Team | Biocheck

Jeroen Dewulf

Chief Science Officer

Prof. Dr. Jeroen Dewulf is a veterinarian who graduated in 1998 from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Ghent University. He earned his Ph.D. in classical swine fever epidemiology and later obtained a master’s degree in Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics from Utrecht University. He is also a diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Public Health.

As founder and chair of the AMCRA board (Antimicrobial Consumption and Resistance in Animals), Prof. Dewulf plays a key role in promoting responsible antibiotic use in Belgium. He has been professor of Veterinary Epidemiology at Ghent University since 2014.

Prof. Dewulf developed the Biocheck.UGent survey and algorithm together with the Veterinary Epidemiology unit at Ghent University.

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 farmers 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 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 Ph.D. 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 organizational support.

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

Dominiek Maes

Board Member

Prof. dr. Dominiek Maes graduated as a veterinarian from Ghent University in 1993. He obtained a Master degree in Animal Production from Ghent University in 1995, a Master degree in Veterinary Epidemiology and Herd Health from Utrecht University (The Netherlands) in 1998, and a PhD in swine respiratory disease from Ghent University in 1998.

He has worked as a post-doc at the University of Minnesota (US). He became an associate professor at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in 2003, at Ghent University, and a full professor in 2012. Since 2003, he has been the head of the Unit of Porcine Health Management. He has been the president of IPVS Belgian branch, the European College of Porcine Health Management, and the European Board of Veterinary Specialisation.

His research focuses on porcine health management, including production and reproduction. He is the coordinator of the VetCEE approved course “Vakdierenarts varken”, the post-graduate education programs related to porcine health management at the faculty, and the practice course “Reproduction and reproduction problems in pigs”.

Merel Postma

Board Member

Dr. Merel Postma, a veterinarian, graduated from Utrecht University in 2010. She specialized in farm animals and veterinary public health. Her 2016 PhD thesis at Ghent University focused on "Antimicrobial usage in pig production." She led projects aiding pig farmers and contributed to "Minapig" and "i-4-1-health" projects. She became a European College of Veterinary Public Health diplomate in 2017. Merel is involved in the "DISARM" project's external advisory board 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, besides still being part of the Veterinary Epidemiology unit of Ghent University. Merel is the Manager Chain Quality at Livar. 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.

Sven Arnouts

Board Member

As a Business Developer Dr. Ir. Sven Arnouts coordinates intellectual property and technology transfer of PROVAXS, a consortium of laboratories of Ghent University in Belgium that combine their expertise in prophylaxis and vaccine development.

He graduated in 1990 as a Bio-engineer in animal breeding and cell and gene technology. In 1994 he obtained his PhD in avian growth physiology and immunology at the University of Leuven on an industrial project in collaboration with Solvay-Duphar. From 1994 to 2006 he was the global R&D Manager of Agriculture at INVE where he was responsible for research activities in animal nutrition for pigs, poultry, and ruminants with a special focus on the relation between nutrition and health.

He also has hands-on experience with the preparatory track and the foundation of spin-offs/start-ups.

Luc Ledoux

Board Member