Portrait of Dr Maziyar Jalaal, Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Cambridge and University of Amsterdam — **Mazi Jalaal (PI)**

— Associate Professor (DAMTP/Cambridge) / Jan 2026 - now
— Associate Professor (IoP/UvA) / Sep 2024 - now
— Assistant Professor / Jan 2021 - Sep 2024
— Postdoc, DAMTP - U. Cambridge / 2019 - 2021
— Postdoc, PoF - U. Twente / 2017-2019
— Ph.D., U. British Columbia / 2012-2017
**Research Interest:** See here
**Listens to:** Doechii and Loyle Carner

**Olfa D’Angelo (Veni Fellow)**

— Veni Fellow, December 2025-now
— Fellow, Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace
— PhD, RWTH Aachen University
— B.Sc. & M. Sc., the European School of Materials Science and Engineering
— MBA, University of Lorraine
**Research interest:** microgravity
**Follows:** Danielle Wood and Tomás Saraceno

**Yuri Zeniti Sinzato (Ph.D)**

– Ph.D. Student / Feb 2022 - now
— M.Sc. & B.E., Mechanical Engineering, University of Brasília
**Research Interest:** Algae & Cyanobacteria biophysics
**Listens to:** Tom Jobim and Jamiroquai

**Hugo Leonardo França (Postdoc)**

– Postdoc June 2023 - now
— Ph.D. Student (March 2019 - 2023), Computational Mathematics, University of São Paulo (USP)
**Research Interest:** Computational Fluid Dynamics, Complex Fluids
**Listens to:** Samba and Brazilian music

**Jared Popowski (Ph.D.)**

— Ph.D. Student / Nov 2023 - now
— M.Sc. Physics, University of British Columbia
— B.A. Physics & Math, University of Colorado Boulder
**Research Interest:** Glassy Dynamics in Active
Biological Matter, Plants
**Loves:** Climbing, rap & jazz music & yoyoing

**Isabelle Eisenmann (Postdoc)**

– Postdoc September 2024 - now
— Post-doc, Jan-Aug 2024, ENS Paris
— PhD student, 2020-2023, ENS Paris
**Research Interest:** Algae & Cyanobacteria biophysics
**Likes:** mountains, night trains and piano

**Pedro Cosme (Postdoc)**

– Postdoc August 2024 - now
— Ph.D. Student (September 2019 - May 2024), Physics Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon
**Research Interest:** Dynamical & Active Systems, Complex Fluids
**Listens to:** Monteverdi, Rameau, Bach & Sweelinck

**Lysander Blankenborg (Ph.D.)**

– Ph.D. November 2025 - now
— M.Sc. Cardiovascular health and disease, Utrecht University
— B.Sc. Cardiovascular health and disease, Utrecht University
**Research Interest:** Mechanosensing, Cardiovascular Biophysics
**Listens to:** Steely Dan

Screenshot 2021-09-18 at 21.07.17.png — **Tom Appleford (Ph.D.)**

— Ph.D. Student / Sep 2022 - now
— M.Sc. Physics and Astrophysics UvA/VU
— B.Sc. Mathematics and Physics, Durham Uni.
**Research Interest:** Plastocapillarity, Cavitation
**Likes:** to play the trombone

**Ramón Nartallo-Kaluarachchi (Postdoc)**

— Postdoc September 2026 - now
— DPhil in Mathematics, University of Oxford
— MMath in Mathematics, University of Warwick
**Research Interest:** Intelligent Matter, Statistical Physics, Machine Learning
**Likes:** fried eggs, ironing, golden retrievers

**Kira Patel (PhD)**

— Ph.D. Student October 2026 - now
— MMath Mathematics University of Oxford
**Research Interest:** Complex Fludis
**Likes:** Baking and gymnastics

**Maria Tătulea-Codrean** **(Els Koffeman Fellow)**

— ‎ Els Koffeman Fellow & Guest Scientist
— ‎ Junior Research Fellow, 2022-2025, Clare College, University of Cambridge
— Postdoc, 2021-2022, Collège de France
— PhD student, 2017-2021, DAMTP, University of Cambridge
**Research Interest:** Bacterial motility, Flagella, Synchronization dynamics
**Loves:** stroopwafels, gardens, and Spotify playlists

**Hossein Hassanzadeh (Postdoc)**

— Postdoc NSERC Fellow October 2026 - now
— Joint Postdoc, U. British Columbia & U. Laval
— Ph.D., U. Laval
**Research Interest**: Complex Fluids
**Likes**: photography, road trips, hiking, and fishing.

**Leonie Karr (Visiting PhD)**

— Visiting PhD October 2026 - now
— PhD at TUM
— B.Sc. & M.Sc. Physics, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich
**Research Interest**: Plant Physics
**Likes**: flea markets, animals and classical music.

**Alice Woodbridge** (**David Crighton Fellow)**

— DC Postdoc October 2026 - now
— PhD student, 2022 - 2026, University of Manchester
— MEng Chemical Engineering, 2018 - 2022, University of Manchester
**Research Interest**: Plastocapillarity
**Likes**: Cycling and BBC Radio 6 Music

**Daan de Bos (PhD)**

— M.Sc. in Physics, Leiden University
— B.Sc. in Mathematics & Physics, Leiden University
**Research Interest**: Active Fluids
**Likes**: Cycling, wild camping, Latin and ancient Greek

**Benjamin Karman**

— M.Sc. Biological Sciences, UvA

— B.Sc. Biology (VU) & B.A. Greek and Latin Language and Culture (UvA)
**Research Interest**: Animal Cell Mechanosensing
**Loves**: scouting, playing viola, music production & ancient philosophy

**Carola Seyfert (Guest Scientist)**

— Researcher (Deltares)
— Ph.D. Applied Physics, U Twente 2020
— M.Sc. Engineering, TU Dresden
**Research Interest:** Environmental Fluid Mechanics
**Loves:** Birds

**Nico Schramma (Visiting Scientist)**

– Visiting Scientist (Postdoc at Amsterdam UMC)
– Ph.D. Student / Jan 2021 - Octoeber 2025
— M.Sc. MPI - Dynamics & Self-Organisation
— B.Sc. Physics, University of Göttingen
**Research Interest:** Active Biological Matter
**Follows:** Adam Ondra and Shauna Coxsey

**Jeanne Abitbol-Spangaro** **(Postdoc)**

– Postdoc, October 2026 - now
– PhD Plant Developmental Biology, ENS Lyon
– M.D. Computational and Mathematical Biology, Aix-Marseille University
**Research Interest:** Protists, Plants, Biophysics
**Likes:** ceramics, cinema, scubadiving

**Vivien Ohlms (M.Sc)**

— M.Sc. Physics and Astronomy, UvA/VU
— B.Sc. Biophysics, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin; M.Sc.
**Project**: Hydrodynamic Synchronization
**Loves**: Good food, playing Tennis, and knitting

**Elias Abele (M.Sc.)**

— M.Sc. Physics and Astronomy, UvA/VU
— B.Sc. Physics, University of Münster
**Project**: Chiral Hydrodynamics
**Enjoys**: Playing the Cello

**Victor Germans (M.Sc.)**

— M.Sc. Physics and Astronomy, UvA/VU
— B.Sc. Physics and Astronomy, UvA/VU
**Project**: Chiral Hydrodynamics
**Likes**: Dancing

**Andriarimina Daniel Rakotonirina (Guest Scientist)**

— Computational Scientist, The Ocean Cleanup / 2020 – now
— Postdoc, U. British Columbia / 2016 – 2018
— Ph.D. Computational Physics, ENS Lyon / 2013 – 2016
**Research interests:** multi-scale transport of meso-, macro- and mega-plastics
**Likes:** dancing, farming, oceans, and mountains

**Nietzsche J (Honorable member)**

— B.Sc. Philosophy of Physics, U Tehran
**Project:** Metaphysics of Physics
**Reads:** Goethe and Hafiz

Screenshot 2021-09-19 at 13.22.26.png — **Biggie Z (Honorable member)**

— B.Sc. Math and Physics, UBC
**Project:** Nonlinear tale dynamics
**Fan of:** Canucks and Rasi Z

**see** **this page** **for the available positions.**

ARTISTS in RESIDENCE

Christopher William Bellamy

Chris Bellamy is a biodesigner fascinated by how we can live more symbiotically with nature. He has a background designing electric vehicles, footwear, and outdoor gear. After realising incremental improvements to plastics and metals would never be sufficient to meet climate targets, Chris has changed his career to work with living things. Chris' award-winning studio "Bio Crafted" explores the potential of “livingness”, both as a materiality and a philosophical approach, through interspecies and intercultural collaborations.

Chris' latest project, Lucid Life, is inspired by corals’ symbiotic relationships, Chris has developed a contemporary living material encapsulating bioluminescent micro-algae, which emits light in response to touch.

Likes: Idioms in different languages

website

Catalina Reyes Navarro

Catalina is a Chilean artist and filmmaker in Amsterdam with a BA in Graphic Design (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso), a Creative Practices certificate (International Center of Photography, USA) and an MA in Moving Image (Sandberg Instituut, NL). Her moving-image practice interlaces personal and historical narratives to reshape how we perceive past and present environments.

She’s now spearheading Micro Temporalities, an experimental analog-photography methodology that uses microalgae as low-impact developers on film and light-sensitive paper. Launched during a February 2025 residency at AGALAB Amsterdam, the project runs three concurrent phases—cultivating microalgae (sourced from UvA’s Aquatic and Microbial Ecology Lab), darkroom trials and protocol development—to forge a replicable, eco-sustainable darkroom process.

Likes: Pilates and Pole Dancing

website

Alumni

**Cintia Perugachi Israëls**

M.Sc. Theor. Physics, 21-22’
**Biophysics of Plants**
**Likes:** Mountaineering

**Jesse van der Kolk**

B.Sc. Physics, 21’
**Viscoplastic Spreading**
**loves:** skateboarding

Screenshot 2021-06-10 at 20.18.01.png — **Marieke Beerepoot**

B.Sc. Physics, 21’
**Bubbles in Complex Fluids**
**Fan of:** AZ Alkmaar

**Jackson Wilt**

Research Associate, 21-22’
**3D printing active matter**
**Fan of:** Studio Ghibli

Screenshot 2021-06-10 at 20.18.27.png — **Sophie Beck**

B.Sc. Physics, 21’
**Bioluminescence**
**Likes to:** Dance

**Samantha Visbeek**

Research Assistant, 21-22’
**ML for 3D printing**
**Fan of:** AFC Ajax

**Juliette Landi**

M.Sc. Cell Physics 26’

**Plant Trichomes**
**Enjoys:** Reading

**Patricija Miržinskaitė**
[*joint with Maria Tătulea-Codrean*]

M.Sc. Biomedical Sciences 26’
**Flagellar Propulsion**
**Reads:** Eastern philosophy

**Vera Horjus**

M.Sc. Physics 26’
**Synthetic Active Matter**
**Loves:** playing the bass

**Hannah van Sterkenburg**

M.Sc. Physics 26’
**Active Chiral fluids**
**Likes:** Running

**Elias Sijl**

M.Sc. Physics 26’
**Physics of Cyanobacteria**
**Likes:** Beekeeping

**Holly du Plessis**

M.Sc. Physics 25’
**Odd Viscosity**
**Loves:** Sushi

**Jetske Ribbers**

B.Sc. Physics 22’
**computational viscoplasticity**
**Loves:** to read and ski

**Thijs Albers**

M.Sc. Theor. Physics 22-23’
**Mathematical Billiards**
**Follows:** Space News

**Rafaella Pitsillou**

M.Sc. Physics 22’
**Locomotion in Viscoplastic Fluids**
**Loves:** Dogs, Daft Punk

Screenshot 2021-06-10 at 20.19.44.png — **Twan Heijink**

B.Sc. Physics, Saxion, 21’
**Viscoplastic Waves**
**Admires:** John Mayer

**Evelien Wooning**

*[joint with Anotine Deblais]*
M.Sc. Physics 23’
**Viscoplastic Droplets**
**Loves to:** play the klaverjas

**Pepijn Sommerdijk**

B.Sc. Physics, 22’
**Locomotion in Complex Fluids**
**Loves:** Tyler the Creator

**Fernando López-Carrasco Pérez**

M.Sc. Theor. Physics 23-24’
**Biological Pattern Formation**
**Loves:** hispanic music

**Mélanie Labiausse**

M.Sc. Physics, ENS-PSL
**Signalling in Plants**
**Likes:** Reading & frogs

**Frenk Klein Schiphorst**

M.Sc. Theor. Physics 23-24’
**Computational Viscoplasticity**
**Likes:** (board) games

**Karen Villari**

M.Sc. Freshwater Biology 24’
**Chloroplast Positioning**
**Loves:** Amphibians

**Valentin Rosario**

M.Sc. Theor. Physics 23-24’
**Computaional Glaciology**
**Loves:** Skiing

**Eva Pot**

M.Sc. Freshwater Biology
**Cyanobacteria Growth**
**Likes:** Plants & dogs

**Hugo Tchétché**

Intern 23’
**Computational Viscoplasticity**
**Loves:** *Football*

**Gloria Casas Canales**

M.Sc. Marine Biology 23’
**Chloroplast positioning**
**Loves:** Scuba diving

**Daniël Tieman**

M.Sc. Physics 23’
**Fluid dynamics of 3D Printing**
**Loves:** Analog gear

**Claudia Valkenier**

M.Sc. Physics 23’
**Tidal Energy Conversion**
**Loves:** Yoga & Piano

**Stijn Delnoij**

M.Sc. Theor. Physics 23’
**Mathematical Billiards**
**Likes:** Reading literature

**Micol Cresto-Dina**

B.Sc. Physics 23’
**Flow of Cyanobacteria**
**Plays:** Football

**Tomás Schuller**

visiting Ph.D. Engineering 23’
**Physics of Printing**
**Plays:** handball

**Jan-Willem Botermans**

M.Sc. Theor. Physics 23’
**Active Matter**
**Plays & love:** Basketball

**Roy van der Linden**

M.Sc. Physics 22’
**Particles in Turbulent Flows**
**Likes:** Mads Mikkelsen

**Elliott Sutton**

Ph.D. / Turing Fellow, 22’
**Viscoplastic Fluids**
**Listens to:** Bonobo & Bicep

**Milo Commandeur**

B.Sc. Physics, 23’
**Active Matter**
**Loves:** Cooking

Screenshot 2021-06-10 at 20.18.11.png — **Daniel van Bemmelen**

B.Sc. Physics, 21’
**Gravity Currents**
**Listens to:** Janine Jansen

**Tanguy Sarafian**

Intern from U Toulon, 21’
**Bioluminescence**
**Fan of:** Olympique Lyonnais

**Brent Muijskens**

M.Sc. Comp. Sciences 23’
**Mathematical Billiards**
**Listens to:** Nu Metal

**Thomas Nazeyrollas**

Intern from ISAE-ENSMA, 21’
**Viscoplastic Droplets**
**Listens to:** Cactus Jack

**Isaac Deen García**

Intern, 21’ & B.Sc. 24’
**Worms & Cynaobacteria**
**Listens to:** Radiohead

**Merlijne Ott**

Intern, 21’
**Motion in Complex Fluids**
**Loves:** Cats

**Toon Muskens**

M.Sc. Theor. Physics, 21-22’
**Lava Dome Formation**
**Loves:** Cultivating plants

**Julie Baudillon (Intern)**

Intern from Toulouse, 22’
**Complex fluids near solids**
**Likes:** Peaky Blinders!

**Tom Appleford**

M.Sc. Theor. Physics, 21-22’
**Plastocapillarity**
**Loves:** to play the trombone

**Joey Besseling**

B.Sc. Physics, 22’
**Biological Particles in Flow**
**Likes:** Programming

**Casper Smit**

Research Assistant, 21-22’
**Machine Learning Patterns**
**Fan of:** AFC Ajax

**Bodhi Simon Witte**

B.Sc. Physics, 22’
**Theory of Active Fluids**
**Likes:** Ajax

**Max Riemens**

B.Sc. Physics, 22’
**Experimental Microrheology**
**Listens to:** Dave

**Vandevoorde Maxime**

B.Sc. Comp. Sci., Toulon
**Image Processing**
**Listens to:** Sexion d'Assaut

**Axel Guillou (Intern)**

B.Sc. CFD, Toulon
**Flow of complex fluids**
**Likes to:** Sail

Screenshot 2021-06-10 at 20.18.50.png — **Abel van den Heuvel**

B.Sc. Physics, 21’
[joint with N. Shahidzadeh]
**Salt Compaction**
**Listens to:** Lewis Capaldi