Wim Janssens is co-founder of a spinoff company of KU Leuven, ArtiQ. Prof Janssens has been president of the Belgian Respiratory Society and is currently chairman of the board of the VRGT. He is co-chair of a European Research collaboration with the European Respiratory Society, European lung foundation and industry, to collect detailed data and bio-samples of hospitalized COPD exacerbations in Europe in order to personalize treatment interventions.

Wim Janssens graduated magna cum laude at the faculty of medicine, KU Leuven, in 1998. He obtained a PhD in immunology in 2003 and graduated as a respiratory physician with a special degree in respiratory rehabilitation in 2007 at the same institution. At present, he is in charge of the COPD, pulmonary function and respiratory rehabilitation program at the University Hospitals of Leuven. Wim Janssens is a full professor at the KU Leuven, a senior clinical investigator of the Flemish research foundation (FWO). He is currently head of the Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism at KU Leuven. Prof Janssens is the author of more than 200 publications in international journals and books (H-index 40) and has an active research team with different international academic and industry collaborations. He participated as principal investigator in numerous academic studies and industry-sponsored trials. His research group focuses on vitamin D-mediated mechanisms, acute exacerbations, rehabilitation and therapeutic strategies in COPD.