Roeland Merks new director Lorentz Center

Roeland Merks is the new director of the Lorentz Center as of 1 September. He has been appointed for a period of five years. In addition, Merks will remain associated with the Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL) and the Mathematical Institute (MI) as a professor. 

Merks succeeds Arjen Doelman, who has been director of the Lorentz Center since November 2009. 

 

Dean Jasper Knoester is pleased with Merks as successor: ‘With Roeland we have found a passionate new director, an excellent scientist who is very familiar with the concept of workshop centers in general and with the Lorentz Center's working method in particular.

 

Moreover, Roeland's work is strongly interdisciplinary, something that fits well with the ambitions of the Lorentz Center. I am convinced that under his leadership the Center will continue to innovate and can maintain a special position as an international workshop center where breakthroughs are born.’

 

Arjen Doelman is also enthusiastic about the choice of Merks: 'Roeland excels as a researcher at the intersection of various fields and recognizes the necessity of fundamental progress in each of these fields. Because of his deep interest far beyond his own background and his personal drive, he can naturally take on this role, where listening to and bridging between researchers from all fields is essential – as he already has shown in his many organizational activities. In short: Roeland Merks is the ideal new director.’

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