Valentijn Visch is a researcher and academic at Delft University of Technology's Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, specializing in Human-Centered Design and Society, Culture, and Critique. His work focuses on eHealth interventions, gamification in healthcare, and reducing health-related stigmas through innovative design solutions. He teaches courses such as 'eHealth Design for a Healthy Society' and 'Understanding Humans,' emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to healthcare challenges. His research projects include developing embodied coaches for stroke rehabilitation, AI-driven healthcare decision-making frameworks, and inclusive eHealth tools for low socioeconomic populations. He has been recognized with awards like the Rehabilitation Year Award 2024 for his work on cardiac rehabilitation interventions and a CHI 2024 Best Paper Honourable Mention for studies on patient preferences in AI autonomy. Visch collaborates on initiatives like the 'Emotion Aware Car Seat' project, exploring human-technology interaction. His work bridges academic research with real-world applications, addressing gaps in healthcare accessibility and patient empowerment through technology.
Sita M.A. Bierma-Zeinstra is a Full Professor in the Department of General Practice at Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Rotterdam. Her academic work is deeply rooted in clinical and epidemiological research, particularly in the domain of musculoskeletal health and primary care. She is a leading figure in osteoarthritis research, focusing on knee and hip osteoarthritis, risk factors, and patient outcomes. Her research interests are centered on osteoarthritis epidemiology , primary health care interventions , biomechanics , and patient-centered outcomes . She employs advanced methodologies such as Mendelian randomization, cohort studies, and randomized controlled trials to investigate causal relationships and long-term disease trajectories. Her work emphasizes early diagnosis, prevention, and non-surgical management of joint disorders. The recent trend in her publications reveals a strong emphasis on large-scale collaborative studies , including meta-analyses from international consortia like World COACH. Her research spans clinical medicine, public health, and data-driven epidemiology, often integrating imaging, genetic, and patient-reported data. She frequently publishes in high-impact orthopedic and rheumatology journals such as Osteoarthritis and Cartilage . She has supervised over 60 research projects, including doctoral theses, indicating a strong commitment to academic mentorship and training the next generation of researchers in musculoskeletal medicine. Her work has been recognized through widespread academic engagement, with mentions in news outlets and discussions on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), as well as readership on Mendeley, indicating broad scholarly impact.
Remco M. Dijkman serves as Full Professor in Information Systems at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), chairing the Information Systems group within the Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences school. He additionally holds a Full Professor position at EAISI High Tech Systems and acts as research director for high-tech supply chains at the European Supply Chain Forum—a network of over 50 multinational companies. His research centers on Business Process Management with emphasis on data-driven optimization of business processes. His academic background includes both PhD and Master's degrees in Computer Science from the University of Twente. Publications span Information Systems, Computers in Industry, and Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology, with over 100 papers and service on the editorial board of Information Systems. He has held visiting positions at New York University, Hasso Plattner Institute, IBM Zurich Research Lab, Humboldt-University Berlin, and Queensland University of Technology. Dijkman's research interests focus on detecting, diagnosing, and predicting optimal execution scenarios in business processes, developing mathematical models for quantitative process analysis , and resource assignment optimization . These are primarily applied in transportation logistics and high-tech supply chains, where he investigates data-driven predictions for transport order assignment and supply chain planning. His work bridges artificial intelligence with practical business applications. Recent publications (2024-2025) reveal concentrated efforts in deep reinforcement learning for resource allocation, process pattern discovery, and software library development (GymPN, SimPN). Key trends include predictive process monitoring for healthcare applications, event data enrichment frameworks, and uncertainty handling in logistics planning—demonstrating strong interdisciplinary integration. Scientific recognition includes: Best Demo Award (2019) Best Reviewer Award (2016) Test of Time Award (2019) He has supervised 150 students, including Lotte Vugs who received the Dow Chemical Best OML Master Thesis Award in 2020. Grant leadership spans eight projects: NXTGEN Smart Industry (2023-2030), CollChain (2023-2029), CERTIF-AI (2020-2025), FENIX (2019-2023), and DynaPlex (2021-2024), focusing on digital twins, federated networks, and AI-driven supply chain solutions. Dijkman directs the Information Systems group at TU/e and leads the European Supply Chain Forum's high-tech supply chain research. His work integrates with semiconductor manufacturing and transportation logistics through collaborations with industry partners, while his 2023 invited talks at Technical University of Munich and Humboldt University Berlin highlight his international engagement.
Niels Anten is a Full Professor of Crop and Weed Ecology at Wageningen University & Research, specializing in plant interactions and sustainable agricultural systems. His research focuses on climate change impacts, crop diversification, and optimizing plant productivity under environmental stress. He leads projects on cocoa production resilience, intercropping strategies, and root-shoot signaling mechanisms in cereals and legumes. Key research interests include crop-weed competition, light-mediated plant responses, and the ecological roles of lianas in tropical forests. Anten has supervised 21 PhD candidates, including studies on potato stress responses, spatial crop diversification, and cocoa agroecology. His work integrates field experiments, functional-structural plant modeling, and big data analysis to address global food security challenges. Recent articles highlight breakthroughs in understanding CO2-driven photosynthetic efficiency, drought effects on cocoa yields, and far-red light influences on root systems. His datasets and collaborations span institutions globally, addressing topics like coffee genetic adaptation and arid ecosystem root dynamics. Anten frequently engages in media discussions on climate impacts on agriculture and sustainable farming practices.
Rodrigo González is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, since 2022. His research focuses on data-driven modeling, estimation, and control methods for high-tech precision systems, with applications in motion control and continuous-time system identification. Education: Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering (KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 2022) M.Sc. in Electronic Engineering (Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, 2016) His work emphasizes continuous-time system identification, state-space modeling, and Bayesian estimation techniques. Key research themes include motion control tuning, multivariable systems, and noise/disturbance modeling in precision engineering applications. Rodrigo has received the Best Electronic Engineering Student Award (2016) and Best Thesis Award from Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María. He has active collaborations with institutions like Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María through visiting researcher appointments. Scientific awards include: Best Electronic Engineering Student Award (2016) Best Thesis Award (Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María)
Ralf Peeters is a Full Professor in Mathematics of Knowledge Engineering at Maastricht University's Faculty of Science and Engineering , Department of Advanced Computing Sciences. He serves as Vice-Dean of Research and Director of the STEM Graduate School, while leading the university's team at the inter-university research school DISC and co-chairing the Mathematics Centre Maastricht. Education: PhD in Mathematics (Free University, Amsterdam, 1994) Technical Mathematics (Delft University of Technology, 1988) Research Interests span applied mathematics, systems and control theory, signal/image processing, artificial intelligence, and biomedical engineering applications. His work bridges mathematical techniques with real-world challenges in healthcare and industrial systems. Recent Publications highlight advancements in deep learning for cardiac signal reconstruction, tensor-based signal decomposition, and recurrence plot analysis. These works integrate machine learning with clinical diagnostics, particularly in electrocardiographic imaging and arrhythmia characterization. Key Collaborations: Mathematics Centre Maastricht Dutch Mathematics Platform Dutch Institute of Systems and Control Leadership Roles: Vice-Dean of Research (FSE), Director of STEM Graduate School, Head of DISC-affiliated team, and Co-Chair of Mathematics Centre Maastricht. He has supervised over 25 PhD projects, emphasizing applied research across health and industrial domains.
Job J.A.M. van der Palen is a Full Professor in Cognition, Data and Education at University of Twente, with a long-standing external position as Clinical Epidemiologist at Medisch Spectrum Twente (MST) since June 1, 1993. His academic career spans over three decades with substantial research output including 528 publications, 16,222 citations, and an h-index of 60. He maintains an active research profile with 13 publications already in 2025, demonstrating continued scholarly engagement. Dr. van der Palen's research interests focus on chronic respiratory diseases, particularly Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and asthma management. His work extends to eHealth interventions, randomized controlled trials methodology, and more recently, breast cancer research and delirium detection in elderly cardiac patients. His fingerprint analysis reveals strong expertise in Patient Medicine and Dentistry (100%), Inpatient Medicine (53%), COPD (50%), and Obstructive Lung Disease (37%). His recent publications (2024-2025) demonstrate a clear trend toward interdisciplinary research combining medical domains with data science approaches. There's a notable focus on personalized medicine through intensive longitudinal data analysis, AI-supported systematic reviews, and eHealth interventions for chronic disease management. His work bridges clinical practice with data-driven approaches, particularly evident in studies on COPD exacerbation action plans, pediatric asthma management, and advanced detection methods for postoperative complications. Best oral presentation MST Wetenschapsdag 2023 (as contributor) Dr. van der Palen has supervised 20 students' work according to institutional records, with recent activities including program committee membership for the Medisch Spectrum Twente Wetenschapsdag 2023. His research network spans multiple institutions, with significant collaborations in the Netherlands and internationally, particularly in respiratory medicine and clinical epidemiology. He has contributed to numerous randomized controlled trials and cohort studies focusing on chronic disease management and patient outcomes. His current research activities involve multiple teams working on COPD management (RE-SAMPLE cohort study), pediatric asthma (CIRCUS study), and breast cancer research. The Brain Pro-TCT study demonstrates his involvement in innovative approaches to postoperative care for elderly patients. His work with AI-supported screening methods indicates engagement with cutting-edge data analysis techniques in medical research.
Han La Poutré is a Professor at Delft University of Technology and a Senior Researcher/Manager at CWI's Intelligent and Autonomous Systems group. His research focuses on multi-agent systems, computational intelligence, and optimization techniques for Smart Energy Systems (SES), integrating electrical engineering and economics frameworks. M.Sc. in Mathematics (1986, TU Eindhoven) Ph.D. in Computer Science (1991, Utrecht University) His work spans game theory , reinforcement learning , and market mechanism design for energy grid optimization, addressing challenges in congestion management, demand-side bidding, and AI-driven media sector innovation. Recent projects include AI, Media & Democracy Lab and RESCUE (Cyber-Physical Energy Security). Key trends in his 2020-2025 publications include: Hybrid fairness/welfare frameworks for grid congestion Double-sided auction mechanisms for heat/power markets Deep reinforcement learning in discrete action spaces Game-theoretical cybersecurity modeling Multi-temporal demand response coordination Scientific Awards 2015: Best paper award at GECCO-2015 He has led NWO-funded projects like Computational Capacity Planning in Electricity Networks and served as Vice President of ERCIM. Current affiliations include ACM Transactions on Intelligent Systems editorial board.
Oktay Türetken is a Full Professor at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences school, specializing in Information Systems . He chairs the Industrial Engineering Bachelor Program and contributes to the European Research Center for Information Systems (ERCIS) in Münster, Germany. PhD in Information Systems Research Fellow at European Research Institute in Service Science (2008-2012) Adjunct Lecturer at METU’s Software Management program (pre-2008) His research focuses on digital innovation and collaborative business models , particularly in urban mobility. He develops methods for operational design , business process management , and data analytics maturity models . Key projects include MobilitEU and EU-funded initiatives in smart mobility. Recent publications address KPI frameworks for business models, platform design for shared mobility, and maturity models for organizational capabilities. He leads multi-disciplinary teams and has co-authored over 129 research outputs, including 2025 articles in Production Planning & Control and Business & Information Systems Engineering . 2021 : 1st Prize at DESRIST for paper prototype 2022 : 1st Prize for MaaS Platform Features research He supervises PhD candidates Ginger Korsten , Yasmin Rettab , and Stella Lo Giudice , and teaches courses like Digitalization and Enterprise Systems and Green and Digital Transformation . His work bridges academic research with industry consultancy via Cogniton Business Engineering Consultancy.
Edwin H.F. van Asseldonk is an Associate Professor at the TechMed Centre , University of Twente. His work bridges Biomechatronics and Rehabilitation Technology , focusing on integrating robotics and artificial intelligence to enhance mobility and autonomy in neurological patients. Key Research Areas: Exoskeleton development, motion control algorithms, gait analysis, neuromuscular modeling, and AI applications in rehabilitation. Recent Article Trends: Research emphasizes AI-driven exoskeletons for gait stability, biofeedback systems, and open data initiatives in biomechanics. Scientific Awards Best Paper Award at BioRob 2024 Best Poster at Dutch Biomedical Engineering Conference (2017) Best Student Paper Finalist (2018) Labs & Collaborations: Active in the TechMed Centre and 4TU.ResearchData, with international collaborations in Spain and beyond. Regular invited speaker on exoskeletons and rehabilitation robotics.
Ashish Cherukuri is an Associate Professor at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Science and Engineering, affiliated with the Optimization and Decision Systems group. His research focuses on optimization-based control, game theory, and multi-agent systems applied to energy, transportation, and robotics. He holds a Ph.D. from UC San Diego and postdoctoral experience at ETH Zurich. Education: Ph.D., University of California, San Diego (2012–2017) M.Sc., ETH Zurich (2008–2010) B.Tech, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (2004–2008) Research Interests: Data-driven optimization, distributed algorithms, networked cyber-physical systems, and uncertainty handling in energy and transportation systems. Recent work emphasizes stochastic optimization, game-theoretic routing, and risk-aware control. Awards: Robert E. Skelton Dissertation Award (2017) Outstanding Graduate Student Award (2016) Focht-Powell Fellowship (2012–2015) Grants & Service: Editor for the IEEE Control Systems Society, organizer of Energy-Open 2019, and member of professional societies (IEEE, INFORMS, SIAM). Active in conference organization and academic leadership roles. Labs/Teams: Part of the Jan C. Willems Center for Systems and Control and the Engineering and Technology Institute Groningen (ENTEG). Research integrates theoretical advancements with practical applications in energy networks and smart systems.
Prof. Rob Goverde is a Professor of Railway Traffic Management & Operations at the Department of Transport & Planning, TU Delft, and Director of the Digital Rail Traffic Lab. He holds a PhD in Railway Operations (2005) from TU Delft and an MSc in Mathematics from Utrecht University (1993). His research focuses on resilient railway timetabling, disruption management, energy-efficient train control, and railway safety. He teaches MSc courses like 'Railway Operations and Control' and coordinates the MSc Annotation Railway Systems and a collaborative BSc program with Beijing Jiaotong University. Research interests include railway operations optimization using operations research, max-plus algebra, and data analytics. Projects funded by Shift2Rail, NSFC, and NWO address topics like high-speed rail network capacity and resilient railway systems. He leads the Railway Systems theme at TU Delft Transport Institute and serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Rail Transport Planning & Management. His work bridges mathematical methodologies with railway domain knowledge to enhance system performance and sustainability.
Rick Kramer is an Assistant Professor at the Building Physics and Services unit within the Department of Built Environment at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the Netherlands. His work focuses on advancing building automation and energy efficiency through innovative control strategies and fault detection systems for indoor environments. His educational background includes: MSc (with honors) in Building Services from Eindhoven University of Technology (2012) PhD (with honors) from Eindhoven University of Technology with dissertation on 'Energy efficient indoor climate control strategies for museums respecting collection preservation and thermal comfort of visitors' (2017) Rick Kramer's research centers on smart control of indoor environments and fault detection in HVAC systems. His work combines data-driven techniques with expert knowledge to develop algorithms that optimize energy efficiency while maintaining human wellbeing in offices, preserving collections in museums, and ensuring proper conditions in cleanrooms. He collaborates extensively with both large companies and SMEs on R&D projects aimed at accelerating market uptake of innovations to address societal challenges. His specific expertise spans low delta-T syndrome in cooling systems, cooling coil design and performance, automatic fault detection and diagnosis (AFDD), and the impact of indoor environmental conditions on human comfort and performance. His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on cooling system optimization, particularly addressing low delta-T syndrome through advanced modeling techniques and practical solutions. His work bridges theoretical research with practical implementation in building systems, contributing significantly to energy conservation in the built environment. Rick has been recognized for his contributions to the field with: TVVL's BJ Max prize for his publications on the museum environment (2019) Best PhD dissertation award from the Department of Built Environment (2017) As an active member of the academic community, Rick serves as a reviewer for 20+ academic journals and has participated in several scientific committees for international conferences. Through his company DYSECO B.V., where he serves as co-founder, shareholder, and director, he bridges the gap between academic research and practical implementation in the building industry. Rick leads research within the EAISI (Eindhoven Artificial Intelligence Systems Institute) and EIRES (Energy Innovation and Research in the Built Environment) groups, focusing on applying AI and data science to building systems. His work contributes significantly to addressing sustainability challenges in the built environment through innovative technological solutions.
Jacquelien Scherpen is a Professor at the University of Groningen, currently serving as Rector Magnificus. She holds a position in the Engineering and Technology institute Groningen (ENTEG) within the Faculty of Science and Engineering. Her academic journey includes a PhD in Applied Mathematics from the University of Twente (1994) and post-doctoral roles at Delft University of Technology before joining Groningen in 2006. She has been a leader in systems and control research, with roles as Scientific Director of ENTEG (2013–2019) and Director of the Groningen Engineering Center (2016–2023). Her research focuses on model reduction, nonlinear control, smart energy systems, and distributed control applications in smart grids. Key achievements include the Automatica Best Paper Prize (2020), Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion (2019), and the Prince Friso Engineer of the Year Award (2023). She has held leadership roles in organizations like the European Control Association (EUCA) and is a Fellow of IEEE. Her professional activities include editorial roles in journals like the IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control and the International Journal of Robust and Nonlinear Control. She has organized major conferences, including the European Control Conference (ECC) 2021 and 2023. Her work bridges theoretical advancements with practical applications, emphasizing sustainability and engineering innovation.
Claudio De Persis is a Professor in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Groningen, Netherlands. He holds a Laurea degree (cum laude) in Electrical Engineering from the University of Rome La Sapienza (1996) and a PhD in Control Systems (2000) from the same institution. His research focuses on automatic control, particularly data-driven control, nonlinear systems, cyber-physical systems, and energy systems. He has held academic positions at the University of Rome La Sapienza (2002–2011), the University of Twente (2009–2011), and currently leads the Groningen Center for Systems and Control within the Engineering and Technology Institute. His expertise includes fault detection in nonlinear systems, resilient control under Denial-of-Service attacks, and distributed control of energy networks. He has authored over 250 publications, including seminal works on quantized control and cyber-physical systems. He serves on editorial boards of journals like Automatica and IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control . De Persis has received two IEEE Outstanding Paper Awards for contributions to control theory. His research integrates control theory with data science, addressing challenges in smart grids and distributed systems. He holds patents for energy system control and collaborates on interdisciplinary projects, such as data center optimization and resilient networked systems. His current research emphasizes data-driven methods for controller synthesis, leveraging convex optimization and system identification to ensure stability and performance. He also explores privacy-preserving distributed control algorithms for power networks and aggregative games.
