Dear DISC members,
On behalf of the DISC community, we would like to congratulate the DISC members who have been awarded IFAC and EUCA fellowships. Jacquelien Scherpen and Maarten Steinbuch have both been awarded IFAC Fellow. Also Arjan van der Schaft, Maurice Heemels and Jacquelien Scherpen receive the EUCA Fellow Award. The strong presence of DISC members showcases DISC’s long tradition of excellence in systems and control research, as well as its leadership role in Europe and worldwide. Congratulations, Jacquelien, Maarten, Maurice, and Arjan!
Related to DISC’s leadership role in Europe, it is our pleasure to host a pan-European collaboration of graduate schools, in which DISC and EECI will jointly organize the EECI-DISC Spring School on Formal Methods in Control Design at TU Delft. The main purpose of this collaboration is to strengthen the systems and control network across European research institutions. We therefore invite all DISC PhD students to participate in this EECI-DISC Spring School.
On the development of DISC graduate program, the DISC office is currently preparing the DISC graduate program for the 2026–2027 academic year. We will soon send an invitation to all DISC members to propose advanced courses in systems and control. In light of recent advances in AI and data science, we particularly welcome proposals that strengthen our graduate course portfolio in these areas. If you are planning to develop an excellent graduate course, please share it with us. We will be happy to discuss possible support and potential collaboration with other DISC members in developing the course. DISC also supports members in developing associated graduate textbooks. While developing new program, we realise that maintaining the high quality of the DISC program depends also on the excellent functioning of UnitDISC. For that reason, we would like to thank the outgoing members, Mohaddese Hazini, Raphaël Goetz, and Amir Shakouri, for their invaluable service to our community, and we warmly welcome the new UnitDISC members, Michaela Repasova, Konstantinos Prattis and Teun Wijfjes.
Finally, we are pleased to share the good news that DISC has received a positive evaluation from the Strategy Evaluation Protocol committee, which assessed the research strategy and quality of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at TU Delft, where DISC is currently affiliated. The committee’s recommendations align well with DISC’s current strategy, and we are very pleased with the outcome of this assessment.
In a few weeks, many of us will attend the Benelux Meeting on Systems and Control in Lommel, Belgium. We invite all DISC members to join the DISC Management Team meeting during this event, where we will share recent updates and discuss future plans. In the meantime, a new team of DISC organizers for the 2027 Benelux Meeting on Systems and Control has been formed. Erjen Lefeber, Raffaella Carloni, Javier Alonso-Mora, and Janset Dasdemir, supported by Maaike Kraeger-Holland, have already started preparations for next year’s edition. We wish them every success in organising this important meeting in the Netherlands.
We look forward to meeting many of you in Lommel, Belgium.
Best regards,
Bayu Jayawardhana, scientific director DISC
Maaike Kraeger-Holland, office manager DISC
In January, we expressed our gratitude to our 3 UnitDISC members Mohaddese Hazini (UT), Raphaël Goetz (TU/e), Amir Shakouri (RUG) who are finalizing their great contribution to DISC and to DISC’s course evaluations, as UnitDISC member.
The baton is passed on to Michaela Repášová (RUG), Konstantinos Prattis (TUD) and as from Spring 2026, to Teun Wijfjes (TU/e). They are happy to introduce themselves below. We hope to welcome a new member from UT as well soon.
Unit DISC is the council of research students of DISC. They are in regular contact and have regular meetings with the DISC scientific director and office manager. Their input regarding f.e. the DISC course programme and the Benelux Meeting on Systems and Control, is highly valued. They are also responsible for the course evaluations.
The new UnitDISC members present themselves:
RUG – BI
Hello everyone! My name is Michaela Repášová, and I’m a representative of the University of Groningen in the Unit DISC. I joined this council of research students to learn more about the organisation and to be able to help improve the DISC courses. I’m taking many of the courses offered by the graduate school, so I will have first-hand experience as both part of the organisation and a participant myself.
Let me also introduce myself. I come from Slovakia, and I have done both my Bachelor’s and Master’s studies at the University of Groningen. Since this September, I’ve continued my studies there as a PhD student. I work in the Systems, Control, and Optimization group in the Bernoulli Institute under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Bart Besselink and Dr. Henk van Waarde. For my master’s thesis, I have worked on the analysis and synthesis of dissipative systems using data. During my PhD, I will expand on this work by studying the dissipativity of systems with dynamic supply rates. In my free time, I like to play with my two cats and do various crafts. I also enjoy spending time in the mountains; hiking in the summer, and skiing in the winter.
TU Delft – DCSC
Hello everyone! My name is Konstantinos, and I am a first-year PhD student at the Delft Center for Systems and Control (DCSC), working on stochastic and data-driven model predictive control. Motivated by a desire to contribute to the PhD community, I am excited to join Unit DISC as TU Delft’s representative. I look forward to supporting DISC by representing students’ perspectives, gathering feedback, and helping shape a positive experience for everyone!
TU/e – EE
My name is Teun Wijfjes and I am an enthusiastic and curious person with a strong passion for technology. Ever since I was young, I’ve always desired to understand how things work. The more challenging, the better, sometimes to the point that my mom probably wished I hadn’t asked so many questions! This fascination with understanding complex concepts eventually led me to study Systems and Control, and I am highly motivated to keep developing my skills as a student and professional toward a successful career. In my spare time, I enjoy exploring new places through travel and staying active, whether it’s playing sports, going for a hike, or trying out new physical activities.’
As of September 9, 2025, Javier Alonso-Mora has been appointed professor of Mobile and Collaborative Robotics at the faculty Mechanical Engineering of TU Delft. His research focuses on developing methods and algorithms that enable mobile robots to move safely and reliably, to perform tasks in complex environments shared with humans, animals, or other robots, and to collaborate with each other. More information about his appointment can be found here: Javier Alonso-Mora appointed professor of Mobile and Collaborative Robotics
Javier’s inaugural address ’Smart Robots Among Humans: Safe Interaction, Coordination and Mobility’ will be held on Friday 13th March at 3pm at the Aula of TU Delft with robot demos from 1pm to 2:15pm. For those of you interested in joining, but who can’t make it to Delft, here is the link for online attendance (can also be watched later) https://nmclive.tudelft.nl/Mediasite/Play/0d58d5901d334ad6a11c94f21712f2581d
And here is the link to register if you are attending in person:
Inaugural address prof.dr. Alonso-Mora – REGISTRATION FORM
__________
On Friday, 27 March 2026, Professor Hans Zwart, UT-EEMCS, will give his farewell lecture at the university of Twente. The farewell lecture will start at 15.00 hrs. If you would like to attend this lecture, please be so kind to register.This can be done via the following link: Click here to register.
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2026 European Control Award for Sergio Grammatico
The 2026 European Control Award goes to Sergio Grammatico (TU Delft), “For contributions in Distributed Game Theory and Optimal Control.”
Prof. Grammatico will deliver a plenary lecture at the European Control Conference (ECC 2026) in Reykjavik, Iceland, this July.
The European Control Award (ECA) is to recognize outstanding contributions by a young researcher in the area of systems and control. The award is sponsored by the European Control Association (EUCA), and is presented during the annual European Control Conference. The recipient must have spent a major part of his or her career in Europe and, at the time of the nomination, must be working in a research institution or company in Europe. The ECA award committee (independent of EUCA members) selects the candidate, which is then approved by the EUCA Council.
https://euca-ecc.org/european-control-award/
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The IFAC Fellow Award is given to persons who have made outstanding and extraordinary contributions in the field of interest of IFAC, in the role as an Engineer/Scientist, Technical Leader, or Educator. The first Fellows were elected at the IFAC World Congress in Prague in July 2005.
IFAC Fellows — IFAC · International Federation of Automatic Control
DISC kindly invites you to share your ideas and submit proposals for DISC graduate courses for the next academic year.
This year, we have successfully organised a well-balanced portfolio of DISC courses, ranging from systems identification, learning and adaptive control, and distributed parameter systems to behavioral systems theory, nonlinear control theory (including its frequency-domain approaches), MPC, data-driven control, and LMI based control (* 2025-2026 DISC course program – DISC).
For the next academic year, we would also like to include topics such as advanced signal processing for control (e.g., tensor-based methods), AI for control, and control design methods for high-tech systems, if possible.
If you are interested in developing a graduate course, please let us know so that we can discuss this further. If you have other ideas for advanced courses suitable for DISC, we would also be pleased to receive your suggestions. We aim to present a tentative program to the DISC Board by May and finalize it in June. Correspondingly, we would be pleased if we could receive your ideas the latest by April 30, 2026.
Participants of the DISC course Nonlinear Control Systems 2026
From January 27 to January 29 the DISC PhD Winter School 2026 on “Contraction theory for learning control of nonlinear systems” took place at the Eindhoven University of Technology.
We welcomed 26 PhD students from different countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. Over the course of three days, attendees enjoyed inspiring lectures by our main speakers: Hiroyasu Tsukamoto (University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign) on contraction theory and conformal learning, and Nathan van de Wouw (TU/e) on convergent systems. In addition, Amritam Das (TU/e) and Sebastiaan van den Eijnden (TU/e) presented a session on scaled relative graphs.
The lectures were complemented by challenge-based exercises and a final team assignment. There was also time for many engaging discussions among participants and some relaxing moments outside the lecture room.
Many thanks to the speakers and all participants, and to the DISC office, for their contributions and active involvement. This greatly contributed to the positive atmosphere and made this year’s winter school a big success!
For more info: 2026 Winter School Homepage
EECI – DISC Spring School – Formal Methods in Control Design: Abstraction, Optimization, and Data-driven Approaches
M05 DELFT
Date: 13/04/26-17/04/26
Location: TU Delft, the Netherlands
Lecturers: Calin Belta, University of Maryland, USA;
Antoine Girard, CNRS, CentraleSupélec, France
Number EC: 3 (after receipt of the certificate of grade from EECI)
Registration and further information: eeci-igsc.eu and https://www.eeci-igsc.eu/modules/m05-delft-2025-2026
Benelux Meeting 2026 – March 24–26, 2026 in Lommel, Belgium.
More information and registration can be found on Benelux Meeting on Systems and Control 2026.
Dear all,
On April 20 from 14:00 to 15:00, we are pleased to host Dr. Johannes Köhler for a talk on Model Predictive Control for Uncertain Systems. All the details of the talk are listed below. We hope to see many of you there and join us for some drinks afterwards.
Time for the talk: April 20, 14:00-15:00 (room opens at 13:45, drinks and snacks afterwards)
Location of the talk: TU Delft, faculty Mechanical Engineering, Lecture Hall F
Sponsored by the Robotics Institute
Title of the talk:
Model predictive control for uncertain systems: Robust & data-driven designs
Abstract:
This talk addresses the design of model predictive controllers (MPC) that ensure the satisfaction of safety-critical constraints for uncertain nonlinear dynamical systems. The approach leverages contraction metrics computed offline to efficiently estimate robust reachable sets under bounded disturbances and parametric uncertainty. A corresponding MPC formulation is provided that robustly ensures recursive feasibility, constraint satisfaction, and convergence. We will also discuss extensions to handle unbounded stochastic noise and online model adaptation (both parametric and non-parametric), as well as methods for extracting dynamical models and uncertainty description from data.
Bio of the speaker:
Johannes Köhler is an Assistant Professor at Imperial College London, UK. He received the Ph.D. degree from the University of Stuttgart, Germany, in 2021. From 2021 to 2025, he was a postdoctoral researcher at ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
He is the recipient of the 2021 European Systems & Control PhD Thesis Award, the IEEE CSS George S. Axelby Outstanding Paper Award 2022, and the Journal of Process Control Paper Award 2023. His research interests include data-driven models and robust predictive control with applications to robotics, autonomous systems, and biomedical problems.
If you want to join the talk, please register here
Dear all,
I would like to draw your attention to the course “Deep Learning for System Identification”, offered within the EECI-IGSC programme. The course will take place at KU Leuven (hosted by Prof. Panos Patrinos) from June 15 to June 19, 2026, and will be taught by Dario Piga and Marco Forgione.
The course is suitable for PhD students and researchers, including those without prior experience in deep learning and/or system identification.
Early registration deadline: April 14, 2026
Further information is available at:
https://www.eeci-igsc.eu/modules/m14-leuven-2025-2026
Regards,
Dario Piga, PhD Professor
__________________________________
We are pleased to invite you to send in proposals for the DISC Winter School 2026-2027. You can use the following instructions: DISC_winter_school_proposals_2027 . You can also check Winter course – DISC
Thank you for sending us your proposal before 1 June 2026 to secr-disc-me@tudelft.nl with
cc to dir-disc-me@tudelft.nl
The Board of DISC will decide which proposal will be applied for the DISC Winter School 2027.
We look forward to receiving your proposals!
Although it is rather early, we would also like to invite you to send in proposals for the DISC Summer School 2027. You can use the following instructions: DISC_summer_school_proposals_2027 You can also check Summer School – DISC.
Thank you for sending us your proposal before 1 June 2026 to secr-disc-me@tudelft.nl with
cc to dir-disc-me@tudelft.nl
The Board of DISC will make a final decision which proposal will be applied for the DISC Summer School 2027.
We thank you in advance for your proposals!
Name: Sonal Santosh Baberwal
Start date: 15 January 2026
Job title: PostDoc
TUD E-mail: S.Baberwal@tudelft.nl
Section: Human-Robot Interaction/TU Delft
Supervisor: Dr. ing. L. (Laura) Marchal Crespo
Short introduction
Sonal is a Postdoctoral Researcher with a background in Brain Computer Interface for Rehabilitation. Her research focus during her PhD was on factors that can help bring Motor Imagery-based BCI systems outside the laboratories for Rehabilitation and Activities of Daily Living(ADL). These include evaluation of mediums of training, Signal Processing and Machine/Deep Learning, evaluation of interfaces, game-based rehabilitation, and development of Unity-based interactive games based on BCI systems for Spinal Cord Injury Patients. Currently, her interest lies in interactive game-based rehabilitation, Human Performance, and Human Machine Interaction.
Name: Abdelrahman Habash
Start date: 1 November 2025
Job title: PhD
E-mail: abdelrahman.habash@wur.nl
University and Department/Group: Mathematical and Statistical Methods (Biometris), Wageningen University and Research (WUR)
Supervisors: dr. ir. Martijn Wagterveld, dr. Xiaodong Cheng, and prof. dr. Peter van Heijster
Project: AI-enhanced Urban Water Quality Monitoring
Introduction:
Hello, my name is Abdelrahman Habash. I completed both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Environmental Engineering at Middle East Technical University (METU), Türkiye, with my master’s focusing on applied AI/ML for water flow (quantity) modelling.
I recently started my PhD at Wetsus and Wageningen University & Research (WUR), aiming to strengthen both the tools and application domains of my research, particularly through incorporating control systems into my modelling applications, while also shifting my research applications from water quantity toward water quality.
In my PhD, I focus on AI-enhanced urban water quality monitoring, developing virtual sensors by combining sensor data with advanced modelling. My work includes system identification, optimal sensing configuration, and validation at European pilot sites to support cost-effective real-time monitoring of emerging water pollutants.
Name: Soheil Hadisi
Start date: 1 September 2025
Job title: PhD
E-mail: Soheil.Hadisi@wetsus.nl
University and Department/Group: Wageningen University, Dept. of Mathematical and Statistical Methods (Biometris)
Supervisor(s): Professor Karel Keesman, Dr Hans Stigter, Dr Martijn Wagterveld (Wetsus Leeuwarden)
Project: AI-enhanced wastewater treatment process automation
Introduction:
I have started as a PhD researcher at Wetsus since 1st September 2025, working on AI-enhanced wastewater treatment process automation under the supervision of Karel Keesman and Hans Stigter from WUR and Martijn Wagterveld and Chris Schott both from Wetsus. My research focuses on combining sensors with data-driven and mechanistic models to enable real-time monitoring and control in wastewater treatment plants. I completed my MSc in Environmental Engineering at the University of Padova, with thesis research at TU Delft on sequencing batch reactor coupled with anaerobic side-stream reactor for sludge reduction. I also had a chance to study at Wageningen University & Research as an Erasmus+ student, focusing on programming with Python and data-driven modeling. Outside research, I enjoy traveling, going to the gym, and playing snooker. Excited to get started and hope to meet you all!
Name: Carlos Martínez
Start date: 1 November 2025
Job title: PhD
E-mail: carlos.martinezgarcia@maastrichtuniversity.nl
University and Department/Group: Department of Advanced Computing Sciences (DACS), Maastricht University
Supervisor(s): Prof. Dr. ir. Ralf Peeters, Dr. ir. Martijn Boussé, Dr. ir. Philippe Dreesen
Project: Visualization and analysis of time series data
Introduction:
After completing a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a master’s degree in Big Data in Spain, I started my PhD at the Department of Advanced Computing Sciences at Maastricht University within the Systems and Control team. My research focus is on the visualization and analysis of time series data, with a particular emphasis on recurrence-based representations. The work combines methodological developments with applications to real-world time-series data. Outside of research, I enjoy sports and movies. I look forward to meeting you all and collaborating within the DISC community
Name: Paulina Gallego
Start date: 16 February 2026
Job title: PhD
E-mail: P.GallegoPerez@tudelft.nl
University and Department/Group: Department of Cognitive Robotics, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, TU Delft
Supervisor: Yasemin Vardar
Introduction: Working on multimodal haptics, mixing mechanics, electronics, and materials science to build cool tech. Originally from Colombia, but I’ve lived in 4+ countries so far. Outside the lab you’ll find me at the gym, traveling, dancing, and almost always saying yes to spontaneous plans.
Name: Davide Torielli
Start date: 15 February 2026
Job title: Postdoctoral Researcher
E-mail: d.torielli@tudelft.nl
University and Department/Grouep: Mechanical Engineering – Cognitive Robotics – Human-Robot Interaction, TU Delft
Supervisor: Luka Peternel
Introduction:
I am Davide from Genova, Italy. I am a postdoc working on teleoperation and human-robot interfaces, focusing on blending robot autonomy with non-expert human intervention. I like smashing keyboards – both mechanical and musical ones.
Name: Guido Hubens
Start date: 20 January 2026
Job title: Researcher
E-mail: g.hubens@tue.nl
University and Department/Group: TU/e, CST section
Introduction:
My name is Guido Hubens. My career began with a degree in HBO Mechatronics, after which I progressed to the master’s program in Systems and Control. During my master’s, I specialized within the Opto Mechatronics group, where I eventually also graduated. I am currently working within the Opto Mechatronics group. If everything goes according to plan, I will start my PhD in six months with a focus on Adhesive Interface Design for Extreme Stability. I live in Limburg, in the narrowest part of the Netherlands. In my free time, I play the trumpet and work on my own company, Laserfocus3D. For this, I have developed three laser engraving systems that make it possible to personalize products in a unique and precise way.
Name: Gijs van Meerbeeck
Start date: 1 March 2026
Job title: PhD student
E-mail: Not available yet
University and Department/Group: TU/e, CST section
Supervisor(s): Tom Oomen, Sebastiaan vd Eijnden, Rodrigo Gonzalez
Project: TUE FIDCOM Delta
Introduction:
Hi everyone! I’m Gijs, a 23-year-old PhD candidate, officially starting my PhD within the CST section on March 1st under the supervision of Tom Oomen. My research project focuses on control systems and is carried out in collaboration with Delta Electronics.
I have been part of the TU/e community for almost six years now, where I completed my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering. I’m excited to continue my academic journey here and to begin this new chapter as a doctoral researcher.
Outside of work, I enjoy playing sports (mainly football) as well as reading and cooking. I’m very much looking forward to getting started and to collaborating with many of you in the near future!
Name: Wytze de Vries
Start date: 1 March 2026
Job title: PhD student
E-mail: Not available yet
University and Department/Group: TU/e, CST section
Supervisor(s): Mauro Salazar, Theo Hofman
Project: IOHEVA
Name: Leroy Hazeleger
Start date: 1 November 2025
Job title: Assistant Professor
E-mail: l.hazeleger@tue.nl
University and Department/Group: TUe Mechanical Engineering Dynamics & Control
Introduction:
I am excited to join the Dynamics & Control group at the TU/e as an Assistant Professor. I obtained both my MSc (2015) and PhD (2020) at the TU/e, where my doctoral research focused on data-driven optimization and extremum-seeking control for high-tech systems in collaboration with ASML and Thermo Fisher ScientiQic. Afterwards, I worked at Thermo Fisher ScientiQic, Qirst as a Mechatronics Engineer and later as a Dynamics Specialist, addressing the full spectrum of dynamic challenges in high-end transmission electron microscopes, from vibration analysis and system identiQication to control and performance optimization. My research interests lie in modularity for dynamical design and control of complex high-tech systems, developing methods to relate system-level requirements to subsystem design and to integrate hardware and control aspects
in a structured, scalable way. Outside of work, among many other things, I enjoy CrossFit, running, scuba diving, and astrophotography
Name: Thijs Romberg
Start date: 10 November 2025
Job title: PhD
E-mail: t.l.romberg@tue.nl
University and Department/Group: TUe Mechanical Engineering – Dynamics & Control
Supervisor(s): Marcel Heertjes
Introduction:
My name is Thijs Romberg, and I will be starting a PhD at the Dynamics & Control group of Mechanical Engineering, titled Machine Learning for Semi-Active Tuned Mass Dampers. This PhD is part of the Modelling and Shape Control for Lithography System Applications (MASC) project and will be supervised by Marcel Heertjes (TU/e ME-DC) and Hans Butler (TU/e EE-CS), in collaboration with ASML. The project focuses on developing an electro-mechanical mass-damper device to reduce vibration levels in attached structures, as well as designing a control strategy using machine learning approaches.
I hold a BSc in Mechanical Engineering and an MSc in Systems & Control, both from TU/e. For my graduation project, supervised by Hans Vermeulen in collaboration with ASML, I developed a miniaturized version of a variable stiffness device and investigated bumpless transfer control for a piezoelectric wafer stage.
Name: Hamid Abdollahi
Start date: 19 January 2026
Job title: PhD
E-mail: s.h.abdollahi1@tue.nl
University and Department/Group: TUe Mechanical Engineering – Dynamics & Control
Supervisor(s): Nathan van de Wou
Introduction:
My background is in Electrical Engineering, and I recently completed my MSc in Control Engineering from Amirkabir University of Technology, Iran. My journey into this field began during my bachelor’s degree, where I developed a passion for control and systems theory while designing classical controllers for mechatronic systems.
This foundation in model-based control led to a deep interest in data-driven system identification. For my MSc thesis, I took on the challenge of building a highly accurate predictive model from large-scale, complex fMRI data of the human brain. I was particularly excited that we could then use this model as a tool to uncover new scientific insights, identifying six distinct functional subregions for an area in the visual cortex.
My background in bridging these two worlds—classical control and data-driven analysis—is what makes me so motivated for my PhD in the DaMPOME project. I am thrilled to be joining the Dynamics and Control group and to be working under the supervision of Nathan van de Wouw, Erik Steur, and Fahim Shakib. My research will focus on developing novel, data-based optimization algorithms to automatically tune high-performance controllers for metrology equipment, in collaboration with Nearfield Instruments.
Name: Hamidreza Torkestani
Start date: 1 February 2026
Job title: PhD
E-mail: h.torkestani@tue.nl
University and Department/Group: TUe Mechanical Engineering – Dynamics & Control
Supervisor(s): Nathan van de Wouw
Introduction:
Hello everyone! My name is Hamidreza Torkestani, and I will be joining the Dynamics & Control section at TU/e as a PhD candidate. My research will focus on data-based performance optimization of motion controllers for high-precision metrology equipment, with the systems of Nearfield Instruments serving as the core industrial use case. I will be supervised by Prof. Nathan van de Wouw, Dr. Erik Steur, and Dr. Leroy Hazeleger. Before joining TU/e, I completed my Master’s in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on dynamical systems, control, and robotics. I am very excited to start this new chapter, learn from the group, and collaborate with colleagues at D&C.
Name: Adriaan Graas
Start date: 15 February 2026
Job title: Postdoc
E-mail: a.b.m.graas@tudelft.nl
University and Department/Group: TUD-DCSC-Team Smith
Supervisor: Dr.ir. C.S. Smith
Project: NWO Vidi 12 Nano
Introduction:
Hi DCSC! My name is Adriaan Graas, and since mid-February I’ve joined the Carlas Smith lab as a postdoctoral researcher on topic of super-resolution microscopy. Before joining TU Delft, I pursued my PhD at CWI in Amsterdam, where I worked on deep-learned X-ray Computed Tomography. In my spare time I practice the wonderful pieces of Francesco Tárrega for Spanish guitar, and often go rock climbing or bouldering (let me know if you do too—I still need to discover the places here in Delft). If you’d like to grab a coffee or tea, please mail me or drop by C1-250! See you soon!
Name: Marcus Held
Start date: 15 February 2026
Job title: Postdoc
E-mail: m.o.held@tudelft.nl
University and Department/Group: TUD-DCSC-Team Smith
Supervisor: Dr.ir. C.S. Smith
Project: NWO HTSM
Introduction:
I joined Carlas Smith’s group in a joint project between the DCSC and the Imaging Physics department as a Postdoc. I have studied physics and specialized in optics. My research was and will be mainly experimental. To give you an impression: I spend many hours in a dark laser laboratory and control a fluorescence microscope with lasers and electro-mechanical scanners. My research (Phd in Germany and Postdoc in Italy) was quite interdisciplinary and I’m looking forward to learn more about methods in computational research here at DCSC.
I balance my work activities with sport, especially water-related ones. Since many years I am playing canoe-polo and have a strong passion for this niche sport. After arriving in the Netherlands (Leiden), I took some sailing lessons in a Valk boat – different but likewise adrenalinic. During a breaks, I like to chat also a bit in foreign languages – Dutch and Italian. Our office door (room 280) is usually open.
Name: Daniël Woonings
Start date: 15 February 2026
Job title: PhD candidate
E-mail: d.a.woonings@tudelft.nl
University and Department/Group: TUD-DCSC-Team McAllister
Supervisor: Dr. R.D. McAllister
Project: NWO KICH LEAP AI
Introduction:
Hi everyone! My name is Daniël Woonings, and I joined DCSC on February 16th as a PhD candidate. I recently completed the MSc in Systems and Control here at TUD. I will be part of the LEAP-AI project, which focuses on making greenhouses more resource-efficient. I’m excited to continue at DCSC and look forward to getting to know all of you.
In my free time, I enjoy playing padel, hopefully we can organize a game once the weather gets better!
Candidate: Dylan Kalisvaart
University and Department/Group: TUD – DCSC
Thesis title: Quantifying the localization uncertainty of modulation enhanced single-molecule localization microscopy (The invisible visible, the uncertain certain)
Promotors: Dr.ir. C.S. Smith, Dr. A. Jakobi
Date: 26 February 2026
Candidate: Gijs Derks
University and Department/Group: TU/e, CST section
Thesis title: Dynamic exhaust modeling for fusion reactors
Promotors: Matthijs van Berkel & Egbert Westerhof
Date: 2 March 2026
Location: Atlas, room 0.710
Time: 16:00h
Candidate: Bob Kool
University and Department/Group: TU/e, CST section
Thesis title: Power exhaust control in novel divertor solutions
Promotors: Matthijs van Berkel & Marco de Baar
Date: 5 March 2026
Location: Atlas, room 0.710
Time: 13:30h
Candidate: Hamed Masoumi
University and Department/Group: TUD – DCSC
Thesis title: Compressed sensing for sparse channel estimation in next generation radios: addressing hardware impairments
Promotor: Dr.Ing. R. Van de Plas
Co-promotor: Dr. N.J. Myers
Date: 30 March 2026
Location: Aula, Senaatszaal
Time: 10.00 h
Candidate: Diyono Harun
University and Department/Group: Wageningen University & Research, Mathematical and Statistical Method (Biometris)
Thesis title: Advancing Renewable Energy through Integrated Systems Design-Application to Domestic Electricity Supply in Java–Bali, Indonesia
Promotors: prof. dr. Peter van Heijster, prof. dr. ir. Karel Keesman
Date: 22 April 2026
Location: Omnia Auditorium, Wageningen University & Research
Time: 13.00-15.00 hrs
Candidate: Yun Li
University and Department/Group: TUD – DCSC
Promotor: Prof.dr. T. Keviczky, Dr.N. Yorke-Smith
Date: 6 May 2026
Location: Aula, Senaatszaal
Time: 12.30 h
Candidate: Filippo Airaldi
University and Department/Group: TUD – DCSC
Promotor: Prof.dr. R. Babuška
Co-promotor: Dr. A. Dabiri
Date: 11 May 2026
Location: Aula, Senaatszaal
Time: 15.00 h
Candidate: Max Sibeijn
University and Department/Group: TUD – DCSC
Promotors: Prof.dr. T. Keviczky, Prof. S.D.GM. Pequito
Co-promotor: Dr. M Khosravi
Date: 12 May 2026
Location: Aula, Senaatszaal
Time: 12.30 h
Candidate: Alessandro Riccardi
University and Department/Group: TUD – DCSC
Promotor: Prof.dr.ir. B. De Schutter
Co-promotor: Dr. L. Laurenti
Date: 22 May 2026
Location: Aula, Senaatszaal
Time: 12.30 h
Candidate: Reza Rahimi Baghbadorani
University and Department/Group: TUD – DCSC
Promotors: Dr.ing. s. Grammatico, Dr. P. Mohajerin Esfahani
Date: 29 May 2026
Location: Aula, Senaatszaal
Time: 10.00 h
Candidate: Lotfi Chaouach
University and Department/Group: TUD – DCSC
Promotor: Prof.dr.ir. T.A.E. Oomen
Co-promotor: Dr. D. Boskos
Date: 29 June 2026
Location: Aula, Senaatszaal
Time: 12.30 h
