Professor Smitz is an Emeritus Professor at the Free Universiteit Brussel (VUB, Brussels, Belgium), an Honorary Professor at the University of San Marcos (Lima, Peru) and a Visiting Professor and Director of the Laboratory for Reproductive Biology and Oncofertility at the University Cayetano Heredia (Lima, Peru). He has founded the Follicle Biology (FOBI) Research Laboratory at VUB since 1997 and has performed research in Assisted Reproduction Technologies for over 30 years. His current research projects are in vitro culture methods for human oocytes and follicles, non-invasive quality tests for human oocytes and embryos, and epigenetic safety testing in Assisted Reproduction by molecular methods. He published more than 350 articles of which more than 100 were as first or senior authors. He is co-founder of two Spin-off biotech Companies of the Free University Brussels (VUB): Fertiga and Lavima Fertility with aim to bring non-invasive oocyte testing and hormone-free fertility therapies to the patient.