Yvonne de Kort is a Full Professor and Chair of Environmental Psychology of Human-Technology Interaction in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). With her group, she investigates  light, nature and mental wellbeing. This includes investigations on effects of light exposure on alertness, sleep, mood, cognitive performance and brain activity in healthy individuals and those suffering from chronic sleep problems, effects of light therapy on improvement of mood and sleep in persons suffering from depression or burnout, and the stress restorative effects of nature, daylight and sunlight patterns in healthy persons as well as those suffering from depressive or anxiety symptoms. 

While a lot of my earliest research has been performed indoors, with projections or simulations of nature, and with electric light sources, over the years my attention has shifted to real daylight and nature. Although endlessly more complex to investigate, it is my strong conviction that real daylight and nature are inherently much richer than any artificial substitute. My current ambition therefore is to learn more about all the various aspects of these natural phenomena – e.g. in terms of spectra, spatial and temporal dynamics, psychological associations and meaning, and to try and understand the many ways in which these contribute to mental health and wellbeing. In a new project we are even venturing into night sky appreciation as the often overlooked yet also relevant other side of the medal.

Yvonne de Kort is a full professor of environmental psychology in the Human-Technology Interaction group and vice dean of the Department of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences at the Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands. She obtained her Ph.D. in Environmental Psychology from TU/e. Yvonne was vice dean of the department between 2019-2024 and is currently theme lead Humans and Technology for the department IE&IS. She manages TU/e’s Intelligent Lighting Institute, coordinates national and European projects, is member of the Daylight Academy, and jury member of the international Daylight Award. She is the chair of the executive committee of Studium Generale TU/e and of the committee for TU/e's 70-year anniversary.