Team | Biocheck.UGent

Jeroen Dewulf

Chief Science Officer

Prof. Dr. Jeroen Dewulf is Full Professor in veterinary epidemiology at Ghent University. He is a world-renowned scientist in the field of Veterinary Epidemiology and biosecurity with over 500 publications on the topic.

Prof. Dewulf has developed the Biocheck.Ugent checklist and algorithm, together with the Veterinary Epidemiology unit at Ghent University, and continues to work on developing and improving biosecurity and the tools required to improve it.

He is also the author of the book “Biosecurity in veterinary medicine and animal production”, which is the standard work in the domain. Together with some colleagues, he is co-founder of the World Animal Biosecurity Association (WABA), where he currently serves as vice president.

Nele Caekebeke

Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Nele Caekebeke graduated as a veterinarian in 2016 and obtained her Ph.D. from Ghent University, focusing on practical biosecurity coaching for pig and poultry farms. She is deeply committed to helping producers improve infection prevention strategies.

Dr. Caekebeke has been providing biosecurity training since 2018 and is actively involved in ethics and epidemiology networks. She is a member of the Ethical Committee of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Secretary of the Veterinary Epidemiology and Economy Association.

Leonardo Vargas Barbosa

Programming Developer

Dr. Leonardo Vargas is a veterinarian and zootechnician with degrees from Universidad de los Llanos in Colombia. He holds a Master of Science in Environmental Science from Wageningen University (The Netherlands) and earned his PhD in bioinformatics and ecosystem management.

He currently serves as a professor in One Health and Veterinary Physiology in Colombia and is a member of several expert advisory panels. At Biocheck.Ugent, he applies his expertise in programming, data systems, and spatial analysis.

Sara Majid

Communications and Support Officer

Sara Majid manages Biocheck.Ugent’s communications and digital presence. She oversees website content, social media, promotional campaigns, and provides organisational support.

With an MBA degree and a background in computer and emerging sciences, Sara brings strong experience in research and strategic communication. She ensures Biocheck.Ugent's message is clearly delivered to users around the world.

Dominiek Maes

Board Member

Prof. Dr. Dominiek Maes is a full professor and Head of the Unit of Porcine Health Management at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University. His research focuses on porcine health management and has resulted in more than 400 peer-reviewed scientific publications, 700 presentations at national and international conferences, and 45 completed PhD theses.

He has served as president of several (inter)national organizations, including the Belgian branch of the International Pig Veterinary Society, the European College of Porcine Health Management, and the European Board of Veterinary Specialization. He currently chairs the Executive Board of AMCRA, the Belgian knowledge center on antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance in animals.

In recognition of his scientific contributions, he was awarded the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Helsinki in 2023.

Luc Ledoux

Board Member

Luc Ledoux is an independent consultant for CID LINES an Ecolab company (and previously independent agent for CID LINES NV. Luc has 27 years experience in cleaning, disinfection and drinking water treatment for poultry and pigs. He specialized in hatchery biosecurity as he has worked for two incubator manufacturers before. He brings a wealth of contacts as he has been working in 74 countries, on 5 continents. Having worked in 74 countries across 5 continents, Luc combines global field experience with an extensive professional network. .

Fluent in 7 languages, he will actively support the continued international growth of Biocheck.Ugent by contributing to its strategic development and strengthening its global biosecurity outreach, including biosecurity trainings.

Merel Postma

Board Member

Dr. Merel Postma graduated from Utrecht University in 2010. Her 2016 PhD thesis at Ghent University focused on "Antimicrobial usage in pig production." She became a European College of Veterinary Public Health diplomate in 2017. Merel published the results of her studies in international journals, contributed to the book “Biosecurity in animal production and veterinary medicine”, and presented her research findings all over the world. Merel was involved in various biosecurity-related projects and served as an external expert on African Swine Fever for the European Food Safety Authority.

In 2016, she made a transition to the corporate business while still being part of the Veterinary Epidemiology unit of Ghent University. Merel is the Manager Chain Quality at Livar.

Sven Arnouts

Board Member

As Business Developer at Ghent University, Dr. Sven Arnouts coordinates intellectual property and technology transfer in the field of animal health. He graduated in 1990 as a bio-engineer in animal breeding and cell and gene technology. In 1994, he earned a PhD in avian growth physiology and immunology from the University of Leuven.
His doctoral research was conducted in collaboration with Solvay-Duphar. From 1994 to 2006, he served as Global R&D Manager of Agriculture at INVE. There, he led research in animal nutrition for pigs, poultry, and ruminants. His work focused particularly on the link between nutrition and health.