Professor Dirk Van Der Werf
What Faculty do you work in?
Science and Engineering
What is your main area of research?
Physics using Positron, Antiprotons and Antimatter
Why is your research important?
It is fun, it is fundamental research looking at the fundamental symmetries in the universe. I have been working on this since 1998.
What SDG is your research most closely aligned with?
Not one in particular.
What do you hope to accomplish with your research?
Better understanding of the physics of the universe (sounds very grand …).
Is there a cross-disciplinary element to your research? If so, who else at the University is involved?
There is cross-disciplinary research with groups across the world, although they are all physicists, the variation in the physics specialization is quite large.
Are there any external collaborators involved?
Yes (see answer above). I collaborate with people from (employer countries) the UK, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, Brazil, USA, Switzerland, Israel, Poland, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Japan. However, the individuals themselves come from even other countries.
What is next for your research?
Doing what I am already doing, and recently we have joined another collaboration which involves also not physicist. The project aims to make a cheaper version for proton and heavier particles therapy against cancer.