Theo Meert, PhD — Healthcare Development & Public-Private Collaborations

Theo F. Meert specializes in the development of healthcare solutions for the pharmaceutical and Medtech industries, with a focus on partnerships/collaborations and non-dilutive funding opportunities.

With over 40 years of experience at Janssen Pharmaceutica / J&J, along with professorships at the Universities of Leuven, Ghent, Antwerp, Brussels, and Hasselt, Theo, after his recent retirement from J&J, will continue his involvement as a consultant and scientific advisor.

Throughout his tenure at J&J, Dr. Meert held various global positions, overseeing diverse multidisciplinary research teams focused on CNS (Psychiatry, Addiction, Pain, Neurology, Alzheimer’s). His responsibilities spanned the entire drug R&D spectrum from initial candidate selection to proof of concept, full development, licensing, and marketing initiatives.

Dr. Meert has established a broad network across scientific, clinical, government, and NGO organizations worldwide. In addition to pharmaceuticals, his expertise and partnerships extend to medical devices, health technologies, consumer products, and various aspects of engineering and supply chain, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of global healthcare. Moreover, he has cultivated an expansive external partnership network, playing a pivotal role in pioneering innovative external funding models that do not involve equity dilution.

Dr. Meert’s scientific acumen is validated through his multiple patents (>15) publications (>250), congress communications (>200) and invited lectures (>200). He earned a Ph.D. in psychopharmacology in Experimental Psychology from the University of Brussels in 1986, and a Ph.D. in Medicine/Anesthesiology from the University of Antwerp in 1994.