The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) has selected 18 new members. The approximately 600 members of the Academy are leading scientists and scholars from all disciplines. Membership is for life. The new members will be installed on Monday 30 October.
The new members are:
Heads of Division of Oncogenomics at the Netherlands Cancer Institute and full professor of molecular genetics at Erasmus University Rotterdam
Reuven Agami has made a series of extremely original high-impact discoveries, including pSUPER and miRVec, two biomolecular techniques for studying genes that cause disease or cancer. Recently, he has been engaged in developing a completely new research field in cancer biology with his study of translation (how RNA is translated into proteins). He realised that in cancer cells such translation proceeds in a more disorderly manner than in normal cells. The abnormal proteins produced due to this disorderly process offer a key to new methods for deploying the body's own immune system against cancer cells, thus combatting cancer.
Professor of hydrology at Utrecht University
Marc Bierkens addresses the important question of whether we will have enough water available in the future, given current explosive population growth and climate change. He is the leading international expert in the development of quantitative models in large-scale hydrology. These models are unique because they link up surface water and groundwater on a global scale. They are being developed as open-source models available to anyone. Prof. Bierken's research has shown that in many countries the way groundwater is extracted for human use is unsustainable. Understanding water flows is important not only as regards their use for drinking water and agriculture, but also for understanding and predicting droughts, floods, the salinisation of freshwater, and the conservation of freshwater ecosystems.
Professor of digital humanities and history of the humanities at the University of Amsterdam
Rens Bod is an influential computational humanities scholar, but has also, almost single-handedly, established a new and vibrant field of research: the history of the humanities. His book De vergeten wetenschappen: Een geschiedenis van de humaniora [The Forgotten Sciences: A History of the Humanities] was the first world history of the humanities, and has been translated into seven languages. It shows how the scientific empirical method first emerged in the humanities and was subsequently adopted by the natural sciences. His recent book Een wereld vol patronen: De geschiedenis van kennis [World of Patterns: A Global History of Knowledge] surveys the overall development of knowledge systems. Prof. Bod regularly publishes opinion articles and is the founder of WOinActie, a movement of academics and students that campaigns for sufficient funding for education and research in science and the humanities. Its work has contributed to structural investment in this sector.
Professor of microbiology at Wageningen University & Research
Thijs Ettema has carried out pioneering work in unravelling the evolution of prokaryotes, relatively simple micro-organisms, into the more complex eukaryotes, cells with discrete compartments such as a cell nucleus. Human cells are also eukaryotes. Using modern genomics techniques, his research group has discovered a new group of microorganisms, the Asgard archaea. These archaea belong to the prokaryotes but they have a number of genes and properties that until recently were considered typically eukaryotic. Prof. Ettema's discovery of this "missing link" in the evolution of eukaryotic cells has had a major impact in the field of microbiology, but even more so in evolutionary biology, where the development of prokaryotes into eukaryotes is one of the major issues still requiring clarification.
Professor of globalisation studies at the University of Amsterdam
Jeroen de Kloet has carried out pioneering research on popular culture in China. He combines approaches from media studies into art, music, fashion, film, and new media with insights from anthropology and communication studies. He has, for instance, researched punk culture in China, the run-up to the Beijing Olympics, and ideas around fatherhood in Chinese reality shows. Prof. De Kloet does not shy away from investigating censorship and the limits of criticism in China, for example in a study of individual and political expression on the Chinese Weibo platform. He is open to the differing perspectives of Western and East Asian researchers.
Professor of oral functioning, in particular orofacial pain and dysfunction, at the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and University of Amsterdam
As a dentist, he researches teeth grinding; a problem that is often difficult to treat and can lead to pain and tooth wear. His research shows that such grinding also involves a behavioural component; it has led to innovative methods for treating this sometimes debilitating problem. He also studies facial pain and sleep disorders in relation to dentistry (for example obstructive sleep apnoea). His research has resulted in closer collaboration between dentistry and such disciplines as neurology, otolaryngology, and anaesthesiology. His focus on a non-invasive biopsychosocial approach to facial pain has led dentists to adopt a more cautious and scientifically sound approach, thus reducing complications and costs.
Professor of molecular dynamics at the University of Groningen
Siewert-Jan Marrink has gained international acclaim for his molecular simulations of biomembranes, especially the MARTINI computer model, which can accurately predict the behaviour and dynamics of complex biological systems. Prof. Marrink recognised that you need to simplify the molecular structure of biomolecules enough to facilitate computer calculations of large collections of these molecules, but not to such an extent that important chemical properties of these biomolecules are lost sight of. His work has revolutionised membrane biology, and he himself has made a number of pioneering discoveries about biological membranes and the protein complexes embedded within them. The MARTINI software is also used worldwide outside this field, and even outside biology.
Professor of finance at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Albert J. Menkveld is the Netherlands' most productive researcher in economics and business administration. His work focuses mainly on the role of technology in modern financial markets, such as high-frequency trading, in which transactions take place every nanosecond. How can this benefit – or in fact harm – securities trading? Prof. Menkveld also examines the role of clearing houses, which handle the settlement of transactions. These became mandatory after the 2007-2008 financial crisis as a means of reducing risks, but they may themselves also be at risk. Prof. Menkveld’s research, including a critical evaluation of changes since the financial crisis, is of great importance to understanding how financial markets work.
Professor of digital heritage at the University of Amsterdam
Julia Noordegraaf is an internationally recognised trailblazer in media studies. She was a leader in developing innovative large-scale digital tools for media research and analysis. Examples include CLARIAH, a research infrastructure for researchers in the humanities and social sciences, and Time Machine Europe, a simulator for 5,000 years of European history. In the Amsterdam Time Machine, the public can take a virtual trip back to the Amsterdam of bygone centuries, at the level of neighbourhoods, streets, and houses. Prof. Noordegraaf's work and her approach have also inspired others to develop new methodologies and technologies for accessing the digital archives of TV and radio, newspapers, books, academic journals, and new media.
Head of the microbial ecology department at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) and professor of microbial interactions and diversity at Leiden University
Jos Raaijmakers is a pioneer in the study of the plant biome. Various micro-organisms living on and in plant tissues can help the host plant fight disease-causing fungi and parasites. To understand these complex interactions, Prof. Raaijmakers applies new sequencing technologies and develops innovative strategies to reduce the excessive use of pesticides. His research thus contributes to advancing sustainable food production and a more circular society.
Professor of psychosomatic medicine at the University of Groningen and the Groningen University Medical Centre (UMCG)
Judith Rosmalen is a driving force in international biopsychosocial health research. She focuses on persistent physical complaints caused by a known syndrome or with an unknown cause. Her research utilises long-term population studies such as Lifelines and TRAILS, many of which she helped set up herself. These studies chart a unique combination of biomedical and psychosocial data related to health, and are now proving to be of great value, for example in research on the post-COVID syndrome.
Professor of medical technology and innovation at Radboud University Medical Centre and scientific director of the TechMed centre at the University of Twente
The research of Maroeska Rovers supports decision-making on medical technology, for example the use of robots in healthcare. Her aim is to contribute to the development of effective, affordable, and valuable medical innovations. In her innovative research, Prof. Rovers employs epidemiological methods and economic modelling to identify the relationship between costs and benefits, including the associated uncertainties. Since 2020, she has been director of Health Innovation Netherlands (Hi-NL), a network that brings together parties involved in healthcare innovation.
Professor of Iranian and Persian Studies at Utrecht University
Asghar Seyed‐Gohrab is an internationally acclaimed researcher in the field of Persian literature and culture, with a particular focus on Sufism. He has fundamentally altered how the great classical Persian poet Nezami is perceived, by pointing out the mystical and religious dimensions of his love poetry. Prof. Seyed-Gohrab studies the ways in which Persian poetry is used in different fields, such as religion and politics, to galvanise people into action. In doing so, he pays particular attention to non-conformist thinkers in the Persian cultural realm and the way they share their controversial ideas especially through poetry. As a scholar and interpreter of culture and history, Prof. Seyed-Gohrab plays an important role in academia and society.
Professor of criminal law and procedure at Tilburg University
Elies van Sliedregt is a researcher in the field of national and international criminal law. She has studied judicial methods and international cooperation in combating war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. She identifies areas in which international criminal law still needs to be developed further. There are, for instance, legal "black holes" at the interface between criminal and immigration law, where both suspects and victims struggle to invoke their rights. In her study on individual criminal responsibility for serious violations of international criminal law, she substantiates how it is not only the direct perpetrators of the crimes who are responsible, but also the “penpusher criminals” [Schreibtischtäter] who organise and orchestrate those crimes.
Professor of palaeoceanography at Utrecht University
Appy Sluijs is known for his discovery that the greenhouse gas disaster and the associated climate change 56 million years ago were the result of a chain reaction in which warming and rising CO2 levels in the atmosphere reinforced each other. This led to warming, acidification of the oceans, and oxygen-depleted areas in coastal seas. There was a drastic change in biology throughout the world. In later work, he investigated the sensitivity of the climate system to increasing atmospheric CO2 levels by studying past climate changes. Prof. Sluijs’s research is broadly based, combining earth sciences, biology, chemistry and physics, and involving experimental, analytical, and modelling work. He develops educational materials with and for secondary school teachers, is a sought-after speaker, appearing at conferences and on television, and plays an active role in the scientific discussion of climate and the associated public debate.
Professor of public management at Erasmus University Rotterdam
Sandra van Thiel is a leading researcher on executive agencies and their relationship with politicians and government. She has studied privatisation processes in Western countries whereby government departments were turned into semi-independent organisations, such as ProRail (responsible for the Dutch national railway network infrastructure) or the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) in the Netherlands. This transformation has had an impact on the delivery of public services, accountability, and political-administrative relations. Prof. Van Thiel's research draws on insights from public administration, law, economics, business administration and psychology, and she contributes to public debate, with lively contributions in the media, as well as in parliamentary inquiries. She is regularly consulted by ministries, executive agencies, governments, and parliaments.
Professor of accounting and assurance services at Maastricht University
Ann Vanstraelen is one of the leading researchers and a major innovator in auditing and accountancy. This is a discipline that has developed into a thriving international research area in recent decades, meeting the growing need for reliable data and control in the commercial and public sectors. Prof. Vanstraelen has studied financial reporting and governance issues, as well as the reliability of sustainability reports, opening up a whole new area of research.
Professor of radiology at Leiden University and founder-director of the Gorter MRI Centre at Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC)
Andrew Webb is an expert in MRI, a medical examination technology that uses powerful magnetic fields and radio waves to look inside the human body. Prof. Webb has developed techniques for enhancing image quality and maximising information content. His specific research focus involves broadening the impact of this technology by developing simpler, more sustainable, and smarter MRI machines that are also accessible in developing countries or can be used in smaller healthcare facilities. Applying an open-science approach, he is developing entirely new MRI machines using powerful small permanent magnets instead of the usual superconducting magnets. An initial version of this MRI device was built locally in Uganda, and there are plans for many more in other low- and middle-income countries.