He continued his research activity abroad for one year at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas, and later also at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. In 1995, he became Assistant Professor (‘Docent’) at KU Leuven and since then teaches Dental Biomaterial Sciences. In 1998 and 2002, he was promoted respectively to Associate Professor (‘Hoofddocent’) and Professor (‘Hoogleraar’), and in 2005 to Full Professor (‘Gewoon Hoogleraar’). His primary research interest involves studies related to the broad field of Adhesive Dentistry, including fundamental as well as clinical research regarding dental adhesive technology in particular. Newer research lines deal with Dental Ceramics, Cariogenicity & Biocompatibility of Dental Materials, Bioactive Materials and Pulppreservation Material Technology. His research work has been published in more than 400 peer-reviewed journals and has been honoured with awards such as the 1996 triennial Robert Stock Award for best PhD dissertation in Biomedical Sciences, Albert Joachim Award in 1997, Award in Biomedical Sciences of the Research Council of KU Leuven in 1998, IADR Young Research Award in 2000, SmithKline Beecham Award in 2001, Academy of Operative Dentistry Buonocore Memorial Lecturer in 2003, CED-IADR (Continental European Division of IADR) Robert Frank Lecturer in 2008, 2014 IADR/AADR William J. Gies Award for the best 2014 JDR paper in the Biomaterials & Bioengineering Research category, and the 2015 IADR Wilmer Souder Award (IADR Distinguished Scientist award for Dental Materials). In 2003, he became holder of the Toshio Nakao Chair for Adhesive Dentistry. He was President of the PanEuropean Federation of IADR in 2006-2007 and is currently serving as Secretary of the CED-IADR. Since 2004, he is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Adhesive Dentistry.