Lien Smeesters

Background

About Lien Smeesters

Lien Smeesters obtained her PhD in Engineering Sciences in December 2016, for her research work entitled ’Improving food safety with optical screening‘.This doctoral degree was granted with greatest distinction and unanimous congratulations of the jury (summa cum laude). She continued her research as a postdoctoral researcher within B-PHOT Brussels Photonics, and started as professor in October 2023. Lien focuses on multidisciplinary research in the field of optical design and optical spectroscopy, pursuing the development of novel spectroscopic detection systems for multi-defect multi-modal sensing. Her main research interests include optical spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and its industrial implementation using high-end imaging and illumination optics. She is actively involved in several research projects in collaboration with industry, both within bilateral collaborations and within the European funded PhotonHub program. Lien is also involved in different educational tasks, serving as a co-titular for the 'Microphotonics' and 'Lighting Technology' courses within the Master of Science in Photonics Engineering at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. In addition, she contributes to several types of STEM / outreach activities to promote science and photonics to the broad public, and is involved in different university commissions.