Leo van Iersel

After studying applied mathematics at the University of Twente, I obtained my PhD at Eindhoven University of Technology. After that, I have worked as a postdoc at the University of Canterbury, as a teacher in primary and secondary schools in Tanzania and Kenya and as a researcher at CWI in Amsterdam. In 2014, I joined TU Delft, where I’m currently an associate professor. I’m co-chair of AIM.

Upcoming events

Theory, Methods, and Applications of Quantitative Phylogenomics, Sep 4 – Dec 6, 2024, ICERM, Providence, RI, USA.
Guarantees for AI. Track at ICT.OPEN, Jaarbeurs Utrecht, 2023.

New papers and preprints (a full list is here)

Elise Deen, Leo van Iersel, Remie Janssen, Mark Jones, Yukihiro Murakami and Norbert Zeh. A Near-Linear Kernel for Two-Parsimony Distance. arXiv:2211.00378 (2022).
Leo van Iersel, Vincent Moulton and Yukihiro Murakami. Polynomial invariants for cactuses. arXiv:2209.12525 (2022).
Mark Jones, Mathias Weller and Leo van Iersel. Embedding phylogenetic trees in networks of low treewidth, ESA 2022. 10.4230/LIPIcs.ESA.2022.69. arXiv:2207.00574
Giulia Bernardini, Leo van Iersel, Esther Julien and Leen Stougie. Reconstructing Phylogenetic Networks via Cherry Picking and Machine Learning, WABI 2022. 10.4230/LIPIcs.WABI.2022.16
Leo van Iersel, Remie Janssen, Mark Jones and Yukihiro Murakami. Orchard Networks are Trees with Additional Horizontal Arcs. Bulletin of Mathematical Biology, 84:76 (2022).
Rosanne Wallin, Leo van Iersel, Steven Kelk and Leen Stougie. Applicability of several rooted phylogenetic network algorithms for representing the evolutionary history of SARS-CoV-2. BMC Ecology and Evolution, 21:220 (2021).
Elizabeth Gross, Leo van Iersel, Remie Janssen, Mark Jones, Colby Long and Yukihiro Murakami. Distinguishing level-1 phylogenetic networks on the basis of data generated by Markov processes. Journal of Mathematical Biology, 83:32 (2021). (arXiv)

Recent student theses (a full list is here)

Yukihiro Murakami, On Phylogenetic Encodings and Orchard Networks (PhD)
Remie Janssen, Rearranging Phylogenetic Networks (PhD)
Frank Janisse, Encoding level-k phylogenetic networks (MSc)
Rosanne Wallin, Applicability of phylogenetic network algorithms for representing the evolutionary history of SARS-CoV-2 (blog post) (MSc)
Bryan Versendaal, Improving algorithms in phylogenetics using machine learning (MSc)
Leonie Nipius, Rooted binary level-3 phylogenetic networks are encoded by quarnets (BSc)
Leonie Nipius, Encoding undirected and semi-directed binary phylogenetic networks by quarnets (MSc)
Robbert Huijsman, Treewidth based algorithms for Tree Containment in phylogenetics (MSc)

In Dutch:

Leo van Iersel. Hoe zijn ze verwant? Nieuw Archief voor Wiskunde, 5/16 (3): 174-178 (2015).

Research projects

“Identifiability of evolutionary histories” funded by NWO ENW-M2 grant with Steven Kelk and Mark Jones.
“Optimization for and with Machine Learning” funded by NWO ENW-GROOT grant, co-applicant. https://optimal.uva.nl/
“Treewidth Parameterizations of Network Construction Problems in Phylogenetics” funded by NWO ENW-KLEIN grant with Mark Jones.
“Encoding, reconstructing and comparing complex evolutionary scenarios” funded by NWO Vidi grant.
“Bringing phylogenetic networks to life” funded by NWO Veni grant.