Dr. Victor van Berkel received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and his Bachelor of Science in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1996. He then graduated with his Doctor of Medicine and PhD, the Medical Scientist Training Program, from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis in 2003. He completed his residency in General Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in 2008, and a fellowship in Cardiothoracic Surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in 2010.

Dr, van Berkel started working at the University of Louisville in 2010 and is now a tenured Professor in the Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. He is also the Division Chief of Thoracic Surgery for the department. He is also a founding member and Chief Medical Officer for Breath Diagnostics, Inc. in Louisville, KY.