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Born in 1953, Dr. Christine Van Broeckhoven is a molecular biologist and professor of molecular genetics at the University of Antwerp, where she has managed her own research lab since 1983. In the 1990s, Van Broeckhoven worked as a consultant for Innogenetics and Janssen Pharmaceutica.

Christine Van Broeckhoven

UAntwerp

Professor
Belgium

VIB

VIB Group Leader
Universiteitsplein 1
2610 Antwerpen
Belgium

Much-admired Alzheimer’s expert

For over 35 years, Van Broeckhoven has been active in the field of neurodegenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer disease, frontotemporal lobar degeneration, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Lewy body disorders and Parkinson's disease. She has more than 450 scientific publications to her name and is the author of ‘Brein & branie: a pioneer in Alzheimer’. She is also an associate editor of the scientific journal Genes, Brain and Behavior.

Her areas of expertise include neurogenetics with a focus on early-onset and familial brain diseases and translational research including bio sampling, biobanking and databanking, as well as DNA screening and clinical-pathological characterization of mutation carriers. She also leads the Department of Molecular Genetics at the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB). For almost 20 years, she was a board member of GIMV, a Belgian European investment company with experience in private equity and venture capital.

Her trophy case

Her scientific research has received great acclaim, winning numerous international prizes such as the Belgian Quinquennial Prize of the Belgian National Science Foundation, the 1993 American Potamkin Prize for her work on the amyloid precursor protein, the 2011 European Inventor Award and the 2012 MetLife Foundation Award for Medical Research in Alzheimer's Disease. In 2006, Van Broeckhoven was named a laureate for the international L'Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science. In 2020, she received the Khalid Iqbal Award at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference.

For her achievements, Van Broeckhoven was even made Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold and a Knight of the French Legion of Honor. She is also a member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Sciences and Arts.

Team Vesalius visionairies

Flanders’ life sciences industry: the perfect combo of biotech, medtech, pharma and healthcare

Defining Flanders’ life sciences industry as diverse is an understatement. From young start-ups to established local firms and multinationals: the entire value chain – from research and discovery to development and commercialization – is represented in Belgium’s northern region. Thanks to fertile cross-pollination between biotech, medtech, pharmaceuticals and healthcare, Flanders offers a unique life sciences ecosystem that is underpinned by a robust financing landscape and a supportive government. Will your company claim its place in this dynamic hub?