Veerle Compernolle MD, PhD

Veerle Compernolle is a certified clinical biologist. She obtained her medical degree summa cum laude in 1998 at the KU Leuven and, having received a scholarship from the Research Foundation – Flanders, conducted basic research at the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology (laboratory of Professor Peter Carmeliet). This work resulted in several high-impact papers such as Nature Medicine, Cell, and JCI. After obtaining her PhD, she completed her training as a clinical biologist at the University of Ghent and further specialized in Transfusion Medicine and Blood Banking at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris. Throughout her career, she has worked in multiple environments. including the biotech industry, academia, university hospitals, and non-profit organizations. Her work focused on translating research and knowledge into better medical practice and products.

As such, she has been involved in the setup of several clinical trials. Within the Belgian Red Cross-Flanders, she co-initiated TReC, a basic research group focusing on blood platelets function, she co-initiated the biobank activities, and obtained in-depth knowledge of evidence-based medicine. She co-initiated TInC (Transfusion Innovation Center), which translates innovations into products that can be used for clinical applications. She developed experience in guiding complex projects, including the implementation of pathogen reduction technology, the in-house development and implementation of an electronic medical questionnaire, and the development of human platelet lysate. She obtained hands-on knowledge in conducting donor trials with limited resources. She has experience in international working groups, in board and executive positions. She holds a position as visiting professor at Ghent University.