Famous Belgian Physicians

Renaissance physician Andreas Vesalius is credited with illustrating the first anatomy textbook. Born into a family of physicians, he studied at the University of Paris medical school and often dissected corpses retrieved from cemeteries. He was the first to reject Galenic anatomy and to introduce human dissection in anatomy.

Petra De Sutter is a Belgian politician and gynecologist who is currently serving as the Minister of Civil Service. Europe's first transgender minister, De Sutter worked as a professor at Ghent University before entering politics.   

Nobel Prize-winning physiologist Corneille Heymans is best remembered for his research on how blood oxygen content is regulated. The son of a pharmacology professor, he began his research with his father. His experiment revealed the function of pressoreceptors and the mechanism of breathing through the medulla.

Flemish physician and botanist Rembert Dodoens has been called the father of botany. His herbal Cruydeboeck and its different editions and translations became an important botanical work of late 16th century, and was used as reference book for two- centuries. Dodoens served as court physician of Austrian Emperor Rudolph II and thereafter as professor in medicine at University of Leiden. 

Though a qualified physician, Yuhan Tan soared to fame as a talented badminton player. The Chinese-Belgian badminton star is a 10-time Belgian men’s singles champion. He has also chaired the Belgian Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission. He is also a 2-time Olympian and achieved the 2nd place in the Canada International and Brazil International.