PHYSICIANS from Belgium

Top 5

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Belgian Physicians of all time. This list of famous Belgian Physicians is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Andreas Vesalius (1514 - 1564)

With an HPI of 76.48, Andreas Vesalius is the most famous Belgian Physician.  His biography has been translated into 73 different languages on wikipedia.

Andries van Wezel (31 December 1514 – 15 October 1564), latinised as Andreas Vesalius (), was an anatomist and physician who wrote De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septem (On the fabric of the human body in seven books), which is considered one of the most influential books on human anatomy and a major advance over the long-dominant work of Galen. Vesalius is often referred to as the founder of modern human anatomy. He was born in Brussels, which was then part of the Habsburg Netherlands. He was a professor at the University of Padua (1537–1542) and later became Imperial physician at the court of Emperor Charles V.

2. Jacques Rogge (1942 - 2021)

With an HPI of 65.99, Jacques Rogge is the 2nd most famous Belgian Physician.  His biography has been translated into 56 different languages.

Jacques Jean Marie, Count Rogge (French: [ʒɑk ʁɔɡ], Dutch: [ʑɑk ˈrɔɣə] ; 2 May 1942 – 29 August 2021) was a Belgian sports administrator and physician, who served as the eighth president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 2001 to 2013. In 2013, Rogge became the IOC's honorary president, a lifetime position, which he held until his death from Parkinson's disease in August 2021.

3. Corneille Heymans (1892 - 1968)

With an HPI of 65.32, Corneille Heymans is the 3rd most famous Belgian Physician.  His biography has been translated into 50 different languages.

Corneille Jean François Heymans (28 March 1892 – 18 July 1968) was a Belgian physiologist. He studied at the Jesuit College of Saint Barbara and then at Ghent University, where he obtained a doctor's degree in 1920. Heymans won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1938 for showing how blood pressure and the oxygen content of the blood are measured by the body and transmitted to the brain.

4. Rembert Dodoens (1517 - 1585)

With an HPI of 56.71, Rembert Dodoens is the 4th most famous Belgian Physician.  His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Rembert Dodoens (born Rembert Van Joenckema, 29 June 1517 – 10 March 1585) was a Flemish physician and botanist, also known under his Latinized name Rembertus Dodonaeus. He has been called the father of botany. The standard author abbreviation Dodoens is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.

5. Paul Janssen (1926 - 2003)

With an HPI of 54.58, Paul Janssen is the 5th most famous Belgian Physician.  His biography has been translated into 19 different languages.

Paul Adriaan Jan, Baron Janssen (12 September 1926 – 11 November 2003) was a Belgian physician. He was the founder of Janssen Pharmaceutica, a pharmaceutical company with over 20,000 employees which is now a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.