Van Opstal John

John Van Opstal is a Full Professor of Biophysics and Director of the Donders Centre for Neuroscience at Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. His research focuses on neurophysiological mechanisms underlying auditory perception, multisensory integration, and gaze control, with significant contributions to cochlear implant technology and neurotechnology. He holds a PhD from Radboud University (1988) and has held academic positions since 1984, progressing from Assistant Professor (1990–1998) to Associate Professor (1998–2005) before becoming Full Professor in 2010.

• Director of Donders Centre for Neuroscience (2018–present)
• Chair in Biophysics (2010–present)
• Former Honorary Professor in Systems Neuroscience (2005–2010)

Research Interests: Combining neurophysiological recordings, psychophysics, and computational modeling to understand how sensory inputs guide behavior. Key areas include sound localization, vestibular function, and the development of neural prosthetics like cochlear implants.

Awards: Member of Academia Europaea (2017), ERC Advanced Grant (2016), VICI Grant (2005), and extensive funding from national/international bodies. His work has led to over 9M€ in competitive grants.

Grants & Students: Supervised 14 PhD students through the HealthPAC project (2014–2017), focusing on perception-action mechanisms in health and disease. Active in translational research, including collaborations with Advanced Bionics and Philips.