New Scientist announces nominees Science Talent 2019

03 May 2019

25 young top scientists from the Netherlands and Flanders selected

The popular science magazine New Scientist today presents on its website the 25 nominees for the title of the greatest science talent of the Netherlands and Flanders. The field of work of the nominees is very diverse: from research on how our immune system can fight cancer to techniques that allow us to search for life on distant planets. The public can vote via newscientist.nl/talent to help determine which scientist will be crowned Science Talent 2019 on 31 May. The online ballot box is open through May 6.

The election is entering its fifth year this year. Last year, Damya Laoui, a cancer researcher at the Free University of Brussels, won. The election offers young scientists a stage on which they can showcase their research to the wider public. “Scientific research in the Netherlands in Flanders is of an extremely high level,” says Jim Jansen, editor-in-chief of New Scientist. “With this election we proudly show this to the outside world. Who knows, there might be a future Nobel Prize winner among the nominees.”

Public and jury verdict
Universities and knowledge institutions have nominated their young talents in recent months. From these candidates, 25 top talents were selected. A professional jury will consider the nominees in the coming weeks. This year the jury is chaired by Stan Gielen (Chairman NWO) and Willy Verstraete (Chairman FWO). In addition, the jury consists of Belle Derks (chairperson Young Academy in the Netherlands), Sylvia Wenmackers (co-chairperson Young Academy in Flanders), Melanie Peters (director Rathenau Institute) and Jim Jansen.

To determine the winner the opinion of the online voting public is combined with that of the jury.
will be combined with that of the jury. Both count for 50 percent in the final result. The winner of the title New Scientist Science Talent 2019 will receive a cash prize of 2,500 euros, made possible by the Rathenau Institute.

Award ceremony
On 31 May the winner will be announced during the event New Scientist Live in TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht. This evening the five best scoring talents will give a presentation about their research. There will also be lectures by primatologist Frans de Waal, moral philosopher Katleen Gabriels and astrobiologist Inge Loes ten Kate. The festive award ceremony will take place at the end of the evening. Tickets are available via newscientist.nl/live.

The nominees
Bjorn Baselet (1990) – Spaceflight, SCK-CEN
Henk-Jan Boele (1983) – Physical wiring of the brain, Erasmus University
Alie de Boer (1989) – Food law, Maastricht University
Joyce Browne (1987) – Obstetrics, Utrecht University
Kristof De Bruyn (1987) – Taste physics, Nikhef
Hannes Datta (1984) – Digital media, Tilburg University
Heleen Dewitte (1987) – Cancer immunotherapy, Ghent University
Lennart de Groot (1984) – Paleogeomagnetism, Utrecht University
Joen Hermans (1989) – Oil paint degradation, University of Amsterdam
Marijn Kroes (1983) – Memory modification, Radboud UMC
Jonas Lembrechts (1990) – Plant and ecosystem science, University of Antwerp
Geert Litjens (1985) – Artificial intelligence in healthcare, Radboud UMC
Gerine Lodder (1985) – Loneliness in young people, Tilburg University
Margo Maex (1989) – Sex pheromones in salamanders, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Bart Mesuere (1987) – Programming education, University of Ghent
Sandy Overgaauw (1985) – Empathy, Leiden University
Stéphanie van der Pas (1989) – Statistics, Leiden University
Zoë Robaey (1984) – Responsible innovation, TU Delft
Elanie Rodermond (1985) – Life course criminals, NSCR
Matthieu de Schipper (1983) – Sand and water movement in coastal maintenance, TU Delft
Bart van der Sloot (1985) – Digital privacy, Tilburg University
Cristophe Snoeck (1987) – Creamed bones, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Daan Swarts (1986) – Bacterial immune systems, Wageningen University
Lieke Verheijen (1989) – Online communication, Radboud University Nijmegen
Pieter de Visser (1985) – Detector physics, SRON