Initially a software engineer (ISL Liège, 1994), Denis Baurain subsequently obtained a degree in Plant Molecular Biology (ULg, 1997) and then a Ph.D. in the same field (ULg, 2003). Awarded FRS-FNRS mandates (1998–2002 and 2003–2007), he devoted himself to plant molecular genetics before turning to phylogeny and comparative genomics, notably through two postdoctoral stays (2005–2006) – at the University of Queensland (Australia) and at the University of Montreal (Canada) – followed by a position as a senior postdoct in animal genomics at the ULg GIGA-Research centre (2007–2011). In 2011, he returns to the Department of Life Sciences (ULg) as an Assistant Professor in Bioinformatics. In 2014, he becomes Associate Professor and, in 2016, he is elected Head of the Department.