For all sorts of questions relevant for PhD's or Postdocs at the Institute of Physics contact the council via our email address phdcouncil-iop@uva.nl.

Please note that we are a council formed by PhD's and Postdocs and do not decide on hiring people.

The current council members introduce themselves below.

Council Members

Luka Vink:

Born and raised in Amsterdam, I studied physics and philosophy in Delft and Rotterdam, before moving back to Amsterdam for my masters. In 2025, I joined the IoP as a PhD student, combining perspectives from theoretical physics and philosophy to study the emergence of time and dynamics in operator algebras in quantum gravity. What attracted me in the PhD/PD Council is that it offers opportunities to strengthen the community by having an active say in things and organise all sorts of fun events. This feeling of belonging and letting the voice of the PhDs and PDs be heard I believe is very important.

Lizzy Rieth:

I completed my BSc at the Maastricht Science Programme before moving to Amsterdam to pursue the Theory Track of the UvA’s Physics MSc. In June 2022, I joined the IoP as a PhD student, where I mainly work on investigating holographic theories in discrete settings. I am also interested in studying dimer models on all kinds of funny graphs and lattices. In my free time, I particularly enjoy board games, listening to music, and bouldering. I joined the PhD/PD council because I like being an active member of my community and helping to shape it for the better. So, if you have any ideas or suggestions (or just fancy a physicsy chat;) don’t hesitate to get in touch!

Alice de Vito:

After doing my Bachelor's and Master's in Milan, I moved to Amsterdam in November 2025 to start my PhD at the IoP, where I work on quantum gravity and holography. I'm particularly interested in studying 2d and 3d gravity, random matrix theory, 2d conformal field theories and quantum chaos. Outside of physics, I enjoy reading, watching films and hiking.

I was a student representative during my studies, so joining the PhD council came sort of naturally. I like the idea of students actually shaping the place they work in, not just going along with it.

Feel free to get in touch or stop by my office for a chat anytime!

Laura Zeni Cunha:

I started my PhD at the IoP in October 2024 after completing my bachelor’s degree in Brazil and my master’s degree in France. I am an experimental scientist in the Quantum Materials Group, where I design, optimize, and investigate novel material structures and their properties. Outside academia, I'm a passionate ballet dancer and music enthusiast.

In October 2025, I joined the PhD/PD Council after being invited by a friend and colleague at the IoP. Since then, I've been impressed by the collaborative and inclusive environment the Council has built and have been motivated to contribute to making the institute an even better place. Feel free to send me an email or stop me at the coffee corner if you have any questions or simply want to have a chat!

Aude Corbeel:

Originally from Belgium, I’m now doing my PhD in Amsterdam, at the intersection of theoretical physics and the philosophy of physics. My research explores why ideas and techniques from quantum information theory have proven so successful in advancing our understanding of quantum gravity. My research is quite adventurous, and so am I: I love being outdoors for hiking, bouldering, and camping, but I also enjoy Amsterdam’s city life; its cafés, Saturday markets, and cinemas.

Former Council Members

• Alberto Zorzato
• Sergio Barquero Pierantoni
• Gian-Piero Nicosia
• Romane le Dizes
• Alexander van Spaendonck
• Francesca Famà
• Rebekka Koch
• Eleanor Trimby
• Evita Verheijden
• Daniel Chernowitz
• Jaco de Swart
• Bart van Voorden
• Thijs de Goede
• Damian Galante
• Antonio Capretti
• Carla Sanna
• Maureen Dinkgreve
• Laurens Kabir
• Niki Klop
• Julie Desarnaud
• Nick de Jong
• Rens Limpens
• Hamish Silverwood
• Georgios Skantzaris
• Rogier Vlijm
• Abishek Gupta
• Robert van Leeuwen