Dr Van Hijfte holds a PhD degree in Chemistry from Gent
University (1984, Belgium) with Prof. M. Vandewalle, and
finalized his academic training by a two-year post-doctoral stay
at UCSB with Prof. RD. Little. He started his industrial career as
a medicinal chemist at Merrell Dow in 1986 in Strasbourg,
France, where he progressed to head of the medicinal chemistry
by the time the site had become part of Sanofi in 1998. In 2002
he moved to Janssen, J&J, first as Research Director of their
R&D site in Val de Reuil, France, before taking on the role of
Senior Director, Head of Medicinal Chemistry EU, at Janssen
Research & Development, with responsibility for Europeanbased medicinal chemistry, analytical technologies, and
ADMET. During this tenure, Luc was privileged to contribute to
several successful projects, with numerous programs entering
into clinical development in the areas of neurosciences,
oncology, and infectious diseases. In 2012 Dr Van Hijfte became CSO of NovAliX, Illkirch, France,
before moving in 2017 to his actual position of Sr VP Medicinal Chemistry at Symeres, where he
oversees a team of approx. 80 chemists executing medicinal chemistry activities for clients
worldwide.
Dr Van Hijfte has been the Vice-President of the French Medicinal Chemistry Society (SCT) in
2015-16, President of the SCT 2017-18, and is currently member of the Executive Committee of
the EFMC. In 2018, he has been elected and named member of the “Académie Nationale de
Pharmacie” in France, for his multiple contributions to pharmaceutical developments.