Rudi Dierckx obtained his Medical Degree at the University of Brussels in 1982. He was board certified in neuropsychiatry in 1987 and in nuclear medicine in 1991. His PhD thesis on “SPECT brain quantification: methodological and clinical studies” resulted in the PhD degree at the University of Antwerp in 1991. In 2004 he became Master in Business Administration (cum laude) at the Leuven Gent Vlerick School for Management. Rudi Dierckx in 2002 was nominated Full Professor in Nuclear Medicine at the Ghent University (Belgium) and since 2005 also at the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG, the Netherlands). Since 1995 he has been Head of Department of Nuclear Medicine at the University Hospital of Gent; since 2005 at the University Medical Center Groningen and since 2013 also of the Department of Radiology as Chairman of the Medical Imaging Center (MIC), UMCG.

The personal research interests in imaging of Rudi Dierckx reflect local demand and available resources; in the beginning more so in conventional nuclear medicine, including SPECT and radionuclide therapy (Antwerpen, Gent), later on PET based and in radiology (Groningen). While in research the publications deal with all clinical fields, the major  focus has been on brain and oncology  imaging. In basic research interests relate to the development of new tracers, rodent models, medical physics and management aspects, such as quality. Rudi Dierckx (co-)authored more than 650 peer reviewed articles with international distribution; total  number of citations +14.000, H-index 64 (source Scopus).  He further co-edited 13 international multi-author text books. e.g.  on PET and SPECT imaging of the Brain, on Quality in Nuclear Medicine and SPECT-CT in Sports Medicine. He is member of the editorial board of several journals, including EJNMMI.  Rudi Dierckx promoted 84 PhD students, approximately half of which as first promoter. In 2014 he was elected member of the Royal Dutch Society of Sciences ( ‘’Koninklijke Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen’’ (founded 1752).Rudi Dierckx is regularly invited to give talks to national and international scientific meetings. In 2006 he gave the Marie Curie lecture at the European association of Nuclear Medicine conference in Athens. He has >25 years of experience in teaching, as well for pharmacists, biomedical engineers, biologists, medical students and this at Bsc, Msc and post Msc level.  He also was coordinating trainer for the residency program in Belgium and the Netherlands for 20 years. 

Rudi Dierckx has served in several functions in- and outside academia. In the UMCG for example he was member of the steering council on oncology, UMCG from 2011 – 2013. Deliverables were a new UMCG Groningen comprehensive cancer center and network, including a new organizational structure as well as a new building for multidisciplinary meetings, consultations and day care. On request of the Board of directors of the UMCG he championed the ISO-certification of the University Medical Center Groningen (13.000 collaborators) for patient care, research, teaching and training and its first PDCA cycle (2013-2019). From 2010-2012 Rudi Dierckx was President of IRIST; the International Research Group on Immuno-Scintigraphy and Therapy . He was appointed expert for court in Belgium and the Netherlands and has acted as expert for the International Atomic Energy agency.

Rudi Dierckx was national delegate within the EANM 1998-2001 and at the World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology from 1998 till 2000. He was member of the organizing committee of 2 annual EANM conferences, respectively of the local organizing committee for the EANM annual conference in Brussels in 1995 and as chairman of the scientific committee for the EANM annual conference in Amsterdam in 2003. He was Chairman of the Task Group on Quality Assurance and Standardization of the EANM  (1998-2001), introducing the first European guidelines and member of the Strategy Committee of the EANM (1998-2000), redefining its vision and strategy. In 2020 he was voted EANM President-Elect 2021-2022 to serve subsequently as President 2023-2024.