Gert Desmet (°1967) is vice-dean of the Faculty of Sciences Bioengineering Sciences and heads the department of chemical engineering at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium, where he teaches courses on biochemical and chemical reactor engineering as well as on analytical separation sciences. His research mainly focuses on the miniaturization and automation of separation methods, as well as on the investigation and the modeling of flow effects in chromatographic systems. He is the first or senior author of over 170 peer reviewed papers on these topics in international journals. He is a member of the Chemistry Commission of the Belgian National Science Fund (FWO). He is frequently invited to present key-note and plenary lectures or chair topical sessions at international conferences. He has been the recipient of a number of prestigious international awards (“Emerging Leader in Chromatography”-award from LC-GC North America, Silver Jubilee Medal of the Chromatographic Society of the UK).