I am a geotechnical engineer serving as an Assistant Professor in "Carbon Cycle Dynamics within Terrestrial Ecosystems" at the Department of Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics (IBED-ELD). My research focuses on the interplay between soil microorganisms, the global carbon cycle, and climate. By combining empirical approaches with mechanistic modelling, my objective is to bridge gaps between different fields of research and across spatial and temporal scales.

As a researcher, I enjoy exploring the role of soil microorganisms and plants in carbon cycling, incorporating insights from ecology, ecosystem science, and hydrogeology. A key aspect of my work is the development of data-driven mechanistic models to characterise the influence of environmental factors, such as soil moisture and temperature, on microbial functioning and soil biogeochemistry, and their implications for the soil carbon balance. This approach allows me to investigate processes related to climate and land-use change and understand the underlying mechanisms, for example how climate change and increasing drought may influence the stability of carbon stored in terrestrial ecosystems.

My research methodology combines laboratory and field data with model development. Empirical data are used to develop and refine models, which in turn help interpret observations and identify uncertainties that guide further experimental work. I am also interested in integrating models and empirical data across different scales, with the aim of linking microbial functioning at the soil scale to ecosystem-relevant carbon fluxes measured using e.g. chambers or eddy-covariance towers.

As a teacher, my two main courses at UvA are the MSc course 'Biogeochemical Cycles in System Earth' and the BSc course 'Water Management', where I can combine my two main research interests of carbon and water. I also teach in the MSc course 'Field Course Geoecological Systems' and the BSc courses 'Future Perspectives for the Earth' and 'Innovative Food Systems'.