I am an assistant professor of maritime history at Leiden University. My work focuses on early modern maritime colonization. This research has led to my interest in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, maritime trading companies such as the WIC and VOC, correspondence networks, and the use of digital methods to analyze historical sources.

I am currently writing a book on the women in my Dutch-Indonesian family history, from the VOC era until the twentieth century: De Voormoeders.

In addition to my academic publications, I write in Dutch about maritime history, colonial history, the history profession, and the way we presently deal with our colonial and maritime past. In 2016 I co-founded the Dutch public history blog Over de Muur, for which I am presently editor.

Please see for further information my cv.