Wilfred van der Wiel (1975) obtained his M.Sc. degree in Applied Physics (cum laude) from Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands in 1997. He did his Ph.D. research on electron transport in quantum dots and electron interferometers both at Delft University of Technology and NTT Basic Research Laboratories in Japan. He obtained his Ph.D. degree (cum laude) in 2002. After that he joined the University of Tokyo as a postdoc and in the same year he was appointed Pioneer Fellow of the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). In 2005 he moved to the MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology at the University of Twente in The Netherlands, where he took the position of Program Leader of the interdisciplinary nanoelectronics program. Presently he also holds a position as associate professor of nanoelectronics. In 2006 he was awarded the VIDI grant of the Dutch National Science Foundation (NWO) and was appointed as member of the Young Academy of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). Since 2008 he leads the bottom-up electronics research section within the Dutch nanotechnology network NanoNed. Van der Wiel is author of more than 30 peer-reviewed journal articles receiving over 2,300 citations.

Wilfred van der Wiel is scientific director of the NanoNed Japan Office (NJO) of the Dutch nanotechnology initiative NanoNed, with as general aim intensifying contacts between Japanese and Dutch scientists and business people in the field of nanotechnology. The NJO tries initiating and contributing to the following activities:

• exchange of students and scientists
• sharing high-tech infrastructure
• invited lectures by renowned (nano) scientists
• joint grant programs open for collaborations between Japanese and Dutch partners
• joint conferences/symposia/workshops (both scientific and valorization oriented)

I did my master in biomedical engineering at the University of Twente, the Netherlands. My PhD was on surface EMG simulation, processing and clinical applications. Currently, I work both at the University of Twente and Roessingh Research and Development (RRD), a research institute in the area of rehabilitation. At the University I am Professor in neuromuscular control of human movements, but also head of a rapidly growing research group focused on Telemedicine, especially on remote monitoring and remotely supervised treatment. I also coordinate a rather new biomedical teaching program in Telemedicine. At RRD, I am doing very similar things, but with a more clinical focus; at RRD we want to develop innovative treatments and services that will be really used by health care professionals and patients.

I (co)-authored over 150 peer reviewed journal papers, co-ordinated three European projects and participated in over 15 other international projects in the area of EMG, functional electrical stimulation, rehabilitation technology and monitoring and supervised treatment at home.

I am looking forward to visit Japan for the second time. The first time, I was very much impressed by the very different but extremely beautiful culture and art, the warm hospitality and the strong integration of technology in the society.

I was born in Bologna in 1968 and have lived and studied there until 1992 when I graduated in Electrical Engineering. I then moved to the Netherlands and after working two years in Twente I moved to Delft where I took my Ph.D. and worked as assistant and associate professor. In 2001 I moved back to Twente where in 2005 I became full professor of Advanced Robotics. Robotics is a great field of research because it is multidisciplinary and can be applied in different fields. Expecially in Medicine robotics has shown to be an amazingly promising technology for surgery, prosthethics and rehabilitation. If you really want to see a society with as no other is “robotic oriented” and invests a huge amount of money in robotics R&D, Japan is the place. I know Japan and have been there a few times but everytime I am fascinated by the culture, the politeness of people and especially their attitute towards technology. I am sure that the trip will be a success and I am really looking forward to be part of it. And of course, I am crazy about Sushi!

My name is Johan Engbersen and I am a professor in Biomedical Chemistry at the University of Twente. I give lectures for students in Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering with courses on Advanced Materials for biomedical applications, Biomaterials, and Controlled drug and gene delivery systems. The latter item is also subject of the research in our group, where we combine chemical knowledge with knowledge of physiological and cellular processes to design new materials that meet the requirements for efficient and site-specific gene and drug delivery. My way to this exciting field was a long and certainly not linear path; however, most of the knowledge I obtained underway can now fruitfully be applied in this subject. I started my study in chemistry in 1966 at the University of Groningen and graduated in organic chemistry and polymer chemistry in 1972 and obtained my PhD on a physical-organic and thermodynamics related research in 1976. In the period thereafter, I was appointed at the Agricultural University in Wageningen from 1976-1990, lecturing (bio-)organic chemistry, biocatalysis, and environmental chemistry and research in biomimetic and enzymatic catalysis. In 1990 I moved to the Supramolecular Chemistry and Technology group of the University of Twente, and my research was focused on biomimetic and enzymatic catalysis, supramolecular chemistry, chemical sensors, and advanced organic materials. In 1995 I was a period in the group of prof. George Whitesides at Harvard University, which was a great experience. From 1998-2004 I was the director of education of Chemical Engineering with mainly managerial tasks. In 2004 I started a new chair in Biomedical Chemistry and since then my research is focused on the development of advanced drug and gene delivery systems. In my professional career I have published two text books in Bio-organic Chemistry and am the (co-) author of ca. 130 international publications in the fields of bio-organic chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, chemical and biosensing, materials chemistry and biomedical chemistry.

My name is Kees Slump. I was born in The Hague, the Netherlands in 1953. I am married and I have three daughters.

In 1979 I have received the M.Sc. degree in Electrical Engineering from TU Delft and in 1984 the Ph.D. degree in Theoretical Physics from Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. In 1983 I have joined Philips Medical Systems in Best, the Netherlands and I have worked as group leader of the X-ray predevelopment cardio – vascular. In 1989 I returned to academics and accepted a position as assistant professor at the University of Twente, Department of Electrical Engineering, in the Network Theory – Digital Signal Processing group. From 1994 – 1998 I was Dean of Education. In 1999 I became full professor and chairman of the Signals and Systems group, Department of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Twente. My research interests are primarily in functional medical imaging.

The upcoming study tour will be my third visit to Japan and I am looking forward to it. For me Japan is a fascinating country with even more fascinating people. Old traditions are at the basis; people live life eagerly. What strikes me is the keen balance between scientific background and creative engineering solutions so manifest in products for societal needs. Always challenging high tech innovations, but with a very open eye on what the customer wants. I have seen examples of exciting environments and team spirit, in which the contributions of individuals really came to fruit.

Look forward to learn more from mysterious Japan.

My name is Dimitrios Stamatialis. I was born in Sarti Halkidiki - Greece in 1968. I am married and I have a son.

I received my degree in Chemistry (1989) and my PhD degree in material science at the University of Athens-Greece (1995). I joined the Membrane Science & Technology group of the Faculty of Science & Technology of the University of Twente in 2000. First; I worked as a postdoctoral researcher (2000-2002) and later I became staff member (assistant professor (2002-2007) and associate professor (2007- present date)). In the group; I supervise all research projects related to biomedical membranes applications and I teach several BSc and MSc courses in the Biomedical Engineering and Technical Medicine studies of the University.

In 2006; I have participated to the “Paradoks” study tour to Singapore. The experience was very positive driving me to join the trip to Japan, too. Since this would be my first trip to Japan I am very interested to see the differences between the cultures as well as scientific practices between Japan and Europe. In Japan; high quality research is done in my research field and I am looking forward to visit some of the laboratories and hospitals with activities in the field.

I am Wiendelt Steenbergen, associate professor in the Biophysical Engineering group of the MIRA Institute at the University of Twente. I have an MSc degree in Aerospace Engineering (TU Delft), and while specializing in flow measurements using laser light I shifted my focus to turbulent water flows (TU Eindhoven, PhD) and to biomedical optics (University of Twente, postdoc). My current research aims at developing optical and hybrid optical-acoustic methods for quantitative imaging of tissue quantities related to the vascular system, such as blood flow, hemoglobin concentration, and blood oxygenation. Application fields are wound healing and oncology, in particular breast cancer. In 2005 I have visited Japan, but just for 3 days, which was of course much too short for such an overwhelming experience. Just being in the street or a railway station of a big city is an adventure. The study tour is a great opportunity to see more of Japan’s culture, technology and research. I hope to get an inside view on one or two high tech companies. In particular I am interested in how Japan’s dedication towards developing high tech devices is translated into realization of new health care products, how companies communicate with the medical world to decide about their product strategy, and cooperate with academia.

Michel van Putten received his PhD in applied physics in 2000 from Delft University of Technology and became registered as a neurologist in 2000, as well. He heads the department of Clinical Neurophysiology of Medisch Spectrum Twente, a large teaching Hospital in Enschede, the Netherlands.

In addition, he is a professor of Clinical Neurophysiology at the University of Twente. Besides his clinical work, he has a strong interest in developing new techniques for improved neurodiagnostics with an emphasis on epilepsy and ischemia with the EEG as an important tool.

In addition, his research interests include fundamentals of EEG generation, including computational modeling, neural plasticity and Brain Computer Interfaces. In addition to his clinical work and research activities, he has a strong interest in teaching. He is a co-founder of Clinical Science Systems, a company that develops medical software for research and clinical applications (www.clinicalsciencesystems.com).

Hi! My name is Wiebe. I studied (bio)chemistry and pharmacy at the University of Groningen and received my Ph.D. from the University of Utrecht. Subsequently, I spent some years at the Salk Institute in San Diego (USA) investigating the role of oncogenesis in the regulation of cell growth. After returning to the Netherlands, I became a staff member of the Hubrecht Laboratory in Utrecht investigating embryonic stem cells and the molecular basis of embryonic development. Before joining the University of Twente, I was professor in Developmental Genetics. My current research is focused on the mechanisms by which somatic cells can be turned into embryonic stem cells and the use of these cells in drug discovery and regenerative medicine. Last year, I spent time at the Gladstone Institute in San Francisco to become familiar with the technology to conduct these studies. I enjoy travelling and look forward to accompany the participants on this tour.