Human Reproduction 2011

Professor Andre Van Steirteghem

Professor-Emeritus Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Editor-in-Chief Human Reproduction

André Van Steirteghem is a Belgian Medical Graduate from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB – Brussels Free University). He completed a residency in pediatrics and clinical pathology. He worked during his training as a pediatrician – laboratory expert in Central Africa (1971-1973). From 1974 to 1977 he was a Visiting Scientist at the Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda where he developed radioimmunoassays for the isoenzymes of creatine kinase. Back in Belgium he obtained his PhD at the VUB and was appointed in the University Hospital and the Medical School. He ended his career as Full Professor at the Medical School and Chair of the Laboratory and Research Department of the Centre for Reproductive Medicine (CRM) of the University Hospital. He was Chairman of the Medical Board of the University Hospital, Vice-Rector for Education of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Dean of the Medical School. He became Emeritus-Professor in 2005 and since then he is Editor-and-Chief of Human Reproduction, one of the leading journals in reproductive medicine and science. He is a Member of the Royal Academy of Medicine (KAGB) and co-chair of the Belgian Federal Commission for the Protection of the Human Embryo in Vitro.

His involvement in reproductive medicine started in 1980 shortly after his return from the NIH. From a small group in the early eighties the Centre of Reproductive Medicine became one of the leading centres in the world. The Brussels Centre was active in all new developments in reproductive medicine and science including gamete and embryo freezing, oocyte and embryo donation, new ovarian stimulation protocols, and especially the introduction of ICSI (Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection) in the early nineties. ICSI became for male infertility what IVF has been for female infertility.  At the VUB preclinical and clinical applications have been always supported by experimental research.

From its start the Brussels CRM established a close collaboration with the Centre for Medical Genetics (CMG) from the VUB Medical School and University Hospital. This has led to the leadership of both CMG and CRG in reproductive genetics. Since the beginning both Centres started a prospective follow-up programme of all children born after all forms of ART. The VUB follow-up programme of ART children has extensive data on more than 15,000 children born. Data are collected during pregnancy and at birth but also later on in life of the ART offspring. CMG and CRG from VUB became also one of the leading Centres in Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis and are actively involved in embryonic and other forms of stem cell research.