He graduated in both Mathematics and Physics, and continued his studies at Leiden University to obtain a PhD in Mathematics. He subsequently moved to Nottingham (UK) as a Research Fellow.

Currently, he is Professor of Differential Equations and Applications at the VU University Amsterdam, developing mathematical methods to understand the nonlinear dynamics of pattern formation. Furthermore, he is the Director of Education at the Department of Mathematics, where he also teaches a variety of courses at the Bachelor and Master level.