Niels Hellings is director of the Biomedical Research Institute (BIOMED) and professor in immunology at the Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences of Hasselt University. He graduated as master in bioscience-engineering at the Catholic University of Leuven (1996) and consequently obtained a PhD in immunology at Hasselt University (2000). He was visiting postdoctoral scientist at McGill University (Montréal), before returning to Hasselt University to setup up his own research group.

He now heads the Neurimmune Connections & Repair (NIC&R) lab that focuses on the complex interplay between the central nervous system and the immune system that is crucial for a long and healthy life. Disturbances in this delicate balance contribute to neurodegenerative diseases. The NIC&R lab investigates fundamental mechanisms in neuroinflammation, repair and immune aging using patient derived material and in vitro and in vivo models, so that novel leads for disease interventions are identified and validated. In addition to basic research, the NIC&R lab invests in collaborations with biotech and pharma and shares its passion for science through popular science communication.

Niels Hellings is president of the Belgian Immunological Society and board member of the European Graduate School of Neuroscience and Flanders Vaccine vzw.