• Emeritus professor at the Department of Biology, University of Antwerp
  • Previous director of the Research Center of Excellence PLECO (2000-2019)
  • Honorary Doctor / Doctor Honoris Causa of the Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic (2010)
  • Honorary Doctor / Doctor Honoris Causa of the Université d’Orléans, France (2012)
  • Member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Science and the Arts of Belgium (since 2009)
  • Corresponding member of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU, since 2015)
  • Previously visiting professor at : University of Washington, Seattle, USA (1987-1988), Université Paris-XI, Orsay, France (1989) and University of Ghent (2013-2019)
  • Titular of the Belgian Francqui Chair at the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL; 2006-2007)
  • Chair of  the LESC Standing Committee of the European Science Foundation (ESF; 2008-2015)
  • Holder of Advanced Research Grant POPFULL of the European Research Council (ERC)