Eric Claassen studied Medical Biology (Cum Laude) and got his PhD at the Faculty of Medicin at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands. It is there where he began his career as a researcher. He worked for the Dutch Institute for Applied Scientific Research TNO and als director at the Institute for Animal Science and Health in Lelystad, The Netherlands.

From 1994 through 2004 he was professor of Cellular Immunology at the Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands. During the last three years he combined that position with teaching entrepreneurship in life sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Since 2005 he has been professor in Business Management and Entrepreneurship in Health and Life Sciences at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Furthermore he is the director or boardmember of several Dutch companies (BV's), amongst them being Vironovative BV, within the Erasmus MC Incubator.