CV of Denis Pierard

I started to work on verotoxin-producing Escherichia coli in 1987, using at first sorbitol-MacConkey agar and the microtiter cytoxicity test that I could learn in Dr. Karmali’s lab when I went to Toronto for the first VTEC symposium. In 1990, we could introduce the PCR technique for the screening of all stool samples submitted to our lab for culture of enteropathogens. We have now data on more than 20 years screening. I had the opportunity to collaborate with many colleagues involved in E. coli research. For serotyping and phage typing, I received help from Bernard Rowe, Tom Cheasty (London), Ida Frits Orskov, Flemming Scheutz (Copenhagen) and Hermy Lior (Ottawa). On basis of unexplained results of toxin genotyping obtained by Hermy Lior, I was able to describe a new variant gene of verotoxin, called now VT2b. I had also the chance to participate in many Belgian and European projects and worgroups, like Biomed 2 project coordinated by Helge Karch and now the Food and Water Diseases workgroup of ECDC. I coordinated studies looking for VTEC in Belgian HUS patients.

Twenty years after my first contact with these micro-organisms, I am still even passionate in this subject, that still reveals totally news aspects, as show by the last O104:H4 outbreak. I attended all VTEC symposia and I am very honored to be member of the local organizing committee associating our three neighboring countries, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.

1981
Graduation Medical School, Univeristé Libre de Bruxelles

1986
Specialist in Clinical Microbiology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

1998
PdD thesis entitled Epidemiology, Clinical Impact and Virulence Factors of Verocytotoxin-Producing Escherichia coli in Belgium, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

1986 - now
Staff Department Microbiology and Infection Control (presently head of the department), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel

2001-now
Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel