C.J. (Chris) Lee

Background and career

I was born in New Zealand and have lived in the Netherlands for over twenty years. My background is in physics and sensor technology, with experience in laser physics, plasma physics, surface chemistry, and applied sensor work. As a PhD student I developed laser-like light sources for spectroscopy and communications, and techniques to distinguish crystal forms in pharmaceuticals. At the University of Twente I worked on integrated optical technology, white-light sources, and tunable lasers for spectroscopy and 5G antenna beamforming. At the Dutch Institute for Fundamental Research I studied the surface chemistry of the extreme ultraviolet mirrors used in ASML's wafer steppers, helping to extend their lifetime in an aggressive chemical environment. I joined Fontys in 2017, and my focus shifted again, this time towards non-invasive monitoring and sensor technologies that directly support people and professionals.

What I do now

At Fontys I see myself as a connector. Many SMEs, institutes, and care organisations have specific measurement questions, but the sensor market is built for millions of users, not the thousands who need something tailored. Together with a team of specialised colleagues, I work on adapting existing sensors and developing new ones for those questions. Our research is organised around three themes: health, sustainability, and enabliing technologies. Within those themes, we contribute to innovations in areas such as battery technology, fusion sensing, and orthopedic sensors. One example is a force sensor we developed to help orthotists improve the design of shoes for people who develop foot ulcers, typically diabetics. The data the sensor generates lets orthotists refine their practice. For me, that is what applied research should look like. Measurable, useful, and shaped together with the people who will work with it.

I also place a lot of weight on the connection between research and education. Students contribute to real measurement questions, partners benefit from fresh thinking, and the research itself stays grounded in practice. Science communication has been part of my career for a long time, and I see making this work accessible to students, partners, and a wider audience as part of the job, not as something separate from it.

Personal research philosophy

I have a love for science and technology, and I am willing to work on any project that catches my interest. The three themes of our group are broad enough that almost any research topic can fit, but I hold to two conditions. Research must be driven by someone within Fontys who is personally invested in it, and it must have a realistic prospect of providing benefit to society. In collaboration with private businesses, local institutes, and other Fontys research groups, we work towards practical solutions. And I keep coming back to one thing. We should not underestimate ourselves, and we should not underestimate our students. With the right guidance they often achieve more than they expect of themselves, and that, in turn, shapes the kind of research we are able to do.

Inaugural lecture booklet
For my inaugural lecture I wrote a booklet, Twenty weeks to sink or swim: flotation devices for undergraduate research. It sets out how I think about choosing research projects, what impact really means at a university of applied sciences, and how research and education feed each other. The second half gives a more technical taste of recent work at DSS, from inverse problems and battery management to fusion sensing and orthotic engineering. If you would like to know how I got there, and where I think we are going, this is the place to start.