Chris Broeckhoven

I am a Research Fellow in Biomimetics working in the ACT since January 2022.

I obtained a Master’s degree in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Antwerp (Belgium), after which I moved to South Africa to pursue a PhD in Zoology at the University of Stellenbosch. My PhD research focussed on exploring the causes and consequences of body armour in an endemic lizard. Although its widely accepted in the scientific community that animal armour serves a protective purpose, my PhD research revealed that the selective pressures shaping armour are actually misunderstood.

Because animal species that possess some form of armour seem to have caught the attention of engineers and materials scientists attempting to develop novel artificial protective materials, I became interested in the field of biomimetics (or bioinspiration). During the postdoctoral fellowships that followed my PhD graduation in 2015, I pursued two major lines of research (1) unravelling the evolution and multifunctionality of body armour in animals and (2) using the information to expose the limitations and constraints of the current approach to biomimetics.

A detailed overview of my research can be found on Google Scholar or ResearchGate.

Biomimetics offers a wealth of new solutions to be applied to space exploration, provided we have a good understanding of the evolutionary forces that drove the diversity of organisms on Earth. At the ACT, I am currently working on advancing the concept of biomimetics to a more encompassing, evolutionary-informed approach that exploits the full potential of biodiversity.

Feel free to contact me by e-mail (tni.ase@nevohkceorb.sirhc) or find me on LinkedIn.