PhD Student on Hans Dierckx' Research Page

Nathan Dermul

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Contact details

📌 Office A342, Etienne Sabbelaan 53, 8500 Kortrijk
📧 Look up email address on KU Leuven Who’s Who
📚 Publications via Lirias
📑 Publications via ORCID
🌍 Profile on LinkedIn

Questions and answers

What did you study for you bachelor’s and master’s degree?

I got my bachelor’s and master’s degree in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Ghent. During these 5 years I got to explore a wide variety of elective subjects including biophysics, computational physics, machine learning and astrophysics. I always loved the great variety of the education and was happy to combine ML techniques and astronomy in my master thesis.

Why did you choose to do a PhD in this team?

This research is situated in a very wide research domain, combining different scientific fields, while also juggling the wildly different scales necessary to tackle the problems accurately. Such kind of endeavors can also be found in astrophysical settings and lay very close to my heart. Luckely some elective courses during my education introduced me to interesting biophysical questions and their massive impact on human health, so I was able to find this opportunity.

What would you say is your speciality within the research group?

Focusing on the inversion modelling of cardiac wave propagation both in the electrical and mechanical domain, I have to make sure to use as much of the physical and clinical information as possible in order to obtain a fast yet accurate model. So I would say finding the best parts of every field and facilitating them to be friends is key in my research.

What are your hobbies/after work activities?

I’m trying to learn some music theory and piano. In addition to annoying everyone around me with ears, I like to read, go to the gym, play video games or gather with as much people as possible and pull out some nice board games.

For about 23 years of my life I couldn’t stand realistic, bloody images, so fainting during the rabbit dissection was nothing new. However as I wanted to go into the cardiac scene, I was able to (almost) completely cure my blood phobia after a few weeks of exposing myself to bloody movies, how-to-draw-blood yt tutorials and emergency hospital shows.

Marie Cloet

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Promotors: Giovanni Samaey, Piet Claus, Hans Dierckx
Subject: Uncertainty quantification in cardiac excitation models

Contact details

📌 Office A342, Etienne Sabbelaan 53, 8500 Kortrijk
📧 Look up email address on KU Leuven Who’s Who
📚 Publications via Lirias
📑 Publications via ORCID
🌍 Profile on LinkedIn

Questions and answers

What did you study for your bachelor’s and master’s degree?

I studied Mathematics at KU Leuven Campus Kortrijk in my bachelor’s and I completed my Master in Applied Mathematics, with research option, at KU Leuven.

Why did you start a PhD in this group?

Since my bachelor’s thesis on the computation of the ECG out of a Cellular Automaton model of the heart, I was sold for the research conducted here. It’s a perfect match between mathematical methods and a life-saving, relevant biological application.

What would you say is your speciality within the research group?

In my Master’s, I chose both courses in applied mathematics, such as engineering science, plasma astrophysics and theoretical physics, and courses in pure mathematics. I think the skill I want to deploy is translating abstract mathematical concepts to useful applications and vice versa, in a way that the methods are both practical and rigorously underpinned.

What is your favorite part of doing a PhD?

I have only started, but I would say the act of doing science together. At Kulak, there are many colleages with whom I can discuss my research and my educational tasks. It’s cool to reach further with the support of your peers.

What is your least favorite part?

To be honest, I have not done anything that I did not like thus far… Besides the administration to fulfill the bureaucratic formalities, that’s mostly quite a burden!

What are your hobbies/after work activities?

I play rugby in the women’s team of Rugby RSL, the Bullets. Furthermore, I am member of the running club Dapalo in my home town. During my studies, I have been active as a volunteer in the chiro, which is a youth movement. Now and then, I still help during their activities.

In my last year of high school, I went on an exchange to Denmark with AFS. Now, I still understand Danish and other related Scandinavian languages. Which is helpful, since those countries are my favorite destination.

Master thesis at KU Leuven Kortrijk

Promotor: Hans Dierckx
Supervisor: Louise Arno
Subject: Non-linear waves in excitable networks
Studied: (applied) Mathematics
Year 2021-2022

Desmond Kabus

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Contact Details

📌 Office A330, Etienne Sabbelaan 53, 8500 Kortrijk
📧 Look up email address on KU Leuven Who’s Who
📚 Publications via Lirias
📑 Publications via ORCID
🌍 Personal website
🌍 Profile on LinkedIn

Questions and answers

What did you study for your bachelor’s and master’s degree?

For my B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees, I studied theoretical physics at the Institute for Computational Plasma Physics at Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany. In terms of equations, modelling a plasma and the electrical patterns in the heart have a surprising amount of similarity! Lots of methods that can therefore transferred between those two subjects. My research for my master’s thesis was focused on a simplified version of the inverse problem of electrocardiography. In simpler terms, I used mathematics to find where certain conduction defects are located in idealised heart muscle tissue from electrical measurements inside the heart chambers. For this, I used optimisation strategies from both machine learning and the more classical mathematical approaches, such as the adjoint state method.

Why did you choose to do a PhD in this group?

Since I already got to know and love cardiology in my previous studies, it was a natural next step to look for PhD positions in the field. When I then saw the vacancy and figured out that I had already quoted some of the people involved in this project back in my Bachelor’s thesis, I knew that I found the group where I fit in perfectly.

What would you say is your speciality within the research group?

The technical nitty-gritty: algorithms, machine learning, and programming with C, C++, Python, etc. on GNU/Linux. All of this of course applied to the heart! To me it is exciting see how close I can push a computer to its limits for solving the challenging problems popping up everywhere in cardiology.

What is your favorite part of doing a PhD?

I love that I get to on the one hand explore the mathematics of cardiac electrophysiology with Hans Dierckx’ group at KU Leuven and on the other hand get to experience the cutting edge of its experimental side at the Laboratory of Cardiology with Daniël Pijnappels at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands.

What is your least favorite part?

Checking your simulation that already ran for hours, realising that it failed, and therefore having to start from scratch...

What are your hobbies/after work activities?

I like many things such as travelling, video games and water sports. I especially love sailing in all places; lakes, canals and of course the sea! In my spare time, I sometimes even work as a sailing instructor. I like to combine the work trips for my doctorate research with exploring the places they take me.

At the moment when I decided that I want to do a PhD, I was picking blueberries in New Zealand’s Far North.

Lore Leenknegt

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Contact details

Questions and answers

What did you study for your bachelor’s and master’s degree?

First I obtained a bachelor in Physics, after which I started a master in Biophysics. I realized I really like combining the theoretical concepts of physics and computational methods with a more applied area like biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, medicine, …

Why did you choose to do a PhD in this group?

As said before, my interests and studies lie within the broad field of biophysics. With the research topics in this group, knowledge and skills from different disciplines are combined. This variability is something I greatly enjoy, as well as the opportunity to use computational skills in scientific research. I also very much like the fact that in an indirect way, my research could end up helping people suffer less.

What would you say is your speciality within the research group?

The study of cardiac electrograms. How the tissue properties and catheter orientations affect the shape and size of these signals.

What is your favorite part of doing a PhD?

The variation. It is very non-repetitive and I really enjoy the enthusiasm rush I get from closing in on a nice scientific result.

What is your least favorite part?

Scanning literature…

What are your hobbies/after work activities?

One of my favorite activities is dancing. More specifically hiphop and couples dancing. Besides that, I love taking care of my pets (especially training my very young dog) and having quality time with special people in my life.

I talk a lot and pretty fast and use absurd humor in situations where I am uncomfortable.

Louise Arno

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Contact details

Questions and answers

What did you study for your bachelor’s and master’s degree?

I studied mathematics at Ghent University. During my masters, I focussed on differential geometry and the application of this research onto theoretical physics. My favourite courses were quantum field theory, differential geometry 2 and writing my master thesis.

Why did you choose to do a PhD in this group?

When I was 18 years old, I doubted a lot what to study next. ‘Should I go for medicine, engineering or mathematics?’ was a question I have asked a million people! My passion for mathematics made the decision for me. But to be honest, at the end of my master degree, I was on the verge of starting med school. Being of social value is important to me. But then…this team came across my path. It was THE perfect opportunity to combine my studies with my interest in medicine.

What would you say is your speciality within the research group?

I have always been intrigued by the somehow creative process a mathematician tries to tackle a difficult problem. This way of problem solving is the most important skill my degree has given me and is, I would say, my speciality. ‘Analytical thinking’ is a process: translating a universal problem, like cardiac arrhythmias, to mathematics, (partially) solving the problem by using different techniques, to then translate the solution, like the theory of PDs, back to the ‘real’ world. Being able to practice this skill on one of the largest causes of death worldwide makes me a happy person.

What is your favorite part of doing a PhD?

For my day-to-day life, I would say: diversity! Of course, we do research every day, but we also have to teach, follow courses (also transferable skills) and communicate our research via conferences or events like day of science or children’s day at the uni.

Overall? The fact you learn so much about so many things (including yourself) is priceless.

What is your least favorite part?

A colleague once told me ‘A PhD is a marathon, not a sprint!’. Since I am a long-distance runner, it is quite ironic how hard this long-term process can be. Yes, I do believe a PhD is a long-term process, with lots of long-term management, sometimes with no results. Since I am a result-based person, a PhD is not only a process and marathon, it can also be a rollercoaster.

What are your hobbies/after work activities?

Besides long-distance running, I love to eat! Gourmet dining with friends, and colleagues of course, is one of my favourite activities. My friends also call me a professional conversation maker.

My eyes have a different colour (see picture).

PhD Student on Hans Dierckx' Research Page

Nathan Dermul

Contact details

Questions and answers

What did you study for you bachelor’s and master’s degree?

Why did you choose to do a PhD in this team?

What would you say is your speciality within the research group?

What are your hobbies/after work activities?

Do you have a fun fact about yourself that you want to share?

Marie Cloet

Contact details

Questions and answers

What did you study for your bachelor’s and master’s degree?

Why did you start a PhD in this group?

What would you say is your speciality within the research group?

What is your favorite part of doing a PhD?

What is your least favorite part?

What are your hobbies/after work activities?

Do you have a fun fact about yourself that you want to share?

Master thesis at KU Leuven Kortrijk

Desmond Kabus

Contact Details

Questions and answers

What did you study for your bachelor’s and master’s degree?

Why did you choose to do a PhD in this group?

What would you say is your speciality within the research group?

What is your favorite part of doing a PhD?

What is your least favorite part?

What are your hobbies/after work activities?

Do you have a fun fact about yourself that you want to share?

Lore Leenknegt

Contact details

Questions and answers

What did you study for your bachelor’s and master’s degree?

Why did you choose to do a PhD in this group?

What would you say is your speciality within the research group?

What is your favorite part of doing a PhD?

What is your least favorite part?

What are your hobbies/after work activities?

Do you have a fun fact about yourself that you want to share?

Louise Arno

Contact details

Questions and answers

What did you study for your bachelor’s and master’s degree?

Why did you choose to do a PhD in this group?

What would you say is your speciality within the research group?

What is your favorite part of doing a PhD?

What is your least favorite part?

What are your hobbies/after work activities?

Do you have a fun fact about yourself that you want to share?