Team

Hi, we are the SPI lab!

Scroll down to meet current and former members of our team

Former PhD students and postdocs

Laure Verstraete (graduated in 2023) ORCiD | On the lookout for a job
Liselot Dewachter (graduated in 2017) ORCiD | Professor @ Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium)
Paul Matthay (graduated in 2023) ORCiD | Postdoc @ Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (Japan)
Dorien Wilmaerts (graduated in 2019) ORCiD | Search and Evaluation Scientist @ Cistim (Belgium)
Laetitia Van Wonterghem (graduated in 2022) ORCiD | Postdoc @ Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology, UGent (Belgium)
Etthel Windels (graduated in 2021) ORCiD | Postdoc @ Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich (Switzerland)
Vincent Greffe (graduated in 2020) | Researcher @ GEP strawberries (Belgium)
Pauline Herpels (graduated in 2020) | Senior Engineer - Sustainability & Innovation @ Jan De Nul Group (Belgium)
Taiyeb Zahir (graduated in 2019) | Customer Experience Data Scientist @ Bosch Rexroth (Germany)
Joran Michiels (graduated in 2017) ORCiD | European, Belgian and Dutch Patent Attorney @ NLO (Belgium)
Valerie Defraine (graduated in 2017) | Team Leader Quality Operations @ Pfizer (Belgium)
Toon Swings (graduated in 2017) ORCiD | Life Sciences Technology Specialist @ VIB (Belgium)
Evelien Gerits (graduated in 2016) | Safety and Regulatory Affairs Officer @ infarAMA (Belgium)
Wouter Knapen (graduated in 2015) | Project Lead Launch Excellence @ Pfizer (Belgium)
Kristine Stepanyan (graduated in 2015) | Account Manager @ Azenta Life Sciences (the Netherlands)
Shanjun Gao (graduated in 2015) | Clinical Researcher @ Henan Provincial People's Hospital (China)
Veerle Liebens (graduated in 2014) | Regulatory Affairs Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls Associate Manager @ Novartis (Belgium)
Ariany Colás Sánchez (graduated in 2014) | Professor @ Universidad Central "Marta Abreu" de Las Villas (Cuba)
Ann Jans (graduated in 2013) | Quality Assessor Medical Devices @ FAGG - Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (Belgium)
Cyrielle Kint (graduated in 2013) | Staff scientist @ Centre for Human Genetics - University Hospital Leuven (Belgium)
Carlos Galeano Mendoza (graduated in 2012) | Senior Scientist Crop Genetics @ BASF
Lara Ramaekers (graduated in 2011) | Vice-President Bioworks Division @ BioFirst/Biobest Group (Belgium)
Maarten Vercruysse (graduated in 2011) | Discovery Portfolio and Strategy Manager @ Roche (Switzerland)
Valerie De Groote (graduated in 2010) | Teaching Assistant @ Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven (Belgium)
Roldan Torres Gutiérrez (graduated in 2008) | Professor @ Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam (Ecuador)
Karen Vos (graduated in 2008) | Information Safety Consultant @ Interleuven (Belgium)
Roseline Remans (graduated in 2007) | Associate Research Scientist @ Earth Institute (Columbia University) and Bioversity International (USA)
Kristien Braeken (graduated in 2006) | Expert Plant Protection @ Federal Public Service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment (Belgium)
Maarten Van Guyse (graduated in 2005) | Teacher and guitar builder (Belgium)
Jan Verhaert (graduated in 2005) | Head of Regulatory Science Benelux @ Bayer Crop Science (Belgium)
Gunter Dirix (graduated in 2004) | IT Specialist @ DIXIT (Belgium)
Ruth Daniels (graduated in 2002) | Senior Scientist - Microbiology Expert @ Janssen Pharmaceutica (Belgium)
Bruno Dombrecht (graduated in 2001) | Head of Discovery Sciences @ VIB (Belgium)
Chuanwu Xi (graduated in 2000) | Professor Environmental Health Sciences and Global Public Health @ University of Michigan (USA)