Dr E.J. Meijer (1961) has been appointed Professor of Molecular Simulations at the Faculty of Science of the University of Amsterdam (UvA).

Evert Jan Meijer will focus on developing and applying computational methods that give insight into chemical, physical and biological processes on a molecular basis. A major research theme is the role of a complex fluctuating environment in (bio-) chemical processes. Research topics in this area of ​​interest include the influence of a solvent in chemical processes, the mobility of electrical charges in liquids such as water, and (photo) chemically active proteins. A second major research theme focuses on the structure, stability and formation of materials, especially nanostructured materials such as carbon nanotubes and zeolites.

These themes which Meijer explores provide fundamental insights that are important for new developments in key areas of innovation, including efficient and clean chemistry (catalysis, zeolites) and renewable energy (photoactive proteins, fuel cells). In the field of education, Meijer will focus his attention on improving the Master's and PhD programmes in Computational Science on a national and international scale, in addition to his regular teaching duties. The foundation for these improvements have already been laid through the creation of the ATOSIM Erasmus Mundus programme, which Meijer developed in cooperation with foreign partners.

As a PhD student at FOM Institute AMOLF, Meyer dedicated himself to the development and application of molecular simulation methods. After obtaining his doctorate, he focused on quantum simulations of chemical processes, as a postdoc at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, the IBM Zurich Research Laboratory and the VU University Amsterdam. From 1998 to 2003, Meyer worked at the UvA as a fellow of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. Since 2005, he has worked as a senior university lecturer at the UvA’s Van 't Hoff Insitute for Molecular Sciences.