Franky Van Herreweghe

Associate Director Business Development at Confo Therapeutics | FWO PhD panel expert

Ghent Metropolitan Area

About

Skilled in cell biology, biochemistry, biotechnology and drug discovery. Started originally as a lab technician, and obtained later on his master's degree in biotechnology and PhD in biomedical sciences at Ghent University (UGENT) and the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology (VIB). Ideation to make-it-happen-for-real gives Franky goose bumps. Intra/Entrepreneurship is the driver. All the time, every time.

Experience

  • Confo Therapeutics (8 yrs 4 mos)
    • Associate Director Business Development
      Jul 2025 - Present · 1 yr

    • Business Development Manager
      Mar 2018 - Jul 2025 · 7 yrs 5 mos

  • Phoreon - a Brand of Pharma Diagnostics NV (6 yrs 10 mos)
    • Business Developer
      Sep 2015 - Feb 2018 · 2 yrs 6 mos

    • Team Leader R&D
      May 2014 - Sep 2015 · 1 yr 5 mos

    • Senior Scientist R&D
      Mar 2012 - May 2014 · 2 yrs 3 mos

  • VIB (11 yrs 1 mo)
    • postdoctoral fellow
      Apr 2008 - 2011 · 2 yrs 10 mos

      APO-SYS Scientist at the EU 7th Framework Programme. Main goal is to integrate experimental biology, data mining, mathematical modeling, biostatistics, system engineering and molecular medicine.

    • postdoctoral fellow
      2008 - 2011 · 3 yrs

      Group of Molecular Signaling and Cell death (groupleader Prof. Dr. P. Vandenabeele) in the VIB Department of Molecular Biomedical research (DMBR) headed by Prof. Dr. F. Van Roy. DMBR is now called Inflammation Reseach Center (VIB-IRC). Successful grants as first author and first co-author to fund own research project and that of the host lab (785k€): 10k€ for testing a new emerging technology for genome editing (VIB) 375k€ to attract new personnel (IWT+FWO) 400k€ to develop biosensors to study necroptosis signalling pathways in live cells (FWO)

    • postdoctoral fellow
      2005 - 2008 · 3 yrs

      Group of Proteomics and Bioinformatics (groupleader Prof. Dr. K. Gevaert), in the VIB Department of Medical Protein chemistry (headed by Prof. Dr. J. Vandekerchove).

  • Lab. technician at Ghent University
    1996 - 1998 · 2 yrs