Background

I grew up in rural Netherlands, fascinated by the world around me. Aiming to understand how it all worked and came to be led me to study the Universe itself through astronomy. I specialised in radio astronomy, in part because radio telescopes do not require clear blue skies (pretty rare in the Netherlands), and because radio astronomy is an exciting interface between different domains, i.e. engineering, mathematics, and astrophysics. Over time, that same curiosity and desire to explore the world matured into an ambition to solve tangible, high-stakes problems, wherever they happened to be.

Space

I studied Astronomy & Physics at the University of Groningen, Uppsala University, and Leiden University between 2009 and 2015, obtained my PhD at Curtin University in Australia in 2020, and was awarded a McGill Space Institute Fellowship at McGill University in Canada in 2021. As an astrophysicist I focussed on the design, deployment, and performance of radio telescopes. Specifically telescopes searching for signals from the very first stars in the Universe, and the cause of incredibly powerful phenomena called Fast Radio Bursts.

Strategy

However, my interests are broader than fundamental space science alone. Between the various stages of my research career, I aimed to make a positive impact on challenges much closer to home. I have worked in student counselling & education management at Leiden University, supporting informed policy making by enhancing the access to national public health and social welfare data at the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), and leading the construction of the CHIME space observatory network across North America.

Storytelling

I love realising a good story—but I equally enjoy telling the story as it reminds me of why I do what I do. Nothing beats the feeling of bringing your audience along with your story, whether they are stakeholders, team members or non-experts. My experience in theatre shaped how I think about communication and has stayed with me throughout my previous as a science communicator visiting disadvantaged schools in the Netherlands and rural Western Australia, a physics tutor for high school and university students, and an organiser of public events like Astronomy on Tap.

Project Highlights