Catherine Van Der Straeten
Finding (More) Support for High-Quality Clinical Research
After a successful, international career in musculoskeletal sciences and orthopaedics, emeritus professor Catherine Van Der Straeten helmed Ghent University’s Health, Innovation and Research Institute from 2018 to 2023. The institute’s purpose? To support high-quality clinical research, help develop innovative projects, build patient-centred and personalised medicine, and help keep care affordable.
“The Ghent University Hospital has always been appealing for clinical studies,” says Van Der Straeten. “To maintain that position, we need to put additional effort into the quality of research processes and work on our international standing. This can also facilitate fundraising and give us closer partnerships with the industry, allowing us to get research to our patients faster.”