Sebastiaan Derks is Head of the Data & Collections Department at Huygens Institute and Meertens Institute. In this capacity, he oversees initiatives aimed at enhancing the accessibility and usage of historical and literary sources and texts for humanities researchers and the general public. He has more than 20 years of experience in the field of cultural heritage and digital humanities, and is focused on driving innovation and collaboration to foster a deeper and more inclusive understanding of past cultures.

He studied Early Modern History at the Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands. His research interests lie in the political culture of sixteenth-century Europe, particularly the dynastic power structures in northern Italy. He has held fellowships at the Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome and at the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, University of California, Los Angeles.