Dankers and Demerouti are two of the seventeen new members, including ten women. They were selected from a large number of nominees by an expert jury in the scientific domain. The KNAW is a long-standing society of outstanding Dutch scientists and aims to promote scientific practice in our country. Members are selected on the basis of high-quality scientific achievements. Membership is for life.

Dankers is a professor of Biomedical Materials and Chemistry. She has developed materials that stimulate damaged tissue in the body to repair itself and that prompt control stem cells and mini-organs in the laboratory to grow. This regenerative medicine is a breakthrough in her field. Several start-ups use her materials for biomedical applications. Dankers also actively brings science to the general public through school visits, radio and TV appearances, online explainers, and collaborations with artists.

Demerouti is a professor of Work and Organizational Psychology. She developed a theory that shows how an optimal balance between workload and supporting factors makes employees healthier, more effective, and happier. Her insights are used worldwide, for example by the Netherlands Labour Authority and for the evaluation of psychosocial risks at workplaces throughout Europe. She initiated the successful Irène Curie Fellowship program, which led to more women scientists and broad attention to diversity within and outside the university.

In the past, it happened before that TU/e staff joined the KNAW: nine emeritus professors and fourteen professors. Current members include a total of three women professors at TU/e. Alongside Evangelia Demerouti and Patricia Dankers, it concerns Carlijn Bouten, who is a professor of Cell-Matrix Interactions at the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Dankers, Demerouti, and the other new KNAW members will be officially installed on September 29.

Main photo: Evangelia Demerouti (left) and Patricia Dankers. Photo by Bart van Overbeeke