I'm a biomechanist and a palaeontologist - I use physics to understand how animals move, then apply this knowledge to exctinct animals (mainly dinosaurs). I'm a PhD candidate in the vertebrate paleontology group at Utrecht University, and at Naturalis Biodiversity Center.

I am interested in the interaction between musculoskeletal form and function, and how this evolved over time to enable complex coordination tasks such as locomotion. I approach this through musculoskeletal modelling, essentially subjecting 3D scans of skeletons and reconstructed muscles to the laws of physics. Using Optimal Control theory, I can find optimal muscle coordination patterns that allow the models to move. These simulations form the basis of my biomechanical analyses.

Musculoskeletal model of Tyrannosaurus rex for simulations in OpenSim and SCONE

I have a bachelor's and master's degree in Human Movement Sciences from the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, although both my theses were focused on locomotion of Tyrannosaurus rex, the largest biped to have walked the earth. For my current research, I am applying the simulation and reconstruction methods I developed during my MSc to a larger group of vertebrates, both living and extinct. I hope to provide a locomotor perspective to the immense success of the non-avian dinosaurs.

During my studies, I also worked as a 3D technician and anatomist at Naturalis Biodiversity Center, the Dutch natural history museum. My 3D reconstructions of dinosaurs have been physically mounted in museums spanning Europe and Asia. I also hold a bachelor's in music from Codarts University of the Arts (the Rotterdam Conservatory).