Herman Goossens, MD, PhD, is a full professor of Medical Microbiology at the University of Antwerp in Belgium, chair of the research laboratory of medical microbiology at the University of Antwerp and director of the Laboratory of Clinical pathology of the University Hospital Antwerp.
He published more than 600 publications in peer-reviewed journals in the fields of medical microbiology and infectious diseases. He was the Founding Coordinator of the European Surveillance of Antibiotic Consumption (ESAC) project (moved to ECDC in July 2011). He currently coordinates several EC funded projects, such as the Platform for European Preparedness Against (Re-) emerging Epidemics (PREPARE), LAB-Net of the Combating Bacterial Resistance in Europe project (COMBACTE) and New Diagnostics for Infectious Diseases (ND4ID). He is the founder of the annual European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD). His professional goal is to bridge the gap between basic and clinical research, with a major focus on antibiotic resistance, to enhance the standard of healthcare, public health and professional standards, for the good of the public in large. He is a popular resource person and opinion leader, much sought after by local and international media for views on matters related to public health and infectious diseases.