Team

People

Meet our researchers and designers!

Core team

Dr. ir. Rens Brankaert

Dr. ir. Rens Brankaert


Co-initiator of the ECDT

Dr. ir. Rens Brankaert is Assistant Professor Active & Healthy Ageing within the Systemic Change research group at the Department of Industrial Design at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in the Netherlands and Lector at Fontys School of Allied Health. He works on design for people with dementia by applying participatory methods and living labs. In this work, he aimed to build a bridge between a design-based approach and current healthcare practices with a specific focus on dementia.

Publications

Prof. dr. Wijnand IJsselsteijn

Prof. dr. Wijnand IJsselsteijn


Co-initiator of the ECDT

Prof.dr. Wijnand IJsselsteijn has a background in artificial intelligence and cognitive neuropsychology. He obtained his PhD in 2004 on the topic of telepresence. Since 2012, he is full professor of Cognition and Affect in Human-Technology Interaction at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). He has an active research program on the impact of media technology on human psychology, and the use of psychology to improve technology design.


Publications

Ir. Ans Tummers

Ir. Ans Tummers


Research & Support /
PhD Candidate

Ans Tummers has a rich history in administrative work in relation to dementia and the public domain. She is a board member of Alzheimer Forschung Initiative Dusseldorf, and former member of controlling board of “internationale stichting Alzheimer Onderzoek”. Currently she is a PhD Candidate at Human and Technology Interaction, on mediated touch for people with dementia.




Publications

Dr. Maarten Houben

Dr. Maarten Houben

Postdoc Industrial Design

Maarten Houben is a Postdoc at the Eindhoven University of Technology at the Department of Industrial Design. His PhD research focused on the beneficial effects of everyday sounds and soundscapes in technologies for dementia. Maarten holds a master’s degree in engineering sciences: architecture and gained research experience in interactive media architecture at the Research[x]Design group at KU Leuven. He is interested in designing and researching ambient multisensory technologies for vulnerable user groups.

Publications

Karlijn van Rijen MSc.

Karlijn van Rijen MSc.

Project manager

 Karlijn van Rijen MSc. is a graduated designer and aspiring researcher with a master’s degree in Industrial Design and Human-Technology Interaction. She has carried out different studies in the dementia field and other care-related fields and has recently completed a study on user-centered information provision after mild stroke. On behalf of Luckt B.V., she is involved with the ECDT as a project manager.




Renata Vis

Renata Vis

Secretary

Since October 2017, Renata has been working as management/office assistent IE&IS for the Human-Technology & Interaction research group. Since 2021 she has also been supporting the ECDT as office assistant.



Dana Starmans

Dana Starmans

Student Assistant

Dana Starmans has been the student assistant at ECDT since November 2022. She is currently working on her final Bachelor project Industrial Design at the TU/e. For this project, she is designing a group activity for older adults to improve their quality of life, in collaboration with the community center Ontmoet & Groet.


Research team

Dr. Francesca Toso

Dr. Francesca Toso

Postdoc Industrial Design

Dr. Francesca Toso is a product design researcher specialised in technologies for healthcare. She obtained a PhD in 2018 on the development of a robotic system for rehabilitation after stroke. 
Since then, she participated in different conferences on design, healthcare and ergonomics and studied wearable devices to promote healthy lifestyle for elderly. She joined TU/e in 2020, where she is now working on Certification-D, a project on the involvement of SMEs for testing products for people with dementia living at home in Living Labs.

Publications

Dr. Minha Lee

Dr. Minha Lee

Assistant professor Industrial Design

Dr. Minha Lee completed her Ph.D. on the topic of interactional morality (Eindhoven University of Technology – TU/e ), has an M.Sc. in Information Science (University of Amsterdam), a B.F.A. in digital arts (Pratt Institute), and a B.A. in philosophy (University of Minnesota – Twin Cities). She is an assistant professor since 2020 at the department of Industrial Design at TU/e. Her active area of research is on conversational user interfaces, moral emotions like compassion or gratitude, and if technology can be incorporated to explore our socio-moral growth.

Publications

Yvon Ruitenburg MSc.


Yvon Ruitenburg MSc.

PhD Candidate Industrial Design

Yvon Ruitenburg has a background in Industrial Design and obtained her bachelor and master’s degree at Delft University of Technology. Currently, she is a PhD Candidate at Industrial design, with her project focussing on improving the communication for people with dementia.

Rucha Khot MSc.


Rucha Khot MSc.

PhD Candidate Industrial Design

Rucha Khot is a designer and an engineer. She holds an MSc. in Integrated Product Design (specialization Medisign) from TU Delft and a B.E in Electronics Engineering from Mumbai University. Currently, she is a PhD candidate researching on interactive agents and responsible engineering practices for dementia care using Warm Technology.


Associated researchers and designers

Prof. Dr. Ir. Berry Eggen

Prof. Dr. Ir. Berry Eggen

Full Professor of Design for User Experience in Ambient Intelligent Systems

Dr. Ir. Emilia Barakova

Dr. Ir. Emilia Barakova

Assistant Professor of Socially Intelligent Systems

Prof. Dr. Helianthe Kort

Prof. Dr. Helianthe Kort

Full Professor Built Environment, Building Performance

Prof. Dr. Ir. Masi Mohammadi

Prof. Dr. Ir. Masi Mohammadi

Full Professor Built Environment, Smart Architectural Technologies

Ir. Myrte Thoolen

Ir. Myrte Thoolen

PhD student Industrial Design, Systemic Change

Dr. Yuan Lu

Dr. Yuan Lu

Associate Professor of Design for Healthy and Active Ageing

Dr. Jun Hu MEng, EngD.

Dr. Jun Hu MEng, EngD.

Associate Professor of Social Computing, Systemic Change and EAISI Health

Dr. Giulia Perugia

Dr. Giulia Perugia

Assistant Professor in Human-Technology Interaction