In total, the KNAW (the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) has selected twelve young researchers as new ‘Faces of Science’. The young academics will communicate about their scientific research and their lives as PhD candidates through blogs, vlogs, articles, lectures, media appearances and social media activities. Through this, they aim to inspire young people in particular, igniting their enthusiasm for science, regardless of their background or educational level.

Mana Fazel – Cognitive Neuroscience

Depression can sometimes be accompanied by cognitive complaints, such as concentration problems. Notably, these complaints can persist even after recovery. The symptoms closely resemble those of sleep deprivation: insufficient sleep increases daytime sleep pressure, causing parts of the brain to locally 'fall asleep' while others remain awake. Fazel is investigating whether this ‘local sleep’ is the link between disturbed sleep and cognitive impairments in depression and hopes to ultimately contribute to better treatment methods.

Aholi So – Regional Studies and Critical Heritage Studies (UvA & Leiden University)

Have you ever stopped to consider what your own language means to you and how it is passed on? You may not think about it often, but you deal with it every day. So investigates what heritage languages ​​mean to Dutch-Chinese people: how they see themselves, what they pass on to future generations, and how linguistic heritage lives on in the Netherlands – and how it sometimes disappears.

Arie Soeteman – Logic & AI

Soeteman investigates how artificial intelligence can reason in a way that resembles how humans think, according to the laws of logic. Using mathematical proofs and by having AI systems solve puzzles, he demonstrates how self-learning computer systems arrive at conclusions. The goal is to develop AI models that we can understand and trust.