She now works at the University Hospitals Leuven with a special interest in congenital malformations, especially brain malformations and intellectual disability, which are also the topics of her research. She runs a multidisciplinary clinic for children and adults with Rett syndrome, MECP2 duplication syndrome and Fragile X syndrome. In addition, she is part of the European Reference Network ITHACA, dealing with rare diseases and intellectual disability. She teaches several courses on Human Genetics, Syndromology and Intellectual Disability at KU Leuven.

With her research, Prof. Van Esch hopes to make a difference for the many children and adults who suffer from a rare disorder. Therefore the Exceptional Kids Fund was established 3 years ago, in order to provide better care and therapy for children with rare neurodevelopmental disorders.