Daan Brinks

Daan Brinks is an Assistant Professor at Delft University of Technology in the Department of Imaging Physics within the Faculty of Applied Sciences. He leads the Brinks Lab, which operates at the intersection of physics, biochemistry, optics, mathematics, and nanofabrication, focusing on developing novel imaging tools for neuroscience applications. His research spans both fundamental biophysics and practical biomedical applications, with significant collaborations including Erasmus MC.

• Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology
• Department of Imaging Physics (ImPhys)
• Brinks Lab leader
• Founding member of BIOlab (Biomedical Intervention Optimization lab)
• Lead of a convergence Health and Technology Consortium

Dr. Brinks' academic journey began with an MSc in Molecular Nanophotonics from the University of Twente (2002-2007), followed by a PhD at ICFO Institute Barcelona (2007-2012). He then completed prestigious fellowships at Harvard University as a Rubicon Fellow (2012-2014) and HMMI Fellow (2014-2017) before joining TU Delft as an Assistant Professor in 2017.

His research interests center on voltage imaging techniques to monitor neural activity, optogenetics for neural control, nonlinear optical microscopy for enhanced resolution, and AI applications in bioimaging. The lab develops tools to transduce information in neurons into detectable photons, addressing questions from biophysical principles to behavioral consequences and from subcellular compartments to complete organisms. Current projects include Voltage nanoscopy using plasmonic enhancement, Absolute Voltage Imaging through fluorescence lifetime measurements, Multiphoton Voltage Imaging for deep tissue applications, and advanced image analysis with machine learning.

The publications reveal a strong focus on developing novel optical tools for neuroscience, particularly genetically encoded voltage indicators and plasmonic enhancement techniques. His work bridges physics, molecular biology, and neuroscience, with applications ranging from fundamental understanding of neural circuits to cancer cell identification. The research shows progression from fundamental physics (early career) to increasingly applied neuroscience and biomedical applications (recent work), with publications in top journals including Nature, Science Advances, and Nature Biomedical Engineering.

• Rubicon Fellow (2012-2014)
• HMMI Fellow (2014-2017)
• Publications in Nature, Science Advances, Nature Biomedical Engineering
• Media coverage in major outlets including Delta TU Delft and Trouw

Dr. Brinks actively mentors students and researchers, with his lab welcoming enthusiastic students, PhD candidates, and postdocs interested in multidisciplinary projects at the junction of optics, molecular biology, and neuroscience. His research has received external funding through fellowships and likely additional grants supporting his lab's operations. The Brinks Lab collaborates extensively with both academic and medical institutions, particularly evident in the cancer cell research with Erasmus MC.

The lab maintains strong physical infrastructure including advanced microscopy systems and nanofabrication capabilities, supporting their work in voltage imaging, plasmonics, and single-cell analysis. They have developed several hardware and software interfaces for automated interaction with excitable tissues and model dynamics in hybrid systems, reflecting their interdisciplinary approach to neuroscience questions.