Pierre Van Damme MD, PhD

Pierre Van Damme is full professor at the University of Antwerp, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. He chairs the Vaccine & Infectious Disease Institute (VAXINFECTIO, University of Antwerp); VAXINFECTIO is a consortium of three research units within the university: the Laboratory of Medical Microbiology (LMM), the Laboratory of Experimental Hematology (LEH), and the Centre for the Evaluation of Vaccination (CEV). It is recognized as 'Centre of Excellence' of the University of Antwerp and functions as WHO Collaborating Centre for the WHO European Region for the control and prevention of infectious diseases.

The CEV was founded in 1994 by Pierre Van Damme. The centre conducts research in 6 main areas: (1) (sero-)epidemiology of infectious diseases; (2) economic evaluation of public health interventions and mathematical modelling of infectious diseases; (3) assessment of protective efficacy and effectiveness of vaccines; (4) injection and diagnostic device research; (5) kinetics of vaccine-induced antibodies, including passive transfer of maternal antibodies; (6) immunosenescence.

Pierre Van Damme gained his MD from the University of Antwerp in 1984. He was recruited in 1985 to work on the epidemiology and prevention of hepatitis B in institutions for the mentally retarded. He subsequently obtained post-graduate degrees in health and economics, the evaluation of human corporal damage, and a master degree in occupational health. He obtained his PhD in epidemiology and social medicine in 1994 from the University of Antwerp, Belgium.