Marc Heijde

Dr. Marc Heijde was trained as a plant molecular biologist and bio-technologist. After a Ph.D. at the Ecole Normale Supérieure (Paris, France) deciphering light responses in microalgae, he went to the University of Freiburg (Germany) and University of Geneva (Switzerland) to unravel the molecular responses of plants to UV-B light. In 2013, through a Marie Curie fellowship, he combined the best of these two worlds to start a research project at the VIB_Plant Systems Biology Department in Ghent.

In 2015, with the strong conviction that science and innovation can have more impact on the development of sustainable agriculture and agribusiness, he decided to exchange lab work for a position at VIB_International Plant Biotechnology Outreach (IPBO). With a global network of stakeholders involved in Plant Biotechnology, breeding, and related biosafety, Marc develops partnerships for research, innovation, and capacity building with the ambition to further encourage the set-up of more sustainable and science-based agriculture with a focus on Sub Saharan Africa.

Marc is currently the IPBO program manager and is also the administrator of the Marc and Nora Van Montagu fund.