In Memoriam Kasper Eersels
On Sunday November 9th, 2025, we had to let our dear colleague and friend Kasper go.
For a year, he gave everything he had within him. He fought his way to the very edges of statistics, but in the end, the illness that struck Kasper became too much, even for him. Because of the battle Kasper fought this past year, it’s easy for people to associate him only with his illness. As colleagues, but above all as friends, we must avoid that. Kasper was so much more than his illness. He was a warm-hearted man, a devoted husband, a loving father, a loyal friend, a valued colleague, a diplomat when needed, and an activist when he wanted to be.
Kasper’s academic career began in 2009. After earning his Master’s degree in Bioelectronics and Nanotechnology at Hasselt University, where he completed his thesis under Thomas Cleij, he started his PhD in the BIOsensor group of Patrick Wagner.
Within this timespan, he built friendships with fellow PhD students with whom he would stand shoulder to shoulder for the next fifteen years as they navigated the academic world together. In the beginning, they were a group of highly educated toddlers, determined to become champions in “rubber band wars” and “TetriNET,” but there comes a time when everyone has to grow up, and so did Kasper.
In 2012, Kasper met the love of his life, Elke. Elke had a wonderful young daughter, named Ella, who quickly became the apple of Kasper’s eye. With meeting Elke, a new wind began to blow. His research suddenly took on a more serious tone. Elke often came by, and little Ella was treated to sweets from every colleague in the office. Shortly after, Kasper became one of the founders of surface-imprinted polymers. After months spent in the basements of the Institute for Materials Research (IMO) at Hasselt University, he succeeded in developing methods that could distinguish between healthy and cancerous cells.
After completing his postdoc at the IMO, Kasper continued his research and expertise at KU Leuven. Two years later, he was offered the opportunity to move to Maastricht University, where he started as an Assistant Professor at the Maastricht Science Programme (MSP). There, he combined research and teaching, but it was clear that his heart truly lay with research.
When the Faculty of Science and Engineering was founded in 2018, so too was the Department of Sensor Engineering. It is beyond doubt that Kasper was and remains one of the founding pillars of that department. The developments he initiated as a PhD student, and that he perfected during his postdoctoral work, remain to this day an essential part of the foundation on which the department is built.
Through his role in shaping the department, Kasper advanced from Assistant to Associate Professor. This meant spending less time in the lab and more time coordinating and leading the department. The warmth and trust he inspired in the people he supervised is remarkable. This is most clearly reflected in the acknowledgements of those he mentored:
- “Dear Kasper, you are behind almost every word of this thesis.”
- “Saying that Kasper was my co-promotor is definitely not going to help understand the full picture.”
- “Kasper is a man who has no issue in seeing the bigger picture, easily pointing out the relevance of research and seeing how and where it fits in.”
- “You made the working environment more laid-back and cheerful. My PhD would not have been as enjoyable without you.”
- “Kasper, your presence was invaluable to me, both scientifically and personally. You’ve left a deep mark on this journey.”
- “Kasper, who was always there for feedback and insights on my work and took great care of me and the other PhD students.”
In November 2024, fate struck. On a Friday, he went to see a doctor, his desk left untouched, as if he would be back on Monday. But he never returned. The diagnosis was devastating. He made the decision to fight, with everything he had, and that is exactly what he did. Even in that year, you could still count on Kasper. Whenever possible, he offered advice, and he managed to hold on to his humor for a long time.
But now the moment has come for us to let him go.
Dear Kasper, you leave behind a huge void. The office will never be the same again. But for Sensor Engineering, you will always remain a cornerstone.
Your knowledge, your passion, and your friendship live on in the very core of the group, and in all our hearts.
Mate… We miss you.
Prof. dr. T.J. Cleij - Dean Faculty of Science and Engineering
Dr. B.R.N. van Grinsven - Department Head Sensor Engineering
B. Bulić, MSc. - Director Faculty of Science and Engineering
Kasper’s funeral will take place in private at the request of his family.
