Mariëlle Aarts

Mariëlle Aarts serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of the Built Environment at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), specializing in human-centered lighting research. Her work spans multiple research groups including Building Lighting and the Intelligent Lighting Institute, with office location at Vertigo 6.11. She also chairs the Board at the Light and Health Research Foundation SOLG at TU/e, where she promotes awareness of light's impact on human health and connects researchers in this field.

Her research focuses on the intersection of lighting with human wellbeing, particularly examining daylight, electrical lighting, comfort, and energy considerations within the built environment. Aarts maintains special expertise in lighting applications for working environments and elderly populations, recognizing the distinct requirements for these groups compared to general populations. Her work extends to therapeutic applications of light for affective disorders and lighting conditions in medical facilities.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on translational lighting research connecting engineering principles with health outcomes. Her work spans building science, environmental psychology, and public health domains, with particular attention to methodological improvements in light measurement, the impact of light on vision development, and the psychological effects of natural versus artificial lighting patterns. Aarts demonstrates consistent collaboration across international research teams, particularly with colleagues at TNO and other European institutions.

• Chairman of the Board, Light and Health Research Foundation SOLG at TU/e
• Former researcher at TNO (2001)
• Member of the Daylight Committee of the Dutch Lighting Foundation

Aarts teaches multiple courses including 'Advancing light for human functioning', 'Physics of light and lighting design', and 'Healthy & sustainable living environments'. Her educational activities emphasize the practical application of lighting principles for human benefit, connecting theoretical knowledge with real-world implementation. Her research laboratory environment includes the Intelligent Lighting Institute where she collaborates on projects examining lighting's physiological and psychological impacts.