I'm a theoretical physicist interested in black holes, cosmology and quantum gravity. I grew up in the Netherlands and obtained my Ph.D. from the University of Amsterdam. After that, I held postdoctoral positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Arizona State University as a member of the QuRIOS collaboration. I joined the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2025.

My research addresses how quantum physics and general relativity can be unified into a theory of quantum gravity. Quantum gravity is crucial to address some of the universe's biggest mysteries, including the nature of black holes, the origin of dark energy, and the dynamics of the early universe following the Big Bang.

Student Opportunities

If you're an undergraduate or graduate student interested in theoretical physics research, feel free to contact me. A research topic is typically decided by the intersection of what I am currently thinking about and the background and interest of the student. Some topics that I have worked on with students include:

• Extremal Black Holes and the Weak Gravity Conjecture

• DSSYK model and 3D de Sitter Quantum Gravity

• Holographic Entropy Inequalities

The University of Minnesota Duluth has several funding opportunities to support student research (including UROP's).