Michiel Verlinden is a Contract Manager at VIB since September 2022, specializing in drafting and negotiating research collaboration agreements in the life sciences sector, with a focus on legal aspects involving human biological material and personal data. Prior experience includes serving as Senior Company Lawyer at Ghent University from October 2017 to September 2022, advising on research collaboration agreements and valorization of research results. In earlier roles, Verlinden was a Data Protection Officer and Legal and IP Manager at EORTC, and a PhD candidate at KU Leuven, where research concentrated on legal frameworks for human bodily material in scientific research. Additional experience includes working at Stibbe as an Attorney at Law and serving as a Legal Researcher at Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Academic qualifications consist of a Doctor of Biomedical Sciences from KU Leuven, a Postgraduate Master in Intellectual Property, an LL.M. in International Legal Cooperation, and a Master of Law from Ghent University.