Nice to meet you!
I am Dr. Evy van Weelden, R&D engineer specializing in cognitive neuroscience in aerospace. I obtained my PhD in 2025 from the Department of Computational Cognitive Science at Tilburg University, focusing on mental state monitoring of novice pilots and the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying flight training.
I currently work as an R&D Engineer at the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR), where I apply cognitive and AI-based methods to address real-world aerospace challenges. I am specifically specialized in mental state monitoring of individuals as well as dyads, brain-computer interfacing, and human-machine teaming.
I hold a BSc in (Neuro)psychology (cum laude) and an MSc in Neuroscience & Cognition, both from Utrecht University.
Research experience
During my Bachelor’s and Master’s, I have completed internships and research projects at the Experimental Psychopathology lab Utrecht, the Neurocognitive Development Lab Utrecht, the Wilhelmina’s Children Hospital in Utrecht (department of Neonatology), and the Neurobionics Lab at the University of Melbourne (department of Biomedical Engineering). I received scholarships from the Prinses Beatrix Spierfonds, Fundatie van Renswoude and the K.F. Hein Fonds for my Master's project at the University of Melbourne, which concerned (invasive) brain-computer interfacing.
Thanks to these projects and my supervisors, I’ve learned how to code in Matlab, how to work with EEG and other biosignals, and how to perform statistical analyses (R, Matlab & SPSS), amongst many other things. And most importantly: it’s where my love for brain-computer interfacing (BCI) and “tech” originated from.
During my PhD, I switched from the 'clinical setting' to studying non-invasive BCIs for the purpose of optimizing human performance. I completed a systematic review and four experimental studies in order to develop a passive brain-computer interface system for Virtual Reality (VR)-based flight training. I learned Python for the first time during my PhD, and further developed my knowledge and skills in AI-based data analyses and BCI applications in aviation. I was awarded a scholarship by the Dr. Catharine van Tussenbroek Fonds to pursue a research project at the Neuroergonomics and Human Factors research group of the Department of Aerospace Vehicle Design and Control at ISAE-SUPAERO in Toulouse, France, focusing on quantifying dyadic interactions between instructor and student pilots.
In my role as an R&D Engineer at NLR, I continue to pursue my passion for aviation and cognitive neuroscience. I am happily supervising students from various universities, and still run “my own” experiments from time to time.
Should you have any questions for me, you can contact me here.
Spare time
When I’m not working, I keep busy with a mix of active and cozy hobbies. I’m a proud dog mom to Axel the Dalmatian, who happily joins me for running and canicross sessions. I’m also a huge family person, and I always make time to be with my family and husband. If you find me in person, you can easily recognize me by my nailart. :)
I have a soft spot for horror and thriller films and novels, and a long-standing relationship with The Sims and RollerCoaster Tycoon (Windows). I also enjoy narrative-driven games such as Life Is Strange, Unravel 2, It takes two, and Killer Frequency (PS5).
When I’m not gaming or watching something spooky, I enjoy photo and video editing using various tools, and unwinding in the kitchen by cooking or mixing cocktails.
Apparently, my free time comes with its own set of experiments.
