I am a senior full professor at Ghent University with a main, but not exclusive, research focus on prevention and clinical epidemiology of healthcare-associated complications in critically ill patients such as life-threatening infections (sepsis) and pressure ulcers.
I am unique through my profound and varied background combining nursing and midwifery, nursing sciences, a post-academic teaching degree, and a PhD in medical sciences. This exceptional background allows bridging distinct disciplines and interpreting clinical data in an exclusive way. Through epidemiological insights awareness for specific nosocomial hazards is raised or new hypotheses generated. I prefer proposing suggestions to optimize processes of care that are evidence-based. If solid scientific data are lacking, however, recommendations are to be proposed on basis of current clinical insights and common sense. Indeed, the absence of evidence does not diminish the need for a best practice advice.
Communication is key. Over the past 15 years the multidisciplinary approach resulted in a substantial number of scientific publications in top-ranking journals in a broad variety of ‘Web of Science’ subject categories (critical care, infectious diseases, microbiology, pharmacology, respiratory system, surgery, pediatrics, nursing, …). In addition, effective communication goes beyond publishing reports in quality journals. As a frequent speaker at the international stage I always bring straightforward messages, carefully fine-tuned to the background of the target audience.
Finally, I succeeded to consolidate a solid reputation in intensive care research and established a firm international network of collaborators encompassing nurses, intensivists, ID specialists, physiotherapists, dental surgeons, clinical pharmacologists and microbiologists.