Margot Balcaen

Margot Balcaen is a PhD Candidate at the Faculty of Law and Criminology, Ghent University, focusing on advanced monitoring of the drug situation in Belgium. Prior to this, Margot served as a Scientist at Sciensano since October 2020, where key responsibilities included coordinating the Scanner Project and the Belgian Early Warning System on Drugs, as well as conducting research on new psychoactive substances and profiles of street-level heroin. Margot's experience also includes a role as a pharmacy intern at Apotheek Walter De Meyer and a thesis project at NICC/INCC, which involved developing and validating a headspace GC-FID method for volatile components. Margot holds a Bachelor of Pharmacy and a Master's in Pharmaceutical Care from Ghent University. Early work experience includes positions as an order picker and warehouse worker during summer jobs at Allibert Bath & Design and Brooklyn Stasegem.