UZ Brussel
Centre for Reproductive Medicine
Laarbeeklaan 101
1090 Brussels
Belgium
Tel +32 2 477 66 84
Fax +32 2 477 50 60
E-mail: heidi.vanranst@uzbrussel.be
Heidi Van Ranst holds a diploma of professional bachelor in natural sciences. She entered the field of reproductive technologies in 1992 as an IVF technologist in the ICSI lab at the Centre for Reproductive Medicine, UZ Brussel under the guidance of Prof. G. Palermo and lead of Prof. em. A. Van Steirteghem and Prof. P. Devroey That year turned out to become a landmark year as the world-first ICSI baby was born as a result of the pioneering role of the Brussels’ clinic in human ICSI.
In the following years Heidi Van Ranst participated actively in the development of other pioneering technologies such as MESA, TESE and PGD. In addition, she helped to spread knowledge about these new technologies by co-organizing and participating in more than 10 ESHRE Campus Workshops with life demonstrations about ICSI, ICSI microtools, TESE and PGD in the early nineties.
Today, in the 2000’s Heidi Van Ranst is a senior IVF technologist of the Brussels’ team. As an evolution in her career she took up the interest of representing paramedical members in the professional ART world. As ESHRE is one of the sole organizations with a forum for paramedicals, she joined the ESHRE paramedical board of which she has now become the chair. She is currently combining her ART laboratory work with her duties as an ESHRE Paramedical Board Chair, actively supported by Prof. P. Devroey, who currently leads the Centre for Reproductive Medicine, UZ Brussel.