I am a professor of physics at the University of Amsterdam and the author of books on science and cosmology, and our changing picture of the universe. My scientific work focuses on dark matter, black holes, and gravitational waves as probes of fundamental physics and cosmology.

My current research programme, supported by NWO and by the ERC Advanced Grant De Tenebris, explores how gravitational-wave observations can reveal the environments of black holes and open new windows on dark matter and fundamental physics.

Alongside research and teaching, I have played a leading role in the creation of scientific communities and institutions, including GRAPPA in Amsterdam and the European Consortium for Astroparticle Theory, EuCAPT, hosted at CERN. I also work on science literacy and public engagement through the Global Cosmos Prize Programme for Science Literacy, endorsed under the UN International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development, led by UNESCO.