Associate professor with a passion and reputation for innovative research and teaching in Urban and Regional Studies. I focus on relational, political and evolutionary explanations of urban and regional growth and decline. In doing so, I try to creatively combine insights from economic and urban geography, urban and regional planning, environmental studies, regional science, urban economics, cultural geography, media studies, political geography, regional studies and policy sciences in doing so. My aim is to develop empirically underpinned territorial strategies that make cities and regions better able to satisfy human and societal needs. I am committed to knowledge dissemination through actively seeking co-operation with communities, governments, industry and other scholars. Working with my talented and enthusiastic research team and colleagues in the field and beyond is what inspires me. My work has appeared in many different journals and books, and has attracted attention in academia and policy practice. I received several best paper awards and acquired many larger and smaller research grants, including highly-competed for VENI and VIDI personal grants. I built on a long track record in leading research teams. Facilitating top-level research in my department and my broader field is important to me, as is making students passionate about doing research, and involving them in my research. I strongly believe that student learning should be activating, structured, varied, fun and rewarding, and I take care of creating an inspirational, exciting learning environment.