Staff

Associate Professor Evolutionary diversity
roy.erkens@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Roy Erkens’ research focuses on understanding the patterns and processes of how species have evolved and diversified over time, and how they migrated over Earth. He draws on a wide range of scientific disciplines, including genetics, evolutionary biology, ecology, palynology, and more.

Professor of Ecology and Biodiversity
martin.bader@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Martin Bader is an ecologist researching the interactions between plants, insects, and pathogens, particularly in the context of global change. By leveraging emerging technologies, such as smart sensor networks and drone-based hyperspectral imaging, his lab explores innovative approaches for monitoring and analysing ecological systems. His goal is to provide actionable insights that enhance our ability to predict and manage ecosystem responses to environmental change while actively engaging stakeholders to ensure impactful outcomes.

Assistant Professor
kevin.vansundert@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Kevin Van Sundert’s research domain concerns interactions between land ecosystems and climate change, in both directions (through for example impacts on CO2-exchange). Focus is specifically on how grasslands, forests, croplands and other ecosystems are impacted by warming and changes in water availability, and how ecosystem sensitivity to such changes can be modified by moderators such as nutrient availability and the presence or types of microbial symbionts (mycorrhizae and nitrogen-fixing bacteria). Commonly used methods include in-depth studies at climate change manipulation experiments, as well as large-scale syntheses, including meta-analyses, of many such experiments.

Professor of Planetary Health
p.martens@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Pim Martens has a PhD in applied mathematics and biological sciences, is professor of planetary health, a scientivist, and integrates scientific knowledge with his passion for animals and nature.

Assistant Professor
m.rao@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Madhura Rao holds a PhD in food law and policy. Her research investigates how the food system can be transformed to support both human and planetary health, with a particular focus on safety, equity, and sustainability. She is especially interested in how policy, science, and society interact to shape food systems, and how inclusive governance approaches can enable transitions towards more just and resilient futures.

PostDoc
su-mia.akin@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Su-Mia Akin is a postdoctoral researcher with a PhD in the field of Sustainability Science. Her current research focuses on climate adaptation for health and thriving rural environments. Her work focusses on climate adaptation, planetary health, participatory and transdisciplinary research methods.

Assistant Professor of Planetary Health
c.obryan@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Chris O’Bryan has a PhD in conservation biology and researches the link between biodiversity and human society, including understanding the effects of overexploiting natural resources, quantifying the unique benefits that nature provides to human health and food security, and helping governments make better conservation decisions. Much of his lab’s work is interdisciplinary, including topics such as ecology, conservation, decision science, and social science

PhD candidate
veenman.martine@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Martine is a PhD Candidate Planetary Health, focusing on healthy climate adaptation in rural areas in the Netherlands. She has a special interest in regenerative design, implications of climate change on mental health and social equality and equity.

PhD candidate
l.huihui@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Huihui Liu works as a PhD candidate in UCV(FSE) and is funded by the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC). Her work focuses on public participation and education for sustainable development in rural areas, and landscape eco-design for planetary health. She is the chair of the Maastricht branch of the "Association of Chinese Students and Scholars in the Netherlands" (ACSSNL).

PhD candidate
yan.yu@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Yan Yu’s doctoral research focuses on exploring the nexus of sustainable agricultural development and farmers’ wellbeing, in the context of climate change. From the perspective of local farmers, her research aims to figure out how local farmers perceive sustainable agriculture and can they live a better life by operating sustainable agriculture system.

PhD candidate
v.venhof@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Valesca Venhof’s doctoral research centers on exploring different experiences and perspectives on the nexus of environmental change and mental wellbeing, with a particular emphasis on factors that promote and protect mental resilience in both Dutch young adults and Circumpolar Indigenous Peoples, notably the Sámi community. Valesca embrace the concept of "two-eyed seeing", advocating for the equitable integration of both Indigenous and Western knowledge into science and practice.

PhD candidate
renee.robbers@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Renée Robbers’ doctoral research aims to contribute to the development of Planetary Health beyond an Anthropocentric focus on human health by studying existing knowledge on the ecological significance of ecocentric perspectives and worldviews

PhD candidate
arjunsridhar.shandilya@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Arjun is a PhD student in System Earth Science, supervised by Dr. O’Bryan and Prof. Pim Martens. His PhD research explores the co-benefits for large carnivores and agriculture. He holds a Master’s degree in Forest and Nature Conservation from Wageningen University and Research, where he studied the diet and activity patterns of leopards and the diet of martial eagles. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Forestry from the College of Forestry, Ponnampet, India. His research interests include carnivore ecology and human-wildlife conflict.