Leonie van Steijn

Dr. Leonie van Steijn is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, specializing in Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics. Her research focuses on computational modeling of cell motility and navigation, particularly how cells process environmental cues to influence their movement. She contributes to teaching in the Molecular and Biophysical Life Sciences Bachelor program, emphasizing computational skills, programming, and statistical modeling.

• Education: PhD in Mathematical Institute, Leiden University (2016–2021).

Research Interests:
Van Steijn investigates the interplay between cell deformability, environmental microstructures, and motility patterns. Her work extends to modeling leukocyte migration during wound healing and genome-scale metabolic networks in zebrafish. Key methodologies include Python-based simulations and dynamic modeling of biological systems.

Publications:
Her recent studies explore topotaxis in dense microenvironments, adhesion dynamics in motility modes, and mathematical foundations of biological networks. These span interdisciplinary fields from immunology to theoretical mathematics.

Skills:
Expertise in Python programming, computational modeling, and development of biological simulation frameworks.