Sarah Lebeer PhD

Sarah Lebeer is a Professor of Microbiology & Biotechnology at the University of Antwerp and is currently leading a team of researchers in exploring the field of vaginal microbiota & women’s health. We caught up with her to find out more about her career and research.

Sarah Lebeer did a master's, Ph.D., and short post-doc in Bioscience Engineering at the KU Leuven (Belgium), but she had done a bachelor's degree at the University of Antwerp (Belgium). In 2011, she was approached by the University of Antwerp because they were looking for candidates for a research Professorship in microbiology (tenure track). The candidate also had the opportunity to start a whole new research lab and research line on applied microbiology and biotechnology. She did apply and was very happy to get the job as Assistant Professor. Currently, she is a full Professor 8 years after her first appointment. She was lucky that she received a lot of freedom with the start-up of this new lab, which she could dedicate to beneficial bacteria and their applications.