Bernard Vrijens​

Bernard Vrijens is the CEO, Scientific Lead, and co-founder of AARDEX Group, a global leader in digital solutions for measuring and managing medication adherence in clinical trials and real-world settings.

With over 20 years of experience at the intersection of biostatistics, pharmacometrics, and digital health, Bernard is internationally recognized as a thought leader in medication adherence. He is the lead architect of both the ABC Taxonomy and the EMERGE guidelines, now considered the global standards for defining and reporting medication adherence in scientific research. He has co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications on adherence, clinical trial methodology, and health technology.

Bernard holds a PhD from the Ghent University, where he developed statistical methods to analyze human exposure to xenobiotics. His academic background also includes degrees in mathematics from the University of Liège and a Master’s in Biostatistics from the University of Limburg. Early in his career, he worked at Pfizer in both Belgium and the U.S. on the analysis of veterinary drug trials, and played a key advisory role during Belgium’s national dioxin crisis as a member of the Royal Commission.

At AARDEX, Bernard has led the company’s evolution from a research initiative into a commercially successful digital health company, partnering with top pharmaceutical companies and CROs worldwide. His unique ability to bridge scientific rigor with strategic execution has helped position AARDEX at the forefront of innovation in clinical trial conduct.

Beyond his leadership role at AARDEX, Bernard serves as a guest professor at the University of Liège and is a founding member, past president, and honorary member of ESPACOMP, the International Society for Medication Adherence. He continues to contribute actively to academic and regulatory efforts that drive more successful clinical trials and better patient outcomes.