Mieke Abels is a former mathematics teacher at secondary education level and works as a designer at the Freudenthal Institute since the 1990s. She was involved in research and curriculum development projects for innovation and improvement of mathematics education, in the Netherlands and in the USA. Her special expertise is in low achieving students, both in special primary school education, in regular primary education and in lower vocational education. She is also very experienced in delivering professional development courses and workshops.