Dr. Geert Verdoolaege

Associate Professor

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Biography

Geert Verdoolaege obtained his MSc degree in Theoretical Physics in 1999 and PhD in Engineering Physics in 2006 from Ghent University (UGent, Belgium). His doctoral research focused on the applications of Bayesian probability theory in plasma spectroscopy for fusion devices. Following his PhD, he was a postdoctoral researcher in the field of computer vision at the University of Antwerp from 2007 to 2008, where he worked on probabilistic modeling of image textures using information geometry. He joined the department of Data Analysis at UGent from 2008 to 2010, engaging in projects related to modeling and estimation of brain activity based on functional magnetic resonance imaging. In 2010, he returned to the department of Applied Physics at UGent and served as a postdoctoral assistant until 2014, later becoming a part-time assistant professor. In October 2019, he was appointed full-time associate professor in the same department, leading the research unit on Nuclear Fusion. His research encompasses the development of data analysis techniques leveraging probability theory and machine learning for nuclear fusion experiments. Additionally, he teaches courses on plasma physics and continuum mechanics at UGent and is involved in European-level fusion education through interuniversity master and PhD programs, as well as participating in the European Fusion Education Network FuseNet. He serves on the editorial board of the multidisciplinary journal Entropy and is a member of scientific committees for nuclear fusion and information science conferences. Furthermore, he acts as a consulting expert for the International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA) Topical Groups in Diagnostics, Transport, and Confinement.

Research Interests