Back to the Future! Visionary after-work

Bios

Joris de Hoog obtained a PhD in engineering sciences in 2018 at VUB MOBI, researching degradation mechanisms and behavior of lithium-ion batteries for EV applications. The main topic of research was the investigation of operating conditions and external influences on the total expected lifetime of battery pack. After some years in industrial research, ranging from building management optimization to applied computer vision, he returned as a Post-Doc to the Battery Innovation Center, where he’s involved in managing large European projects developing advanced self-healing lithium-ion based cells aiming to extend their lifetime and improve safety. Also, he is the first business developer in this team, working on bridging the gap between research and industy, with a specific focus on the Belgian battery sector. Joris is a Circular Economy ambassador for Vlaanderen Circulair and highly driven by an ambition to develop a sustainable battery industry that includes our planet as a stakeholder.

Carmen Mazijn is a guest professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, concurrently undergoing diplomatic training within the Belgian Foreign Ministry. Holding a PhD on the Fairness of Artificial Intelligence systems, her research resides within an interdisciplinary consortium, leveraging her background in mathematics and political sciences. Her primary exploration delves into the essence of fairness within decision-making algorithms, encompassing diverse fairness paradigms within machine learning systems and strategies to scrutinize black-box algorithms. Within the Belgian Foreign Ministry, she serves as a vital member of the oversight committee for the citizen panel dedicated to artificial intelligence.

Eveline Peeters is a bioengineer by training and is an associate professor in the Department of Bioengineering Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. During her career as an independent researcher at VUB, she has built a research group in molecular microbiology and microbial biotechnology that combines fundamental with application-driven research, thereby exploring approaches of synthetic-biology engineering of microorganisms as cell factories for biomanufacturing (chemicals or materials). Together with VUB colleagues in architectural engineering and materials science, Eveline Peeters has established an interdisciplinary research consortium focused on research and development of the use of filamentous fungi for material applications, so-called mycelium materials.

Jan Steyaert is full professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and Research Director of the VIB-VUB center for Structural Biology (VIB). The Steyaertlab pioneered the use of Nanobodies in X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM, aiming at the highest hanging fruits in structural biology including membrane proteins, amyloidogenic proteins, and  transient multiprotein complexes.  His current work is focusing on the engineer Nanobodies to be used as research tools in biotechnology and molecular pharmacology and on the discovery of Nanobodies that modulate the function of difficult targets to develop first-in-class drugs. Jan Steyaert is co-founder of Ablynx and Agrosafve, and founder of ConFo Therapeutics, three successful biotech spin-offs that valorize the unique family of single domain antibodies (nanobodies) in agronomy or therapy.

Ingrid Van de Voorde received a master degree in electrical engineering from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in 1990. That same year, she joined the Alcatel Corporate Research Center in Antwerp. From 2003, she led the research activities related to fixed access. With an international team, she transferred several innovations towards the business group. In 2008, she joined Bell Labs in the new merged company Alcatel-Lucent, to lead the BL Research Domain Fixed Access & Multimedia, which comprised next to fixed access, home networking, and multi-media technology. Since 2014, she took up the role of Location Leader of Bell Labs Antwerp, fostering internal and external collaborations and representing ALU at the board of the 5G Infrastructure Association. Since the merger with Nokia in 2016, Ingrid continues to lead the Nokia Bell Labs Location Belgium and acts as a coordinator of the Nokia Bell Labs location leaders worldwide.
Ingrid Van de Voorde is also an honorary fellow of the VUB Faculty of Engineering Sciences.

Liesbeth van Oeffelen studied civil electrotechnical engineering and worked on several academic research projects leading to a PhD in Bio-Engineering Sciences at VUB and IMEC. During her PhD, she developed software applications to analyze biological data, and started the development of a measuring device to study biomolecular interactions. End of 2015, she founded the spin-off BiosenSource, with the intention to continue her work and to make it available not only to her academic colleagues, but to researchers worldwide.  

Lise Vermeersch holds a degree in Chemical Engineering and Material Sciences from Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and has a keen interest in impact assessment and sustainable practices. Currently pursuing a Ph.D. at VUB, they contribute to the development of self-healing and recyclable polymeric materials. As the co-founder of Ecotarian, Lise leverages their expertise to measure the climate impact of recipes. The startup focuses on encouraging individuals, events, and restaurants to make environmentally conscious food choices, believing that sustainable eating can be both enjoyable and impactful. Through Ecotarian, Lise aims to demystify the environmental footprint of food, empowering people to make informed decisions for a greener future.