
Philippe R. Koninckx
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Research Interests: Initially hypertension and pregnancy and subsequently endocrinology and infertility
Born October 1945. Primus perpetuus of latin-greek high school. Bachelor and Master (1970) in medicine at Facultés Notre Dame in Namur and KULeuven respectively. Specialist in OBGYN (1976) and in nuclear medicine in vitro.
Worked as a student in the laboratories of Prof. Wattiaux on lysosomes and with Prof. Verstraeten/Amery on hypertension where he developed the radioimmunoassays of angiotensin I and II, following training at St Mary’s in London (Prof Peart). As a registrar in OBGYN he introduced at the university hospitals Leuven the radioimmunoassays of LH, FSH, prolactin, estradiol and progesterone.
After becoming aspirant of the national research fund (the first Belgian gynecologist) and made a PhD on steroid chemistry, peritoneal fluid, endometriosis and infertility. He subsequently worked at the university Hospitals Gasthuisberg and at the KULeuven where he became full Professor in 1994.
His laboratory background made him responsible for the radioimmunoassays. His clinical and research interests were initially hypertension and pregnancy and subsequently endocrinology and infertility. In 1981 he started the first menopause clinic on the continent, and in 1986 endoscopic surgery while being responsible for IVF.
Milestones in endoscopic surgery were the “discovery” of deep endometriosis in the late 80’s and the first Belgian laparoscopic cholecystectomies, pneumothorax, bowel resections, and ureter anastomoses in the early 90’s together with the departments of urology, abdominal and thorax surgery followed by the development of deep endometriosis surgery.
Endoscopic surgery made him in 1996 Visiting Professor in Oxford and Honorary consultant in the UK, in 2003 Visiting Professor in Rome (Università Del Sacro Cuore) and honorary Prof in Moscow (2008). He became honorary fellow of the Australian endoscopy society (1992), (and founding) of the Indonesian endoscopy society, (and founding) of the Japanese endometriosis society, and the Italian endoscopy society. He received the Australian lecturing tour award (1992), the Takeda price for endometriosis (1995), The Jerome Hoffman price of AAGL (2001), the Belgian society of reproductive award (2001), the Raoul Palmer price of ESGE (2001), the best oral presentation award of ESGE (2004) and the Distinguished Surgeon Award of ASRM (2004).
He is a past board member of the AAGL, ESGE, and the VVOG (Belgian gynecologists).
Milestones in research were double antibody solid phase in Radioimmunoassay, secretion rates of LH and FSH, ovarian steroid metabolism, and the development of hormone replacement therapy e.g. Climen. In endometriosis he described the luteinized unruptured follicle syndrome, deep endometriosis, the decreased natural killer cells, the association with trait anxiety and the endometriotic disease theory. Endoscopic surgery leads to the development of deep endometriosis surgery, to the rabbit model for training, and to research in adhesion formation discovering the role of the peritoneal cavity and to conditioning as a prevention of postoperative pain and adhesion formation.
He promoted 18 PhD”s and published over 200 peer reviewed articles in endocrinology, endometriosis, endoscopic surgery and postoperative adhesion formation
After retiring from university he works as a surgeon in the Gruppo Italo Belga and in Endosat ltd developing the prevention of postoperative pain, adhesion formation and fatigue.
Editorial Board
Terms of Appointment: December 2018 - November 2020; December 2020 - November 2022; December 2022 - November 2024; December 2024 - December 2025