL and KAIOS. Labs/Teams: PRISMA team develops robust AI tools for medical and astrophysical data analysis, with projects on biostructure segmentation and camera forensics.
