Stijn Bogaerts

Stijn Bogaerts serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Development and Regeneration at KU Leuven's Faculty of Medicine, where he leads research within the Locomotor and Neurological Disorders unit and contributes to the LISS – KU Leuven Institute of Sports Science. He holds governance roles on both the Faculty of Medicine Council and Departmental Council, demonstrating institutional leadership alongside his academic responsibilities.

His research program centers on musculoskeletal pathophysiology with dual emphases on tendinopathy biomechanics (particularly Achilles pathology) and acute muscle injury recovery. Key methodologies include musculoskeletal modeling, rehabilitation protocol development, and investigation of nutritional interventions like ketone esters and collagen peptides. His work bridges clinical rehabilitation with sports science, focusing on tissue-level adaptations during recovery processes.

Analysis of his 2024-2025 publications reveals three dominant research trajectories: (1) Achilles tendinopathy rehabilitation mechanics using advanced imaging and modeling, (2) home-based exercise interventions for clinical populations (notably liver transplant patients), and (3) nutritional ergogenics for muscle recovery. These themes consistently apply biomechanical analysis to improve clinical rehabilitation outcomes across diverse patient groups.

Dr. Bogaerts currently supervises PhD candidates I. Mylle (triceps surae rehabilitation in tendinopathy) and R. Robberechts (ketone ester effects). His active grants include the PHOENIX-Liver trial (2021-2025), intermittent ketosis research (2021-2024), and Achilles tendinopathy biomechanics (2020-2024), with funding supporting both clinical trials and mechanistic laboratory studies.

As core faculty within the Locomotor and Neurological Disorders unit, he collaborates with multidisciplinary teams spanning orthopedics, physiology, and nutrition science. His integration of the LISS Institute's sport science expertise with clinical rehabilitation frameworks positions his work at the translational medicine frontier.