Belgian Biodiversity Platform : Team

Belgian Biodiversity Platform logo

The Belgian Biodiversity Platform is a team of members based in federal and regional research institutes, and in universities:

	Management team
	Dr Aline VAN DER WERF Manager Office in BELSPO aline.vanderwerf(a)belspo.be 02.238.36.71	Molecular biologist. Manager of the Belgian Biodiversity Platform and Programme Manager at the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO), Aline is responsible for launching, implementing and following-up biodiversity, climate and ecosystem related research initiatives.
	Divija JATAVALLABHULA (DJ) Platform Coordinator Office in RBINS d.jata(a)biodiversity.be 02.627.44.94	DJ is responsible for the coordination of the Belgian Biodiversity Platform. She is the primary contact for the IUCN Belgian National Focal Point as well as on the IUCN Interregional Committee for North Central Asia (ICENCA) and part of the IPBES Europe North Central Asia (ECA) network. Other duties include horizon scanning for opportunities for the Platform for science policy biodiversity needs. Her main expertise is focusing on nature conservation, science-based policy support, science communication and outreach. She has a particular interest in developing science policy content in the field of biodiversity and climate change.
	Communication team
	Leendert PLAETINCK Communications Officer Biodiversa+ Office in RBINS l.plaetinck(a)biodiversity.be	Lennie is a biologist with digital and communication skills. He holds a MA in Human Ecology, a BA in Geography and continues learning in the field of multimedia. He is passionate for nature conservation, climate change and of course Biodiversity, which he loves to share with you. Lennie works as a science communicator for Biodiversa+, the European Biodiversity Partnership.
	Lise GOUDESEUNE Science Communications Officer Office in RBINS l.goudeseune(a)biodiversity.be	Lise has a MA in Archaeology & Art History and a MS in Environmental Sciences. She worked for several years as a Science-Policy Officer at the Belgian Biodiversity Platform, focusing on Biodiversa+ and acting as the IPBES NFP. Now serving as a Science Communications Officer, she is interested in communicating about biodiversity policy and research, while also expanding her graphic design skills.
	Phong HOANG Communication Officer BIodiversa+ Office in BELSPO p.hoang(a)biodiversity.be	Phong works as a science communicator for Biodiversa+, the European Biodiversity Partnership. As such, he likes to make things short and simple. He holds a specific interest in trees, birds, marine life, and various forms of visual storytelling.
	Open Data Experts
	Stijn COOLEMAN Biodiversity Data Officer Office in INBO s.cooleman(a)biodiversity.be Orcid: 0000-0003-3029-0451	Stijn is a biologist with interdisciplinary skills in data management. He is involved in open data activities at the platform. By focusing on biodiversity informatic standards and data mapping, he supports to mobilise data from the field or natural history knowledge from collections to web portals of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and European Infrastructures. He has a particular interest in avian ecology, taxonomy, species distribution and ecosystem services.
	Maxime COUPREMANNE Biodiversity Data Officer Office in RBINS m.coupremanne(a)biodiversity.be Orcid: 0000-0002-9052-9500	Maxime is a biologist involved in the mobilization of biodiversity data on the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) portal. Based at the Départment d'Etude du Milieu Naturel et Agricole (SPW-DEMNA), he advocates the use of Open Data in Wallonia and support anyhow is willing to join the open side of the science. His particular interests are biodiversity informatics, data management, marine life, invasive species, species distribution models and Open Science.
	Tobias MUSSCHOOT Data Officer Office in RBINS tmusschoot(a)biodiversity.be	Tobias holds MSc degrees in Biology and in Marine & Lacustrine Sciences. With two decades of experience at the Royal Museum for Central Africa, he brings extensive expertise in taxonomy, biogeography, capacity building, and data mobilisation. He has a strong interest in unlocking biodiversity knowledge, with a particular affinity for the aquatic world, focussing on integrating scientific databases, collections, and publications to advance biodiversity research, inform policy, and foster collaboration among stakeholders.
	Science Policy Team
	Dr Sonia VANDERHOEVEN Science Officer Office in DEMNA s.vanderhoeven(a)biodiversity.be 081.620.438	Sonia is plant biologist specialised in biological invasions. She has been working in the fields of evolutionary ecology, societal perception of environmental issues and the development of decision support tools. Sonia is particularly interested in evidence-based decision making processes and biodiversity knowledge creation. She applies these principles to the case of biological invasions, facilitating the science, policy and practice interface at international, European, Belgian and regional scales.
	Lison COWEZ Science Policy Officer Office in RBINS l.cowez(a)biodiversity.be 02.627.43.16	Lison has a MA in Environmental Science and Management. In the in continuity of her master thesis on the Characterization of biodiversity research in Belgium and its relevance to international issues, she has been hired to work on the science-policy interface at the Walloon regional level. She has a particular interest in nature conservation, biodiversity and ornithology.
	Anna HECK Science-Policy Officer Office in INBO a.heck(a)biodiversity.be	Anna has a MS in Environmental Science and Management and a MA in Comparative Literature. At the Belgian Biodiversity Platform, she works mainly on the topic of Ecosystems and Society and monitors the EU Biodiversity Policy landscape. She is particularly interested in the science-policy interface, nature and society interactions, nature’s values and ecosystem services and science communication.
	Dominique VANDERKERCHOVE One Health Expert Office in Sciensano d.vandekerchove(a)biodiversity.be	Dominique Vandekerchove is a veterinary surgeon (PhD, 2004) and epidemiologist. She joined the Belgian Biodiversity Platform and the Belgian One Health network in 2023. She’s also involved in the Preventing Zoonotic Disease Emergence network (PREZODE), and is based at Sciensano as Science Officer for One Health. Her expertise includes science-based policy support and European and global networking.
	Seline BREGMAN Project Manager BBA Office in UHasselt seline.bregman(a)uhasselt.be	Seline is a veterinarian with a background in international biodiversity policy. She is currently working as project manager for the Belgian Biodiversity Alliance (BBA). BBA brings together public and private partners who share the same vision and the same objective: to provide a common platform for concrete contributions from public and private actors in favour of biodiversity in Belgium.
	Nastassia ELST Science-Policy Officer Office in BELSPO nastassia.elst@belspo.be	Nastja holds a MA in History and a MS in Conflict and Development studies. She works as a Science-Policy Officer for the BBPF and her main responsibility is the RESPIN project. This Horizon Europe project aims to strengthen the engagement of knowledge holders with IPCC and IPBES, and to reinforce the ties between climate and biodiversity projects.
	IT Experts
	Julien CIGAR System Administrator Office in BELSPO j.cigar(a)biodiversity.be 02.238.37.95	IT specialist. Julien is the Belgian Biodiversity Platform system administrator. He has particular interest in databases, Python and the FreeBSD operating system.
	Sébastien RONVEAUX IT expert Office in BELSPO s.ronveaux(a)biodiversity.be 02.238.37.96	Sébastien is a computer scientist specialised in computer imaging and computer vision. Hired within the context of the RiparIAS project, he's currently developing the decision support tool which is a key deliverable of this project. He has particular interests in programming languages and paradigms, imaging and optimisation.