Brigitte Velkeniers: Free inquiry, social engagement and the courage to push boundaries

Anyone who surveys the career of Professor Emerita Brigitte Velkeniers sees an exceptional trajectory in medicine, but above all a consistent vision: medicine is science, care, and humanity at the same time. As an internist-endocrinologist, researcher and educator, she helped shape medical education at the VUB and UZ Brussels for decades. Her story is one of curiosity, engagement and the courage to continually question both oneself and the system. It therefore comes as no surprise that, since this year, we have appointed her, together with three other remarkable women, as an honorary member of OSB-VUB.

A natural choice for the VUB

Brigitte Velkeniers’ choice for the Vrije Universiteit Brussel was no coincidence, but the result of her upbringing and environment. She grew up in Brussels in a Dutch-speaking, free-thinking humanist family, where critical thinking and social engagement were self-evident. Her father, a commercial engineer and alumnus of the ULB, embodied these values, and at home there was always a conscious awareness of the world around them.

“Both Brussels and the free-thinking aspect were important to us,” she explains. “That combination made the VUB a natural choice.” She began her medical studies in 1972, during a transitional period when the VUB and ULB still shared the same campus. This created a unique bilingual and multicultural learning environment, with intensive contact between Dutch- and French-speaking students. “That was a tremendous added value,” she recalls.

Endocrinology as a holistic discipline

Velkeniers chose internal medicine, a discipline that allowed her to approach the patient as a whole. Within that field, her passion for endocrinology grew, the study of hormones and their effects on the body. “Hormones are released into the bloodstream and exert effects at a distance,” she explains. “That’s what makes endocrinology so fascinating: one system influences the entire body.”

This broad perspective on disease and health was decisive. “I chose a specialty that requires a holistic approach,” she says. Not only the biological aspect mattered, but also the psychosocial context in which a patient lives. Listening to the patient and understanding the story behind the symptoms was always her starting point for good medicine.

Inspiring mentors and teaching with the patient as the anchor

During her student years, Velkeniers encountered several professors who left a lasting impression. Among them were Professor R. Six, who taught medical semiology, and Professor L. Vanhaelst, who lectured on endocrinology and later became her mentor. What distinguished them was their teaching approach. “They started from the patient,” she explains. “The theory was, as it were, hung on a clinical story.”

This approach would later strongly influence her own teaching. For Velkeniers, knowledge only had value if it could be applied. Dry material without context was meaningless. She carried this conviction into her lectures, where interaction, problem-solving and engagement were central.

Research as the engine of critical medicine

What makes her trajectory unique is that research became an integral part of her training at an early stage. Even during her studies, she volunteered in scientific research in a laboratory then shared by the VUB and ULB. There she studied, among other things, the influence of thyroid hormones on metabolism in experimental animals.

She also collaborated on pioneering projects on the “artificial pancreas,” in which insulin was administered based on continuous glucose measurements. “Those were still huge devices,” she laughs, “but they were the first steps toward what we know today.”

For her, research meant more than publications alone. “You learn to think critically, work rigorously and solve problems,” she says.

A doctorate with an international perspective

Her doctoral research focused on the pituitary gland and the regulation of prolactin and growth hormone secretion, both under normal and pathological conditions. The research was part of a European project involving collaborations in France, England and the Netherlands.

“That was one of my fondest memories,” she says. “Everyone brought their own expertise, and the techniques complemented one another.” This international collaboration broadened her perspective on medicine and confirmed the importance of cross-border thinking. Professor Vanhaelst played a key role in this. “He encouraged you to push boundaries.”

Teaching as dialogue

After completing her doctorate, teaching followed almost naturally. Velkeniers made a conscious choice for academic medicine, where care, science and education reinforce one another. For many years, she taught medical semiology (also known as the study of disease), systemic diseases and endocrinology.

Her lectures were known for their human tone, interactivity and accessibility, even when dealing with complex material. “I deliberately kept no distance from students,” she says. “I wanted them to dare to think, ask questions and doubt.”

She also actively sought feedback. “Student engagement is crucial,” she emphasizes. “And honestly, they taught me a great deal as well.” One anecdote involving an international student stayed with her. When she admitted she did not know something, he reacted in surprise: “In our country, professors never say they don’t know.” Her response was clear: “It is precisely human to know your limits.”

Leadership built on respect

In addition to her academic duties, Velkeniers held numerous leadership positions: vice-dean, head of the endocrinology department at UZ Brussels, president of the Belgian Endocrine Society, chair of the Medical Supply Planning Commission, and ultimately the first female president of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium.

She does not see leadership as power, but as responsibility. “You are never alone,” she says. “Good leadership means listening, showing respect and involving people.” She did not shy away from tensions or conflicts, but sought to resolve them through openness and dialogue. “Suppression doesn’t work. Engagement does.”

Recognition that resonates

In 2022, Velkeniers received the title of Baroness from King Philippe, in recognition of her academic and societal merits. Her first reaction? “Why me?” Only later did she realize what the title symbolized, also as recognition of her role as the first female president of the Academy.

The recognition that perhaps touched her most did not come from the King, but from her university. When the VUB decided to name an auditorium after her, making her the first professor to receive such an honor during her lifetime, it came as a complete surprise. The moment carried extra weight given the circumstances of her retirement, which took place in February 2021, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I never really got to say goodbye,” she explains. “No moment to thank people, no gathering. Everyone received a small bottle of champagne, which was still unopened when I left.”

The inauguration of the auditorium, during De Medische Wereld, meant more to her than an academic ceremony. It was an emotional closing chapter of an intense period. Her voice falters slightly as she speaks about it. “I didn’t know something like that was possible,” she says. “I still think about it.” Seeing her name now alongside those of other academic figures on campus feels like a special sign of recognition. “People like Brouwer and Kiekens meant something to this campus. To be placed in that line… that touched me deeply.”

That Professor D. Devroey, once her doctoral student and at that time dean, played a role in this recognition made it even more meaningful to her. “Everything passes,” she says, “but if I see that I was able to mean something for the VUB and this faculty, that is the most beautiful legacy you can leave behind.” Without hesitation, she calls it a greater honor than her noble title.

A gift from medical specialists in training also deeply moved her: a book by William Osler, with the inscription inside, ‘for the Osler of Laarbeeklaan’. “Medicine is learned at the bedside,” Osler said. For Velkeniers, that comparison was one of the finest tributes.

Woman, science and the future

Although she was rarely actively obstructed, she sometimes faced remarks about her role as a woman and mother in leadership positions. “How can a woman with children lead a department?” she was once asked. She persevered, supported by colleagues and her family.

Today, she does worry about the future. “The polarization and stigmatization of women frighten me,” she says. According to her, proper support, shared caregiving responsibilities and structural backing remain essential to avoid losing talent.

Medicine, AI and humanity

Velkeniers is cautiously optimistic about artificial intelligence. AI already plays an important role in disciplines such as radiology and anatomical pathology and will, in her view, contribute to prevention and personalized care. “But you have to remain critical.”

AI will not replace physicians, she emphasizes. “Care remains at the patient’s bedside. Communication and engagement remain fundamentally human.”

Continuing to Contribute

When Brigitte Velkeniers looks to the future, she does so without grand words, but with the same drive that has characterized her entire career. Continuing to work, as long as it is meaningful and possible, tops her list. “I sometimes don’t understand why, at a certain age, you should simply stop,” she says. Above all, she wants to keep making time for her family and her five grandchildren, who have now become a new priority.

To students just starting out on their journey, she offers one simple but powerful piece of advice: medicine demands a great deal, but gives at least as much in return. Do not give up too quickly, dare to seek help when things become difficult, and never forget that you are never alone—not as a student, not as a physician, and not as a human being.