Freddy Haesebrouck

Freddy Haesebrouck is a veterinarian and PhD from Ghent University, Belgium. In 1988 he became professor in veterinary bacteriology and mycology and from 1993 until 2022 he was chair of the Department of Pathobiology, Pharmacology and Zoological Medicine at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University. He was chair of the Scientific Research Committee of this faculty from 2003 until 2019 and Chair of the Industrial Research Fund of Ghent University Association, from 2018 until 2023. He is a Diplomate of the European College of Porcine Health Management. He serves as an Associate Editor for the international journal ‘Veterinary Research’ and handles bacteriology-related manuscripts. He has acted as a reviewer of scientific and valorisation-focused projects for several national and international funding organizations. Additionally, he has been invited to lecture on various occasions at international meetings held in European countries, the U.S., Canada, and China. He has published over 850 articles in refereed journals, holds approximately 8 patents, and has mentored more than 90 doctoral students in his career. His expertise primarily lies in the study of bacterium-host interactions and antibiotic resistance in bacteria of veterinary and zoonotic importance. One key area of research involves gastric non-Helicobacter pylori Helicobacter species. For several of these highly fastidious bacteria, cultivation methods have only recently been optimized, and the availability of pure isolates has opened new perspectives for studying their interactions with hosts. Initially, the research focused on Helicobacter suis, a species causing gastritis and reduced weight gain in experimentally infected pigs. It is also one of the most prevalent gastric non-H. pylori Helicobacter species in humans suffering from gastric disease. Other studies have explored the gastric Helicobacter species in dogs and cats, which are also of significant zoonotic importance. See also: https://research.ugent.be/web/person/freddy-haesebrouck-0/publications?3