Profile

Pieter-Jan Verhelst is an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon with a special interest in orthognathic, TMJ, craniofacial and cleft surgery. In 2017 he obtained his medical degree (KU Leuven, magna cum laude) with a thesis on the free fibula flap in craniomaxillofacial reconstructions and in 2020 he obtained his dental degree (KU Leuven, magna cum laude) with a thesis on 3D volumetric analysis of the jaw joint. He was trained at the University Hospitals of Leuven (Belgium) and the Rijnstate Hospital Arnhem (Netherlands). He is a member of staff in the department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University Hospitals of Leuven, Belgium, and is part of the Cleft Lip and Palate and Craniofacial. He also holds an honorary contract in the Maxillofacial Department of Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London, UK. Dr. Verhelst obtained his PhD in 2024 with a thesis on condylar resorption. He continues his academic work at the OMFS-IMPATH research group at KU Leuven. His research focuses on orthognathic, craniofacial and cleft surgery, temporomandibular disorders, 3D craniofacial phenotyping and associated genetic abnormalities. Dr. Verhelst also has a keen interest in healthcare policy and management and holds a Master’s degree in Healthcare Policy and Management (MHM).