Eline Tommelein

Eline Tommelein holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Ghent University (2011), where she also pursued a PhD (2011–2016) and postdoctoral research (2016–2017). In addition to her pharmaceutical training, she obtained a lactation consultant certification (2021) and completed an accredited smoking cessation counselling course (2018). Her academic career includes research stays at UMC Groningen with Prof. Touw (2024) and the University of Oslo with Prof. Nordeng (2025).
Currently, she serves as an assistant professor (80%) and 10% ZAP at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) after a four-year guest professorship (2019–2023). She also lectures on pharmacology and pharmacotherapy during pregnancy and lactation at multiple institutions, including Artevelde Hogeschool, Karel de Grote Hogeschool, VIVES, and Erasmushogeschool. At Ghent University, she has been a guest lecturer since 2015. Additionally, she coordinates the Structured International Partnership between VUB and the University of Western Cape.
Beyond academia, she works as a locum pharmacist and actively participate in committees, serving as an Expert for the Federal Breastfeeding Committee (since 2022) and a Board Member of the National Order of Pharmacists (since 2020). She is also engaged in the Society of Belgian Lactation Consultants and the Queen Elisabeth Institute.

Key Interests

• Breastfeeding
• Infant feeding
• Formula feeding
• Pharmacotherapy during lactation
• Pharmacotherapy in young children
• ADHD

Research career

My research focuses on optimizing medication use during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and in young children. I have established national and international collaborations, including partnerships with Ghent University, the University of Antwerp, the University of Oslo (Norway), and the University of Western Cape (South Africa). I have supervised multiple Master’s students and am currently overseeing several reserach projects on ADHD medication, candidiasis and mastitis treatment, PPI rationalization in children, the use of health products during breastfeeding, and infant feeding. I actively contribute to knowledge dissemination through media outreach, book authorship, and the organization of conferences on infant feeding.

Research stays abroad

UMC Groningen (2024)
University of Oslo (2025)

Awards

Best Scientific Research in Pharmacy by the Royal Belgian Academy for Medicine for the period 2014-2017: Doctoral dissertation titled “The evolving role of the community pharmacist: focus on medication screening in older patients with polypharmacy and medication counselling for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” 
“Best Poster” at the ESPACOMP conference in 2015
“Best Presentation” for “Medication use during breastfeeding, a hands-on workshop” at the ELACTA conference in 2024