Willeke de Haan has a PhD in biomedical sciences and is now working the KU Leuven research coordination office where she gives training and advise about research data management.

Niels is a research data steward at VIB, where he oversees research data across various life science projects, handling all its aspects throughout the data's life cycle. Niels earned his PhD in Chemistry from Ghent University, specializing in the structural elucidation and mode of action of secondary metabolites. After his PhD, he was actively involved in teaching, delivering several university courses at the Bachelor and Master levels, and guiding thesis and PhD students as they navigate their first steps in academic research. Since April 2024, he is part of the Data Core at VIB.

Matheus Lourenço is a science communication expert and trainer at VIB. A behaviour change specialist and Marie-Curie fellow with a joint PhD in Psychology from KU Leuven and Maastricht University, he pioneered innovative methodologies in tinnitus treatment and gathered accolades for his ability to make complex scientific approaches accessible to diverse audiences.

After completing his PhD, Matheus worked as a consultant to leading pharmaceutical companies, delivering strategic workshops worldwide. Now back in academia, he is committed to empowering researchers to communicate their work with clarity and impact, thereby strengthening the connection between science and society.

Inge Mannaerts is a Research Data Management (RDM) advisor at the KU Leuven Libraries 2Bergen, supporting researchers in the Science, Engineering & Technology (SET) and Biomedical domains. She transitioned into this role in 2024 after a 19-year career as a biomedical researcher at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, where she specialized in liver fibrosis, hepatic stellate cell biology, and regenerative medicine. Inge’s interest in RDM grew organically from her own lab experiences: navigating legacy data, improving sample traceability, and implementing ELN-LIMS systems to streamline reporting.

Today, Inge is passionate about bridging the gap between research and data management. She focuses on developing tailored RDM solutions, delivering training, and advising researchers on best practices in data stewardship. She is particularly interested in motivational teaching approaches that help researchers see the relevance and value of RDM in their work.

Sylvette Vanderstraeten is a Research Data Management (RDM) advisor at the KU Leuven Libraries 2Bergen, with over five years of experience supporting researchers in Science, Engineering & Technology (SET) and Biomedical domains. With a degree in Biology and a deep understanding of the research landscape, she brings a practical and thoughtful approach to data stewardship.

Sylvette is passionate about making RDM accessible and meaningful across disciplines. She enjoys exploring both the unique needs of individual research fields and the common principles that unite them, allowing her to give advice and develop training and custom RDM solutions that are both tailored and broadly applicable. Her sessions and materials are designed to meet researchers where they are—whether PhD students or PI's—by adapting content to their specific context and needs.

Her main ambition is to help researchers integrate RDM seamlessly into their workflows, minimizing effort while maximizing clarity, reproducibility, and reusability. With her expertise on data documentation, metadata, and organisation, she aims to make good data practices feel intuitive rather than burdensome by drafting clear checklists, step-by-step guides, and pragmatic strategies.