PRoF AWARD FOR RESEARCH 2017: PROF DR PETRA DE SUTTER

Professor Doctor Renaat Peleman presented The PRoF Research Award 2017 to Professor Doctor Petra De Sutter of Ghent University Hospital for her pioneering work in the field of reproductive medicine. Her research on embryonic stem cells has gained international renown and she is particularly applauded for her remarkable ability to bridge the gap between basic science and clinical research.
 
Petra De Sutter holds a PhD in Biomedical Sciences. After her fellowship at IMMC, Chicago (USA), she returned to Ghent, where she is now Head of the Department of Reproductive Medicine at the University Hospital. In her research she focuses on three topics, i.e. fertilisation, the psychological and ethical aspects of fertility treatment and embryonic stem cells.

She is also a Belgian Senator and Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). In line with her research and medical career, she is very much concerned about e.g. social justice, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and bioethics.
 
When accepting the award, Petra De Sutter thanked her research team and emphasised that “building bridges between basic science and clinical research is key for driving innovation in medicine.