After having studied Bio-engineering Sciences at Ghent University (1992-1997), Frédéric Leroy (°1974) obtained a PhD in Applied Biological Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel in 2002, where he continued his academic career at the research group of Industrial Microbiology and Food Biotechnology (IMDO) as a post-doctoral fellow of the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO). Since 2008, he holds a professorship in the field of food science and (bio)technology. His research primarily deals with the many ecological aspects and functional roles of bacterial communities in (fermented) foods, with a focus on animal products. In addition, his interests relate to human and animal health and wellbeing, as well as to elements of tradition and innovation in food contexts. The research is often of an interdisciplinary nature, involving collaborations with experts in microbiology, animal production, veterinary sciences, social and consumer sciences, cultural anthropology, and food history. He is also a member of the research group of Social and Cultural Food Studies (FOST). Extra muros, Leroy offers various societal contributions, all being pro-bono. As such, he is a board member of various academic non-profit organizations, including the Belgian Association for Meat Science and Technology (BAMST; president), Belgian Society for Food Microbiology (BSFM; secretary), and Belgian Nutrition Society (BNS), and of the scientific boards of the Institute Danone Belgium (president) and the World Farmers' Organization (WFO).