Stefan Vandoren

Prof. Stefan Vandoren is a Professor in the Department of Physics at Utrecht University, affiliated with the Faculty of Science and the Institute for Theoretical Physics (ITF). He has held leadership roles as Director of ITF (2012-2018) and Head of the Department of Physics (2018-2024). His research focuses on String Theory, Cosmology, Elementary Particle Physics, and Black Hole Physics, with contributions to quantum gravity and supersymmetric field theories.

He has been awarded the Descartes-Huygens Prize (2008), NWO-VICI Laureate (2009-2016), and is a Fellow of the University of Hasselt’s Faculty of Science (2012). He leads the 'Dutch Black Hole Consortium' (NWA grant, 2021-2027) and has advised numerous researchers in theoretical physics. His work bridges particle physics, cosmology, and mathematical structures like moduli spaces and orbifolds.

Recent publications explore topics such as scalar clouds in Gauss-Bonnet gravity, freely acting orbifolds in string theory, and Carroll symmetry in dark energy models. His research also addresses entanglement entropy in Lifshitz systems, holographic superconductors, and black hole entropy via F-theory.