Executive Board

Hi everyone, my name is Barbara and I’m currently working at the department of abdominal surgery in UZ Leuven as a last-year trainee from the KULeuven. As I am keen to help organizing lots of surgical courses and events to improve our surgical training, I am very happy to be part of our enthusiastic board for more than 4 years. For 2 years I am also an active member of the Robotic Surgery Working Group (RSWG) of the RBSS and helped developing the first robotic surgery training pathway for Belgian surgical trainees. My special interest goes to colorectal surgery. I love to travel and explore new places, and I can’t deny that family, friends & good food make me happy!

My name is Estelle and I’m currently in my 4th year of surgical training with special interest for Thoracic and Vascular Surgery. I’m from UCLouvain – Brussel. I joined the BAST Executive Board two years ago and was pleased to see my network expending through surgical trainings, workshops and meetings gathering Surgeons and Trainees from all around the country. I’m convinced that sharing experience and continuous training via numerous scientific courses lead us to be more human and ambitious surgeons.

Hi, I’m Laurence Verstraeten and I’m in my 4th year of surgical training at the Catholic University of Leuven. I have a special interest in Abdominal and Transplant Surgery and I’m currently doing a PhD in Abdominal Transplant Surgery at the University Hospitals of Leuven. As a member of the BAST board I like helping to create a platform for surgical trainees to provide them all the information they need throughout their training and to encourage them in enhancing their surgical skills with hands-on courses and theoretical sessions.

My name is Emma, I’m 28 years old and I’m a 5th year surgical trainee from KULeuven working at AZ Imelda in Bonheiden. I’m interested in vascular surgery. As the treasurer I will take care of the finances of the BAST. Our goal is to organize interesting high-quality courses without any cost for all Belgian surgical trainees. Keep an eye on our calendar on the website or our Instagram page for updates!

Hi, my name is Ellen Van Asbroeck I love adding my part in the BAST trainings and networking. I also have a special interest in our surgical training, as we strive to improve this with the BAST team. I am a 6th year assistant in general Surgery from the VUB with a focus on vascular and (para)thyroid surgery. In my free time I am mostly creative and always busy with a new project.

Hi there! I’m Manon, a 5th year surgical trainee from the VUB interested in thoraco-vascular surgery.  I joined BAST to try to improve our formation by providing hands-on and theoretical courses for surgical trainees. I love to be adventurous by going abroad for work (1 year Curaçao, 1 year in the Netherlands) and you can always find me in my happy place while diving or cooking! Cheers!

Hi there! My name is Isadora and I’m in my 5th year residency in General Surgery at the UCL. I am living in Brussels and currently working at the Grand Hôpital de Charleroi. I have a keen interest in emergency surgery and visceral traumatology, especially in austere environments. As such, starting next fall, I am going one year abroad to specialize further in this area in 2 renown trauma centers based in Cali, Colombia and Cape-Town, South Africa!

I’m Cédric, a 3nd year surgical trainee at KULeuven and currently working in Noorderhart Pelt. As BAST board member, I would like to invest in organizing courses and networking events for junior trainees to get them familiarized easier within certain fields of surgery. Personally, there is a big interest in colorectal surgery. This year, I’ll be head of Public Relations and course director as well. During my free time I enjoy executing triatlon!

Hi, I am Maaike Vierstraete, a 5th year surgical trainee currently working at the University Hospital in Gent. My special interest goes to abdominal wall surgery and gastro-intestinal surgery. I am eager to be a helping hand in organizing hands-on courses for surgical training. Happy to be part of the inspiring BAST Board.

Hi, my name is Gilles, surgical trainee started in 2019, currently finishing a PhD in Vascular Surgery about a Black Box in the hybrid operating room at UZ Gent. My PhD has a big simulation based education chapter so I’ll try to introduce some of these elements in the BAST to learn as efficient as possible! Furthermore, I’m the BAST secretary. I will continue my training in Rotterdam in 2024. Personally, you can find me cycling, training for a running event or enjoying a drink at the bar.

I am Sébastien D’ulisse, a passionate 4th-year general surgery student in Belgium. I have a keen interest in digestive and vascular surgery, and I am enthusiastic about adopting new surgical technologies. I would like to contribute to the improvement of surgical education in Belgium by assisting in offering captivating and informative courses.