Govert Somsen

Govert Somsen is a Full Professor of Biomolecular Analysis/Analytical Chemistry at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam since 2013, within the Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science. He holds a doctorate from VU Amsterdam (1997) and previously held roles at the University of Groningen and Utrecht University. His research focuses on hyphenated analytical techniques for complex mixtures and (bio)polymers, emphasizing molecular heterogeneity.

Education:

• PhD in Analytical Chemistry (1997, VU Amsterdam)
• MSc Chemistry with specialization in Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy (1989, VU Amsterdam)
• BSc Chemistry (1984, VU Amsterdam)

Research Interests: Development and application of coupled analytical methods (e.g., chromatography-mass spectrometry, electrophoresis-spectroscopy) for biomolecular analysis. Key contributions include studies on monoclonal antibodies, venom proteomics, and material characterization through hyphenated techniques. He co-founded the Center of Analytical Sciences Amsterdam (CASA) and serves as Editor of Journal of Chromatography B.

Grants & Projects:

• Principal Investigator for projects like PARADISE (2021–2026) and Understanding Materials by Characterizing Essential Distributions (2019–2024).

Labs & Teams: Active in the CASA initiative and collaborates internationally on analytical separations. Supervised 14 PhD theses and contributes to academic leadership roles, including Theme Coordinator for Analytics & Photonics in the BSc Chemistry program.