prof. Renaat Coopman (MD, PhD)
Principal investigator Ghent University
Head of Department Oral & Craniomaxillofacial Surgery, Ghent University Hospital
Head & Neck Multidisciplinary Oncology Center, Ghent University Hospital
Data Science Institute, Ghent University Hospital
Co-founder 3D Platform & 3D Print Lab UZ Gent
Research focus
Prof. dr. Renaat Coopman is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon with a strong focus on translational innovation at the intersection of oncological surgery, digital workflows, additive manufacturing and vibrational spectroscopy.
His early research focused on salivary gland pathology and the application of near-infrared (NIR) and mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopy in oncological diagnostics. Using advanced chemometric techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA) and soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA), his work demonstrated that infrared spectroscopy can differentiate malignant salivary gland tumors and characterize tumor-associated glycosylation patterns.
This research evolved toward tissue-based vibrational spectroscopy and enzymatic deglycosylation models, providing new insights into tumor biochemistry and surgical margin analysis. His work contributed to the emerging field of glycobiology in head and neck oncology and resulted in multiple peer-reviewed publications in international journals.
Currently, his research is strongly focused on:
Digital and virtual surgical planning in oral and maxillofacial surgery
In-house hospital-based 3D printing infrastructures compliant with the European Medical Device Regulation (MDR)
Personalized mandibular and midfacial reconstruction
Orthognathic surgery and computer-assisted surgery
Additive manufacturing and patient-specific implants
Artificial intelligence and data-driven workflows in surgery
Optical and radiological 3D imaging technologies
Oncological reconstruction and functional rehabilitation
Clinical implementation of innovative digital workflows in healthcare
As co-founder of the 3D Platform and 3D Print Lab at Ghent University Hospital, he coordinates multidisciplinary collaborations between surgeons, engineers, radiologists and data scientists to accelerate the translation of advanced technologies into clinical practice.
He currently supervises multiple PhD trajectories in oncological maxillofacial surgery, orthognathic surgery, salivary gland pathology and digital implant rehabilitation.
Biography
Prof. dr. Renaat Coopman currently serves as Head of the Department of Oral & Craniomaxillofacial Surgery and is affiliated with the Head & Neck Multidisciplinary Oncology Center and the Facial Center at Ghent University Hospital.
He graduated with highest honors in Dentistry at Ghent University in 2009 and subsequently combined general dentistry practice with medical studies. In 2015, he graduated as Medical Doctor with great distinction and started his specialist training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
His residency training included rotations at:
University Hospitals Leuven (Prof. dr. C. Politis, Prof. dr. J. Schoenaers)
Ghent University Hospital (Prof. dr. H. Vermeersch)
Rijnstate Hospital Arnhem, The Netherlands (dr. T. Hoppenreijs)
OLV Hospital Aalst (dr. H. Van den Eynde, dr. G. Van de Vyvere)
He obtained official recognition in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery in 2019 and completed a PhD at Ghent University in 2022 entitled: “Novel Diagnostic Applications in Salivary Gland Pathology” under supervision of Prof. dr. J. Delanghe, Prof. dr. H. Vermeersch and Prof. dr. D. Creytens.
Clinically, he specializes in:
Oral and maxillofacial traumatology
Orthognathic surgery
Head and neck oncology and reconstruction
Preprosthetic and implant surgery
Virtual surgical planning and computer-assisted surgery
Facial reconstruction with emphasis on occlusion and facial aesthetics
He is actively involved in multidisciplinary cleft care and oncological reconstruction programs and has a strong academic interest in the integration of 3D technologies, extended reality and AI-driven workflows into surgical practice.
In addition to his clinical activities, he serves as:
Coordinating residency supervisor in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery at Ghent University Hospital. Coordinating supervisor for General Dentistry training. Member of the Flemish accreditation committee for Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Prof. dr. Coopman regularly lectures nationally and internationally on digital surgery, 3D printing, oncological reconstruction and future innovations in maxillofacial surgery.
Research team
- dr. Benjamin Denoiseux (MD) – doctoral fellow (Oncological Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery)
- dr. Robin Vanroose (MD) – doctoral fellow (Salivary gland pathology)
- dr. Constantijn Bogaert (MD) – doctoral fellow (Orthognathic surgery)
- Pieter-Jan Boderé – doctoral fellow (VD CLIC BAR project)
- dr. Mauranne Lievens (MD) – doctoral fellow (Medical 3D printing & MDR implementation)
- dr. Matthias Ureel (MD) – doctoral fellow (Oncological Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery)
Contact & links
- Lab address: University Hospitals Ghent / Ghent University,
Department of Oral & Craniomaxillofacial Surgery (UZ Gent),
Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Ghent, Belgium - Mond-, kaak- en aangezichtschirurgie (UZ Gent)
- ORCID
- Renaat Coopman is interested to receive invitations for lectures, keynote presentations, scientific collaborations and multidisciplinary innovation projects