For more than 20 years, I am full Professor of Forensic Molecular Biology at Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam. My research focuses on human (epi)genetic variation, links with phenotypic diversity in externally visible normal traits and diseases, their underlying molecular mechanisms, and the development of knowledge and tools for broadening and advancing practical applications such as in forensic casework. Particular areas of interest are: (epi)genetic variation underlying normal and disease-associated externally visible traits and the prediction of appearance; population genetic variation and the prediction of biogeographic ancestry; Y-chromosome variation and the identification of male individuals; epigenetic variation underlying environmental exposure and the prediction of externally visible habits; single cell transcriptome and genome variation and the identification of individuals from multi-person mixtures; gene expression and microbiome variation and the prediction of tissue types; circadian biomarker variation and the prediction of trace deposition time; age-dependent DNA and RNA variation and the prediction of age. I combine generating scientific knowledge with developing and validating tools for bringing our newly discovered biomarkers into practical applications, such as in forensics, medicine or anthropology. My publications are cited more than 48,400 times and my h-index is 111 (meaning 111 of my publications are cited more than 111 times) according to GoogleScholar https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=0yDsnFwAAAAJ&hl=nl. I am listed as the most cited scientist in the field of Forensic Genetics and second most cited in the field of Forensic Medicine in the period from 1960 to 2025
https://elsevier.digitalcommonsdata.com/datasets/btchxktzyw/8.