Marjolein Dijkstra appointed as KNAW member

The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) has selected eighteen new members, among which Utrecht physics researcher Marjolein Dijkstra. KNAW elects new members from all disciplines, based on their scientific achievements. Dijkstra is Professor of Computer simulations of soft condensed matter. Earlier this month she received an ERC Advanced Grant of 2.5 million euros for research into bringing passive nanomaterials to life.

Colloidal suspensions

Marjolein Dijkstra works on the fundamental understanding of colloidal suspensions, such as milk, blood, paint and ink. These are liquids in which colloidal particles move: particles smaller than one hundredth of the diameter of a hair, often together with other types of particles such as ions and polymers. Dijkstra develops new computer simulation techniques to theoretically predict the behaviour of these complex solutions.

Practically applicable

KNAW praises Dijkstra for her work which is not only scientifically groundbreaking, but also practically applicable. This is evident from her participation in many collaborative programmes with industry, such as the Advanced Research Center Soft Advanced Materials and the Advanced Research Center Chemical Building Blocks Consortium. Her most recent research focuses on bringing passive nanomaterials to life.