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.

Assistant Professor

suzanne.stas@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Suzanne Stas is a tropical ecologist, researching the functioning and dynamics of tropical ecosystems and how these are impacted by disturbances. Much of her work focusses on carbon storage and dynamics, biodiversity and recovery of tropical forests. Besides university, Suzanne worked for research institutes, international NGO’s and companies at the interface of science and practice, i.e. on projects about land use planning, sustainable development, carbon project development and agriculture. She lived extensive periods abroad, mainly in Southeast Asia and Africa, and works closely with local communities and organizations.

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.

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.

PhD candidate
julia.seixassilvasilveira@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Julia Silveira’s doctoral research aims to contribute to understanding food systems education and its transformative potential. She is especially interested in questions surrounding who gets to define the boundaries of this recently emerging field and how.

Professor of Plant Microbiome Systems
paolina.garbeva@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Paolina Garbeva is senior scientist and research group leader at the Department of Microbial Ecology at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW). Her research is focused on understanding the fundamental mechanisms of microbe-microbe and plant-microbe interactions, paying particular attention to the role of microbial volatiles. At SES she aims to understand the importance of soil and plant microbiomes for One Health and to reveal and disentangle the largely unexplored link between soil & plant microbiomes and the human microbiome & health.

Professor of Sustainable Foods and Health
paul.devos@maastrichtuniversity.nl

I am a Professor at Maastricht University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering with over 30 years of experience in research, education, and innovation at the interface of nutrition, microbiology, and health. My work focuses on the interactions between dietary fibers, microbiota, and the immune system, aiming to develop sustainable strategies for metabolic and immune health. I chair the Sustainable foods and health group at Campus Venlo and coordinate several multidisciplinary initiatives within the Brightlands ecosystem. Over my career, I have combined academic leadership with mentoring and collaboration across disciplines to bridge food science, biotechnology, and human health.

Lab Manager
jessica.verhoeven@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Jessica Verhoeven is a lab manager in the Sustainable Foods & Health group at Villa Flora in Venlo of Maastricht University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering. The group is driven by one mission: to develop sustainable food solutions that improve human health. They bridge disciplines from food chemistry and functional ingredient design to state-of-the-art models that reveal how food interacts with our microbiota, the immune system, and even with our brains. Jessica specializes in operating the TIMs (TNO Intestinal Models), advanced in vitro digestion models.

Lab Manager
s.verbruggen@maastrichtuniversity.nl

I am a lab manager of our research group; I am responsible for the coordination and organization of all laboratory activities. My research focuses on cell culture experiments and the operation of the T.I.M. system, an advanced in vitro model for studying intestinal processes. In addition, I oversee laboratory safety, equipment maintenance, and logistics. I also provide technical guidance and support to researchers and students. 

Assistant Professor
a.umanetc@maastrichtuniversity.nl

I am an Assistant Professor in the Sustainable Foods and Health group in Venlo. My primary research interests focus on microbial communities’ ecology, their interactions with the environment, and the translation of this knowledge into in silico and in vitro model design. I have over ten years of experience in microbiota research, with a primary emphasis on bioinformatics and microbial community analysis. My current work aims to advance our understanding of microbial community dynamics and to develop improved in-silico and in-vitro tools for microbiota modelling.

Postdoc
naschla.gasalyretamal@maastrichtuniversity.nl

I am a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Sustainable Foods for Health group in Venlo. My research focuses on developing next-generation proteins derived from sustainable crops and side-streams, engineered to match animal proteins in amino acid quality, digestibility, and sensory performance. I study how these proteins and targeted carbohydrates influence epithelial barrier integrity, immune signaling, and microbiota-mediated metabolism. Using complex intestinal in vitro models, dynamic digestion platforms, and host–microbe models, I aim to generate mechanistic evidence to support the transition toward sustainable, high-performance protein foods that promote gut health and reduce the environmental burden of current dietary patterns.

Assistant Professor
renate.akkerman@maastrichtuniversity.nl

I am an Assistant Professor in the Sustainable Foods and Health group in Venlo. My research explores how sustainable nutrients, such as non-digestible carbohydrates and plant-based proteins, affect human health through interactions with the gut, microbiota, and the immune system. Using a range of in vitro models, I study both direct and microbiota-mediated mechanisms, with a particular interest in applications related to gut health and disease. I am broadly interested in the role of food in health, combining mechanistic insight with real-world relevance to support the development of future-proof dietary strategies.

PhD
yuqi.li@maastrichtuniversity.nl

I am a PhD candidate at Brighthouse in Venlo, affiliated with the Faculty of Science and Engineering. I hold a bachelor’s and a master's degree in medicine from China, where I developed a research interest in type 2 diabetes and metabolic health. My current doctoral research focuses on understanding how dietary fibers derived from sustainable food sources influence gut microbiota and intestinal barrier function. By employing synthetic microbial communities and advanced in vitro gut models, my work ultimately seeks to provide mechanistic insights for microbiota-targeted nutritional interventions and promote sustainable strategies for human health

PhD
yuxin.wang@maastrichtuniversity.nl

I am a PhD student at Maastricht University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering, working in the Sustainable Foods and Health group led by Prof. Paul de Vos. My research focuses on the interplay between dietary fibers, gut hormones, and immune regulation in the context of metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. With a background in food science and nutrition, I aim to bridge fundamental research and translational applications that connect diet, gut physiology, and immune–metabolic health. My work combines cellular and molecular approaches with microbiota-based and nutritional interventions to explore how food components can modulate endocrine and immune pathways. 

Assistant Professor
k.youssefabboud@maastrichtuniversity.nl

I am an assistant professor in the Sustainable Foods for Health group. My research links the chemical structure of fibers and proteins to their health-promoting functions, examining their digestibility, and how they interact with gut microbes. I aim to contribute to the definition of a healthy and sustainable diet, particularly considering the role of dietary fibers, proteins, and the gut microbiota, to advance the design of next-generation food supplements, food ingredients, and further contribute to food-based dietary guidelines. This research holds strong societal relevance by demystifying the role of carbohydrates—often misunderstood as harmful components of the diet—and by valorizing food industry side streams as sources of functional ingredients.

Assistant Professor
k.semen@maastrichtuniversity.nl

I am an assistant professor at University College Venlo. My research is focused on the effects of sustainable diets and their ingredients on human health. Particularly, I am interested in the clinical effects as well as mechanisms of action of polyphenols, their interaction with dietary fibers and proteins during digestion and the modulatory role of those processes on intestinal health and cardiovascular outcomes. Furthermore, I am involved in exploring the potential of the integrative biomarkers to assess the pleiotropic effects of diet and support healthy aging.