Rianne de Heide

Rianne de Heide is an Assistant Professor in the Statistics group (STAT) within the Department of Applied Mathematics at the University of Twente's Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science. She maintains collaborative arrangements with LUXs Data Science in Leiden, CWI, and VU Mathematics in Amsterdam as a guest researcher while working partly remotely during her family's relocation. Her academic journey includes a previous position as Assistant Professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

• PhD Dissertation: 'Bayesian Learning: Challenges, Limitations and Pragmatics' (2020)
• MSc Thesis: 'The Safe-Bayesian Lasso' (2016)

De Heide's research spans multiple interconnected domains within statistics and machine learning, with particular emphasis on developing mathematically rigorous frameworks that remain accessible to diverse audiences. Her work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications, focusing on hypothesis testing with e-values, Bayesian learning methodologies, and best-arm identification problems in multi-armed bandit settings. She demonstrates exceptional interdisciplinary range, connecting statistical theory with philosophical inquiry and even theological discussions as evidenced by her publications on biblical authorship verification and mathematical beauty.

Analysis of her publication trajectory reveals a clear evolution toward developing anytime-valid statistical methods, particularly through e-values and e-processes for multiple testing scenarios. Her recent work shows increasing focus on foundational questions in statistical inference while maintaining strong connections to practical machine learning applications. The 2024 'Safe Testing' paper in the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society represents a significant contribution that generated a formal discussion meeting.

• VENI project 'E-values for Multiple Testing'
• NWO M2 grant of €742,708 with Jelle Goeman (funding 2 PhD students and a scientific programmer)
• 2025 Bernoulli Society New Researcher Award

De Heide actively supervises research through her VENI project and the NWO M2 grant, while also contributing to broader academic service through the 'Kindness and Excellence in Academia' initiative she co-founded. This initiative addresses critical cultural issues in academic environments through opinion pieces, resources, and community building around compassionate academic practices. She has organized specialized events like the E-Day meet-up for e-value researchers at CWI in Amsterdam, demonstrating leadership in her niche research community.

Her research activities are centered around the Statistics group at the University of Twente, with significant external collaborations through the E-mailing list for e-value researchers and partnerships with institutions including CWI, VU Amsterdam, and Leiden's LUXs Data Science. The interdisciplinary nature of her work creates connections across mathematics, computer science, philosophy, and even religious studies.