The Team
The HIM group
Our research lab specializes in soft robotics and liquid crystals has a remarkable team of researchers and innovators from different parts of the world. Our diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise have contributed to our multidisciplinary approach. Our work is at the forefront of smart materials research, exploring new solutions and advancing the development of soft robotics and liquid crystals. We are truly excited to see our remarkable achievements in this dynamic team of researchers and our contributions to the field of smart materials.
Leadership
Dr. ir. Danqing Liu
Associate Professor at the TU/e
Danqing Liu is a materials scientist. In the work, she attempts to fill the field between molecular sciences, such as synthetic organic chemistry, and the dimensions of the more macroscopic materials including morphology and shape control. Special in the approach is the transfer or even amplification of the responsive (dielectric-, ferroelectric-, piezoelectric-, and/ or photo-chemical) effects of a single molecule to the macroscopic level of a device. This is realized by incorporating the functional molecules into suitable and cooperative host materials, such as liquid crystals.
Prof. Dr. Dirk J. Broer
Emeritus Professor
Dirk J. Broer is a polymer chemist specialized in polymer structuring and self-organizing polymer networks. This entails the development of polymers with new functionalities and integrating them into devices to meet industrial and societal challenges in the fields of sustainable energy, water-management, healthcare & personal comfort. The research follows the complete chain of knowledge from molecule to device. i.e. from organic synthesis to prototype. Both top-down and bottom-up methods are employed for the preparation of hierarchically structured materials in the fields of Energy Materials, Stimuli-responsive Materials, and Nanostructured Materials.
Advisors
PhD & Postdoc
Master
Anna Verdurmen
Ouassim L'Karkouri
Research Engineer
Damian Thijs
Alumni
dr. Yuanyuan Zhan
Yuanyuan is currently working at Canon Production Printing
dr. Ievgen Kurylo
Ievgen is currently working at Dimenco
dr. Thierry Slot
Theirry is currently Azrieli Fellow at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
Defended Master Students
- Tom Bruining (defended in March 2022)
- Serena Calierno (defended in February 2022)
- Gabriëlle Muermans (defended in April 2022)
- Tsing-Hsuan Lee (defended in July 2023)
- Samuël A. M. Weima (defended in August 2022)
- Laxsa Nagalignam (defended in August 2023)
- Vera Buurman (defended in August 2023)
Defended PhD students
- Matthew Hendrikx (defended in 2018)
- Wei Feng (defended in 2020, he is currently a postdoc at Max Planck Institute, Germany)
- Yuanyuan Zhan (defended in 2021, she stays with us as a postdoc researcher)
- Fabian Visschers (defended in 2021, he is currently working at Bosch)