2010 - European Health Forum Gastein

Who is Who
Biographic Information
Thomas Abel is Professor for Health Research at
the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine
of the University of Bern, Switzerland. He is also
Co-Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of
Public Health. Prior to his appointment in Bern he
was Professor for Public Health and
Epidemiology, Postgraduate Program Public
Health, Dep. of Medicine at the Ludwig-
Maximillians-University, Munich, FRG (1993 - 95),
Research Assistant and Lecturer in Medical
Sociology, Dep. of Medicine at the Philipps-
University, Marburg, FRG (1986 - 93), as well as
Teaching and Research Assistant, Dep. of
Sociology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-
Champaign, USA (1984 – 86). He has served as
reviewer and consultant for major national and
international research institutions and funding
agencies.Academic training: Prior to his
Habilitation at the Philipps-University (Dep. of
Medicine, 1993), Thomas Abel received his Ph.D.
from the University of Illinois (Dep. of Sociology) in
1989, a Dr. phil. degree from the Justus Liebig-
University (Dep. of Sports Science) in 1984, and,
also there, his M.A. degree in 1980. Today, his
major focus in research and teaching is on the
role of social, cultural and economic resources in
the reproduction of health inequalities.
Thomas Abraham (1956), Hong Kong. Director
Public Health Communication Programme and
Assistant Professor, the University of Hong Kong.
Areas of research interest: risk communication
during infectious disease epidemics, risk
communication training, and health journalism.
Author of Twenty First Century Plague, The Story
of SARS.
Robert Anderson (1953), British, Human
Sciences; President of Eurocarers; Head of the
Living Conditions and Quality of Life Unit at
Eurofound, Dublin; responsible for current
research on company initiatives for workers with
care responsibilities for disabled children or
adults, active inclusion for young people with
disabilities or health problems, measures for
social inclusion of the elderly, and analysis of data
from the 2007 European Quality of Life Survey;
earlier Eurofound projects included research on
ageing and employment looking particularly at
measures in the workplace; in previous work at
UK and German research centres he was involved
in longitudinal community and national studies of
life after heart attack and after a stroke.
Kristina Andrekute, Chair of the ECPC Rare
Cancer Action Group, President of Lithuanian
Rare Cancer Patients Advocacy Group “Rolld”.
Graduated from Vilnius University (Lithuania),
Faculty of Medicine. Medical doctor degree. An
oncology doctor resident in Vilnius University
Oncology Institute, Lithuania.
From June 2010 Scientific Fellowship in Charite
Campus Virchow, Berlin, Germany. Previous
practices in Physiology department in Cukurova
University Hospital, Adana, Turkey; Bone and Soft
Tissue Sarcoma Department Helios Klinikum,
Germany. Member of ESMO. A board member of
Lithuanian Junior Doctors Association and PWG
of European Junior doctors. I am mainly interested
in research, development and access to medicine
and clinical trials in rare cancers.
Joan-Carles Arce, Dr, graduated from medical
school at the Autonomous University of
Barcelona, Spain, earned his doctoral degree at
the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy at the Free
University Brussels, Belgium, and conducted a
postdoctoral fellowship in Reproductive
Physiology at the division of Reproductive
Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of
Connecticut Health Center, USA. He has been
performing clinical research within infertility in
academia as well as several small and large
pharmaceutical companies. He currently holds a
position as Vice President, Clinical Research &
Development, Ferring Pharmaceuticals where he
is responsible for the design, planning and
execution of drug development activities in the
Reproductive Health area.
Clemens Martin Auer, Dr. (1957); since 2005
Director General, Ministry of Health, Austria;
2003–2007 Chief of Cabinet of former Federal
Minister Maria Rauch-Kallat.
An Baeyens holds a law degree of the university
of Leuven and a master in law of the university of
Freiburg. Thanks to her professional experience,
she specialised in European health law and got
experience in many different aspects. In 2003, An
has joined the Commission and is since
November 2005 within the unit of regulated
professions responsible for the profession of
doctors and general care nurses.
Jean-Pierre Baeyens; Geriatrician; Associate
Professor Université du Luxembourg since 2006;
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Secretary General of the Belgian Society of
Gerontology and Geriatrics since 1977; President
of the Prof. Hellemans Foundation for Research in
Geriatric medicine since 1984; Founding member
of the European Union Geriatric medicine Society
2000-2009; and director of the EU Policy Group
since 2000 ; Chair of the European Nutrition for
Health alliance since 2005; President of the
International Association of Gerontology –
European Region 2007- 2011 Vice-President
Medical Trade Union in Belgium “Le Cartel”.
Ian Banks BSc BAO BCh MB MSc PhD. British.
A&E (Accident & Emergency) doctor and general
practitioner/public health. A member of Council of
the British Medical Association (BMA) and a
recipient of the Association Medal from the BMA.
President of the European Men's Health Forum
and the England & Wales Men’s Health Forum,
Vice-President of the International Society of
Men's Health. Prolific author of books on health
and on medicine.
Mark Bassett (1957), British, Health Services
Manger; Group Director of Public Policy, Bupa
Group in London; responsible for development of
the policy analysis and research capabilities of
Bupa’s businesses worldwide; MA in Health
Services Management, Manchester University
(1993); iFHP Fellow and Senior Health Specialist,
HNP Hub, The World Bank, Washington DC
(2003-2005); Fellow, Salzburg Global Fellowship
(2009).
Eric Bateman, Prof. (1947) is Professor of
Respiratory Medicine at the University of Cape
Town and Director of the University of Cape Town
Lung Institute. He is an A-rated scientist, a Fellow
of the Royal College of Physicians and an elected
Fellow of the University of Cape Town, Chair of
the Global Initiative for Asthma, and a member of
the Executive Committee of the Global Alliance
against Respiratory Diseases.
Nicola Bedlington (1965), British, Management
Studies and French; First Executive Director of the
European Patients’ Forum (EPF) in Brussels (from
2006); responsible for leading the European
umbrella patient organisation comprising of 44
patient organisations. The European Patients’
Forum is currently composed of 44 umbrella
organisations of national patients’ platforms and
disease specific organisations, representing the
collective interests and rights of over 150 million
patients with chronic diseases across the
European Union in EU healthcare policy and
programme development. EPF’s vision is high
quality, patient centred equitable healthcare for all
EU patients. Previously first Director of the
European Disability Forum, Head of the ENSI
Network of Education for Sustainable
Development, and Commission expert leading the
NGO component of a EU Programme on equal
opportunities for disabled people
Nina Bergman (1965) Young Gasteiner, is
employed by the Stockholm County Council since
2007 working with EU relations, policy analysis
and response. Nina holds a Degree of Master of
Public Service Strategies in political science from
2004 Uppsala University. She also studied
International Health at Karolinska.
Luigi Bertinato, Dr. (1955), Italian, graduated in
medicine in 1982 at the University of Padua and
obtained his PhD in Internal Medicine at the
University of Verona in 1987. Since 1998 he has
been the Director of External Affairs at the
Department of Health and Social Services, Veneto
Region, Venice-Italy. He is involved in a number
of European health and social care projects, in the
area of health policy, e-health, health promotion,
patient and professional mobility. He is a focal
point for the Veneto Region in its collaboration
with the European Observatory on Health
Systems and Policies, and the WHO European
Office for Investment for Health and Development,
and the Regions for Health Network. He also
represents the Veneto Region in various
European networks such as EUREGHA, ERRIN,
ESN, ELISAN. He is Vice-President of
Sanicademia, the cross-border Academy for the
Training of Health Personnel based in Villach,
Austria
Peter Bishop trained in town planning at
Manchester University and has spent his entire
career working in London. Over the past 20 years
he has been a Planning director in four different
Central London Boroughs and has worked in
major projects including Canary Wharf, the
development of the BBC’s campus at White City
and the Kings Cross developments, one of the
largest and most complex sites in London. He was
appointed as the first Director of Design for
London, the Mayor’s architecture and design
studio, in 2006. In 2008 he was appointed Group
Director at the London Development Agency. In
this role he combined Design for London with the
Agency’s land development, environmental,
housing and public space programmes. In
December 2009 Peter was appointed the Deputy
Chief Executive at the London Development
Agency. Peter lectures and teaches extensively, is
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a visiting professor at the faculty of Architecture
and the Built Environment at the Nottingham Trent
University, is an advisor to the City of Bucharest
and an honorary fellow of University College
London.
Vesna Bjegovic-Mikanovic Prof. Dr (1961),
Serbian, Medical Doctor, MSc and PhD in public
health management; full-time Professor at the
School of Medicine, Belgrade University; Head of
the Centre School of Public Health and Director of
the Institute of Social Medicine; responsible for
undergraduate and postgraduate education for the
following topics: public health, health policy and
management; involved in different qualitative and
quantitative, multilateral research, networking and
projects; member of the Executive Board of
ASPHER (The Association of Schools of Public
Health in the European Region).
Clive Blair-Stevens (1957), British. Public health,
social marketing and communications, and social
work; freelance consultant; director Strategic
Social Marketing; BSc (Honours)
sociology/psychology and professionally qualified
social worker (CQSW); co-founder of the National
Social Marketing Centre and the World Social
Marketing Conference series.
Dorian Block, United States, Health Policy;
Director of Aging Improvement Districts and Policy
Associate for the Division of Health Policy of The
New York Academy of Medicine in New York City.
Master of Science with honors from Columbia
University. Toni Stabile Fellow. Former journalist
for The New York Daily News and The Boston
Globe; Awards from the New England Press
Association and the Society for Professional
Journalists; 2010 Public Service Award from the
Silurian Society.
Göran Bondjers Prof., (1944), Swedish, M.D.,
Ph.D., Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine,
Dean of Gothenburg Medical School (1993-2002),
Director, Swedgene program 2002-2004), Dean
and Director, Nordic School of Public Health
(2006-2010), Senior Scientific Advisor, Global
Health Europe (since 2010). Published 230
original publications. Chair of evaluations of Public
Health at Karolinska Institute and Finnish Institute
of Occupational Health.
Edwin Borman trained in South Africa, qualifying
MB ChB with honours from the University of Cape
Town in 1984. He immigrated to the UK in 1986
and completed specialist training in Anaesthetics
in Plymouth and Birmingham. Since 1997, he has
worked as a Consultant Anaesthetist at the
University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire
NHS Trust, and currently is the Clinical Director of
a Department of almost 100 clinicians.
As well as his work in Anaesthetics, Dr Borman is
particularly interested in continuing medical
education. He has been the Chairman of the
European Union of Medical Specialists’ (UEMS)
Working Group on CME/CPD (since 1999), and
chairs its Taskforce on the European Accreditation
Council on CME. These bodies aim to further
promote and develop continuing medical
education for specialists across Europe. Dr
Borman continues to plays an active role in a
number of medical associations, and is a member
of the Council of the British Medical Association
(1991 to present), was Chairman of the BMA’s
Junior Doctor’s Committee (1991 – 1994), and
Chairman of the BMA’s International Committee
(1999 – 2007). He was a Council Member of the
General Medical Council (1994 – 2008), Chairman
of the GMC Committee for Diversity and Equality,
and was Chair of the GMC’s Working Group on
Consent (2006 – 2008) leading the development
of its recent guidance on this subject. He does
have a life outside Medicine and medico-politics.
John Bowis; OBE; President Health First Europe;
Vice-President, European Health Forum Gastein;
Chairman Health Advisory Board, GSK; Adviser to
FIPRA, Policy Action and Hanover; Board
Member: TBVI, Global Initiative on Psychiatry,
Gamian Europe, European Men’s Health Forum,
European Health Academy, European Institute of
Health, Sane, Mental Disability Advocacy Centre
and Maastricht University European Health
Faculty; Patron Fund for Epilepsy; Vice President
Diabetes UK; Ambassador National Aids trust and
Alzheimer’s Society. 1999-2009: Member of the
European Parliament for London 1999-2009:
Rapporteur inter alia: ECDC; Mental Health;
Neglected Diseases; and Cross Border Health.
1997-1999: International Policy Adviser to the
World Health Organisation on global campaigns:
‘Nations for Mental Health’ and ‘Out of the
Shadows’ (epilepsy). 1987-1997: M.P. in UK and
Minister for Health & Social Security and then
Transport Hon. Fellow of the Royal College of
Psychiatrists and the Royal College of Physicians
Angela Brand, Prof.MD PhD MPH (1962;
German), Pediatrician, Master of Public Health
(Johns Hopkins University), specialist in Public
Health Medicine; Director of the Institute for Public
Health Genomics (IPHG) at the Faculty of Health,
Medicine and Life Sciences at Maastricht
University, the Netherlands.; Director of the
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European Centre for Public Health Genomics
(ECPHG), Coordinator of the Public Health
Genomics European Network (PHGEN), President
of the Section Public Health Genomics within the
European Public Health Association (EUPHA),
Co-Edtor-in-Chief of the international journal
Public Health Genomics, Excecutive Director of
the Public Health Genomics international network
GRaPH-Int, Associated Member of the
international consortium Public Population Project
in Genomics (P3G) on biobanking, Advisory Board
Member of Alacris Pharmaceuticals, Scientific
Consultation Group Member of the European
Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
(ECDC), Co-Investigator of PIE
(Pharmacogenomics & Innovation in Ethics) within
the NIH Pharmacogenetics Research Network
(PGRN); Expert for the European Agency for
Reconstruction, the OECD, WHO, the European
Commission, the Netherlands Genomics Initiative
(NGI), the German Robert Koch-Institut (RKI),
Genome Canada, the European Science
Foundation) etc.; Fellow of the Rockefeller
Foundation; USA, and of the 21st Century Trust of
the Wellcome Trust, UK.
Helmut Brand is Professor of European Public
Health at Maastricht University. He studied
Medicine in Düsseldorf and Zürich and earned a
Master in Community Medicine from London
School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Prof.
Brand is a specialist in Public Health Medicine in
Germany and the UK. Helmut worked in Health
Authorities and Ministries of Health. For 13 years
he was director of the Public Health Institute of
North Rhine Westphalia in Germany. Since then
the European Perspective in Health is the main
topic of his work. The recent research focus of his
Department of International Health at Maastricht
University is on cross border health and
comparative studies
Jeni Bremner, BA MSc RGN, (1960) British;
since March 2007 Director of the European Health
Management Association. She is a qualified nurse
and also holds an M.Sc in Health Education from
the University of London and an M.Sc in Health
Economics from the University of York. She has
substantial experience in the management and
design of health and social care systems both
working within health and social care systems and
as a consultant. She has many years political and
policy experience in the fields of public health,
health care and social care. Prior to taking up post
at EHMA she worked in the UK leading the
national local government policy agenda across a
number of areas including children services,
education, health, public health social care and
criminal justice.
James Buchan, Prof. (1958); Scottish; Health
workforce policy, planning and labour markets;
Professor, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh,
UK. Policy Associate, European Observatory on
Health Systems; Adjunct Professor, University of
Technology, Sydney, Australia.
Ilhan Celik Prof. Dr (1966); German; Medical
Doctor, Full Professor of Experimental Medicine
and preclinical/clinical research; Senior Director,
Head of Biomarker Strategy Oncology at Merck
Serono in Darmstadt-Germany; responsible for all
aspects of Biomarker Strategy in Oncology.
Member of the German Cancer Society, German
Society of Surgery, European Histamine Research
Society and is a member of many international
scientific journal review boards. Clinical interests
and main research areas are Oncology,
Translational- and Biomarker Research,
Biobanking, Tumor-Angiogenesis and Anti-
Angiogenic Therapy.
Oleg Chestnov, Deputy Director, Ministry of
Health, Russian Federation.
Shu-Ti Chiou, Dr. (1962), Taiwan, Preventive
Medicine, Health Services Research, Prevention
and Control of Chronic Diseases; Director-General
of Bureau of Health Promotion, Department of
Health, Taiwan; Ph.D. in Epidemiology, National
Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Assistant
Professor, Institute of Public Health, National
Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan;
Coordinator, Taiwan Network of Health Promoting
Hospitals and Health Services; Vice Chair,
International Network of Health Promoting
Hospitals and Health Services.
Amelia Compagni; Dr. (1971), Italian, PhD
Genetics, MSc in International Healthcare
Management Economics and Policy, Assistant
Professor, Bocconi University, Department of
Institutional Analysis and Public Management in
Milan; research focus on diffusion and implications
of genetics-based technologies in healthcare;
collaboration in 2008 with IPTS-EU Commission
on the socio-economic impacts of
pharmacogenetics
Ian A Cree, Prof. British, Pathology,
currently Director of the Translational Oncology
Research Centre and Cancer Laboratory
at Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth and
also Director of the National Institute for Health
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Research (NIHR) Evaluation Trials and study
efficacy and Mechanisms Evaluation Programme.
Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists and
member of the National Institute for Clinical
Excellence Diagnostics Advisory Panel.
Dirk Cuypers graduated in 1979 from the Ghent
University as a Physician Doctor. Subsequently,
he obtained a Master's degree in Dermatologic
and Cosmetic Sciences at the Brussels VUB. After
one year activity as a general practitioner and
holder of a postgraduate diploma in business
management from the Vlerick Management
School, he joined the private business sector.
Between 1980 and 2000, he was employed in four
pharmaceutical companies, in three of which as a
medical director. When Minister Luc Van Den
Bossche started his Copernicus reformation
programme, Dirk Cuypers was one of the first
managers form the private sector who dared to
enter the public sector for a new career.
Appointed as Chairman of the Executive
Committee, he took the helm of the Federal Public
Service Health, Food Chain Safety and
Environment. Thanks to his experience in the
private business sector, he has managed in a few
years to transform this FPS into one of the most
effective and dynamic public departments.
Surrounded by a multidisciplinary and dynamic
team of staff, Dirk Cuypers works every day for
the development and implementation of the
government's policies. This is for him a thrilling
commitment in the service of citizens, companies
and political leaders.
Thomas Czypionka, Senior Researcher, Team
Coordinator, Institute for Advanced studies (IHS),
Austria
John Dalli (1948); Malta; served as a Cabinet
Minister in the Maltese Government since 1987
having been first elected to the House of
Representatives of Malta on behalf of the
Nationalist Party in 1987. He has served as
Parliamentary Secretary for Industry (1987-1990),
Minister of Economic Affairs (1990-92), Minister of
Finance (1992-1996, 1998-2003) Minister of
Finance and Economic Affairs and Minister of
Foreign Affairs and Investment Promotion (2004).
Between March 2008 and February 2010, John
Dalli served as Minister for Social Policy which
includes the Health, housing, employment and
industrial relations portfolio. As a qualified
accountant, Dalli has also worked in the private
sector in Malta and abroad, both in industry and
as an independent consultant. In February 2010
John Dalli was appointed as European
Commissioner responsible for Health and
Consumer Policy.
Madelene Danielsson Persson (1972), Swedish,
Communications Officer at the Communicable
Disease Prevention and Control Unit at the
National Board of Health and Welfare in
Stockholm, Sweden; involved in the national
pandemic preparedness and the communication
programme during the 2009 influenza A(H1N1)
pandemic; background in communication in health
settings such as pandemic preparedness,
environmental medicine and work health.
Romann Datus (1973), Young Gasteiner; French;
Inspector for Health and Social Affairs, EU Public
Health Officer; 2002: Master in Diplomacy,
International Organizations and Negotiation,
University of Paris XI (FRANCE)
Alban Davesne (1984), French; Young Gasteiner;
PhD student; Academic paper: “The French health
system: the never-ending struggle for costcontainment”,
with Bruno Palier, 2010
Maggie Davies, Executive Director, Health Action
Partnership International (HAPI).
Isabel de la Mata was born in Bilbao (Spain). She
graduated in Medicine at the University of Basque
Country in 1983 and holds post-graduate degrees
from the University of Leuven and Paris VI. She is
specialist in Preventive Medicine and Public
Health.
She worked at the Ministry of Health of Spain and
at the Regional Departments of Health in the
Basque Country and in Madrid. She has an
experience working with International
Organisations, such as the WHO, Pan American
Health Organisation and Inter-American
Development Bank. From 2004 until February
2008 she worked at the Permanent
Representation of Spain to the EU. Since 1 March
2008 she works as Principal Adviser for Public
Health at Directorate SANCO – Health &
Consumers.
Guilia Del Brenna, Head of Unit
"Competitiveness in the Pharm. Industry and
Biotechnology", European Commission.
Veronika Di Cara (1973), Czech; RN, MA; Nurse,
Nursing Adviser; Scientific Secretary of the Czech
Nursing Association; 1996 – BSN in Nursing, 2000
– New Jersey RN License, since 2005 MA in
Health care Administration, since 2006 Registered
Nurse in the Czech Republic; Adviser to Ministry
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of Health on Nursing Issues, Evaluator of Nursing
Projects, Coordinator of Nursing Projects,
Translator of Nursing Books and Articles,
Publishing Professional Articles, Teaching
Nursing.
Gerardine Doyle, Dr (1964), Irish, academic at
University College Dublin, research interest is in
health care management which combines her
qualification as a pharmacologist (UCD) with her
qualification and experience as a chartered
accountant with KPMG, lecturer in accounting,
taxation and health care management, PhD,
FCCA, AITI, BSc. Academic director of the
Executive MBA (Health Care Management)
programme at the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate
Business School from 2005 to 2009. Principal
investigator for Ireland in the European Health
Literacy Survey and chairperson of the judging
panel for the Crystal Clear MSD Health Literacy
Awards 2008-2010.
Annette Dumas, over the past 14 years, A.
Dumas has been involved in European policy
work. She is currently acting as EU Public Affairs
Officer for Alzheimer Europe, the umbrella
organisation of Alzheimer associations in Europe,
having previously worked with a European patient
NGO (European Patients' Forum) and for one of
the world's leading pharmaceutical companies
(Merck Sharp & Dohme, Inc.). Annette supports
Alzheimer Europe in making dementia a European
public health priority. She is responsible for the
organisation's strategy on EU health, social and
research policies, legislation and measures that
affect people with dementia and their carers. She
also set up the European Alzheimer's Alliance in
the European Parliament. The Alliance is a nonexclusive,
multi-national and cross-party group
who brings together Members of the European
Parliament committed to support Alzheimer
Europe and its members to make dementia a
European public health priority.
Jean-Luc Eisele, ERS Executive Director,
European Respiratory Society.
Karl Ekdahl Head of Communication and Country
Cooperation Unit, European Centre for Disease
Prevention and Control.
Malte Enderlein (1968), MPH, German,
profession: health policy; Coordinator for
European and International affairs; present
position: head of division, Self-government
/International Affairs; educational background:
economist, public health relevant membership;
relevant professional activities: developing long
term strategies for health systems; chairperson of
the European Social Insurance (ESIP) health
committee.
Leonardo M. Fabbri, Prof. of Respiratory
Medicine; Director of the Section of Respiratory
Diseases of the Department of Oncology,
Hematology and Respiratory Diseases, University
of Modena and Reggio Emilia; Received doctorate
in Medicine and Surgery, University Padua in
1972 (110/110 summa cum laude), Board in
Occupational Medicine, University Padua in 1975
(70/70 summa cum laude), Board of Respiratory
Medicine, University Bologna in 1978 (70/70
summa cum laude). Visiting Research Fellow,
Department of Respiratory Diseases, Tulane
University and at Cardiovascular Research
Institute, University California, San Francisco,
USA; Served as Chief Editor for European
Respiratory Review and the European Respiratory
Monograph and Associate Editor of the European
Respiratory Journal and of the American Journal
of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine; From
2010 of European Journal of Clinical Investigation;
He was member of the Executive Committee of
the Global Initiative on Asthma (GINA) (1990–
2001); member of Scientific Committee of Global
Initiative on Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD)
(1997-2005); Chairman of Scientific Committee,
GOLD (2001-2004); member of Workshop Panel
of GOLD (2001-2005); chairman of Executive
Committee GOLD (2004 – 2005), and back again
in the Scientific Committee 2009-.He was elected
vice-president of the European Respiratory
Society (ERS) in 2005, with mandate to become
President Elect (2006-2007), President (2007-
2008), past president (2008-2009). Published >
260 papers in extenso in peer-reviewed journals,
with a Hirsch Index (August 2010): 65.
Nick Fahy; Head of unit for health information
within the Health and Consumers Directorate-
General of the European Commission. His
university studies were in social, ethical and
political philosophy at the University of Kent at
Canterbury. Agreeing with Marx that whilst
philosophers have interpreted the world, the point
is to change it, he then joined the British civil
service in the Department of Health. After working
on issues such as European affairs and
pharmaceutical policy he was private secretary to
John Horam MP, junior minister for the National
Health Service, and then to Tessa Jowell MP, the
first Minister of State for Public Health. He moved
to the European Commission in 1998, working on
issues including consumer protection, social
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protection and social exclusion, and his previous
job until November 2007 was as deputy head of
the health strategy unit, with particular
responsibility for health systems and cross-border
healthcare.
Armin H. Fidler, MD, MPH, MSc. Austrian; Lead
Adviser for Health Policy and Strategy, Human
Development Network, The World Bank. From
2000-2008 Sector Manager for Health, Nutrition,
Population for Europe and Central Asia at the
World Bank; MD (University of Innsbruck,
Austria); DTM&H (Bernhard Nocht Institute,
Hamburg); MPH & MSc. (Harvard University’s
School of Public Health); Certificates in
Management (Harvard Business School) and
Public Finance and Welfare Economics (London
School of Economics and Political Science);
Adjunct Faculty, The George Washington
University School of Public Health and lecturer at
the Management Center Innsbruck (MCI).
Josep Figueras, MD MP PhD (econ), Spanish,
Director of the European Observatory on Health
Systems and Policies and Head of the WHO
European Centre on Health Policy (with research
focus on comparative health system and policy
analysis) in Brussels; In addition to WHO, he has
worked in collaboration with all major multilateral
organizations such as the European Commission
or the World Bank; member of several advisory
and editorial boards and has served as advisor in
more than thirty countries within the European
region and beyond; honorary fellow of the UK
faculty of public health medicine; twice awarded
the EHMA price for the best annual publication on
policy and management; awarded the Andrija
Stampar Medal in 2006; lectured at and headed
the MSc in Health Services Management at the
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine;
editor of the European Observatory series
published by Open University Press and has
published several volumes in the field of health
systems including: Health systems, health and
wealth (2010), Impact of EU mobility (2010),
Health Impact Assessment (2007), Purchasing to
improve performance (2005), Health Systems in
Transition (2004) Social health insurance (2004)
Funding health care (2002) Critical challenges for
European reform (1998) and European Health
Care Reform: analysis of strategies (1997).
Bruno Flamion Prof. (1957), Belgian, MD
(Internal Medicine, Nephrology), PhD in
Physiology, Professor and Head of the Laboratory
of Physiology and Pharmacology at the University
of Namur, Belgium; Chair of the Scientific Advice
Working Party (SAWP) and Vice-Chair of the
Pharmacogenomics Working Party (PGWP) at the
European Medicines Agency (EMA) in London,
UK; and Chair of the Belgian Committee for
Reimbursement of Medicines.
Dorota Flis The Head Nurse of Samodzielny
Publiczny Szpital Kliniczny Nr 4 in Lublin,
Poland,1997 – 2005 The Head Nurse, Department
of Neurology, Samodzielny Publiczny Szpital
Kliniczny Nr 4 in Lublin, Poland, Master in
Nursing, the graduate of The Nursing Department
of Medical University in Lublin, Specialist in
neurology nursing. From 1999 actively participates
in organization and care for MS patients. Cares for
patients and their families during the
immunomodulatory treatment. Took an active role
in creation of the neurology nursing, organizes
theoretical and practical trainings for nurses and
midwives, collaborates with Medical University of
Lublin.
Dagmar Friese (1958); German, Pharmacist,
Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology;
Head of Division "Biotechnological Innovation,
Genetic Engineering" (Health Ministry) in Berlin;
responsible for general affairs in innovative
biotechnology and issues of biopharmaceuticals,
questions of principle in life sciences, of genetic
engineering and nanotechnology with importance
in the process of drug discovery and development;
member of the - German Society for Regulatory
Affairs -(DGRA).
Sandra Gaisch, Senior European Affairs
Manager Government Affairs, Public Policy &
Patient Advocacy, GlaxoSmithKline, Belgium.
Pascal Garel (1966), French, Political Science,
Law, Hospital Management; Chief Executive of
the European Hospital and Healthcare Federation
(HOPE) in Brussels; member of the Association
des Directeurs d’Hôpital.
Joep Geraedts, Prof. (1948), Dutch; Head of the
Department of Genetics and Cell Biology,
Universiteit Maastricht and the Department of
Clinical Genetics, University Hospital Maastricht,
the Netherlands. He has served as chairman of
the Dutch Society of Human Genetics and at the
moment he is chairman of the Society of Dutch
Clinical Genetics Centres. At the European level
he has been actively involved in the European
Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology,
of which he is immediate past chairman. He has
authored over 175 peer-reviewed articles and 4
7

ooks and contributed to over 65 books as author
and 10 as editor.
Luca Gianaroli (1953); Dr., Medicine and Surgery
Degree (1978); Specialisation courses: Obstetrics
and Gynaecology (1982); Author of more than 250
publications in international and Italian specialist
journals, editor of nine books, 2000-2003
Associate Editor for Human Reproduction (2000-
2003) and invited speaker at numerous Italian and
international congresses. Scientific activity and
coordination for the European Society for Human
Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE): from
1998 to 2002: Member of the Executive
Committee; from 2000 to 2007: Member of the
European IVF Monitoring Programme
Subcommittee; from 2002 to 2004: Founder and
Coordinator of the Stem Cells Special Interest
Group; from 2003 to 2007: Coordinator of ESHRE
Special Interest Groups, from 2000 to 2003
Associate Editor of Human Reproduction. In
addition, from 1993 to 2000: National Secretary of
SIMOP for Reproductive Medicine; 2001-2003:
Member of the Board of the Italian Society for
Reproduction (SIdR); 2001: Member of the
Ministerial Commission ‘Study of freezing
procedures for oocytes in the practice of assisted
fertilisation for the Italian Ministry of Health; 2001:
Member of the World Health Organisation Task
Force on medical, social and ethical aspects of
assisted reproduction; 2004: Member of the Italian
Ministry of Health commission “Genetic Diagnosis
Techniques on gametes for the transmission of
hereditary illnesses”: Member of the ASRM
International Advisory Committee. From
September 2005 to January 2006 President of the
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis Infertility
Society (PGDIS). From 2006 to 2007, President of
the Italian Society for Reproduction (SIdR) and
currently Chairman of ESHRE.
Rosalynn D. Gill, PhD (1961), USA/UK,
Genomics, Biotechnology, In Vitro Diagnostics;
Vice President, Scientific Affairs, Ipsogen, Inc. in
Stamford, CT, original volunteer member of
George Church’s Personal Genome Project, PGP-
9, with complete genome sequenced and
published online. PhD, University of Texas MD
Anderson Cancer Center, Member of the
American Association for Cancer Research, the
British Association for Cancer Research, and the
European Association for Cancer Research.
David Gleicher, Project Officer, Global Health
Europe.
Andrew Goddard Dr. (1967), British, Medicine;
Director of the Medical Workforce Unit at the
Royal College of Physicians, London and
Consultant Gastroenterologist, Royal Derby
Hospital, Derby; responsible for annual UK census
of consultant physicians, RCP lead for the
European Working Time Directive, and Academy
of Medical Royal Colleges E-system for
revalidation; fellow of the RCP and member of the
British Society of Gastroenterology.
Roberto Gradnik Dr (1955), Italian, Executive
Vice President, Global Business Unit
Neurodegenerative Diseases & Autoimmune and
Inflammatory Diseases for Merck Serono; Degree
in Cardiology and Internal Medicine, University of
Milano; Member of the Merck Serono Executive
Management Board; President of the Italian
Biotech Industry Association.
Sébastien Guigner Dr (1977), French,
Researcher; Assistant professor of political
science at the French School of Public Health
(EHESP); Responsible for the European studies
group of the Centre of Research on Political
Action in Europe (University of Rennes-Sciences
Po Rennes-CNRS). His researches and
publications focus on the European space of
health (EU decision making and policies,
processes of integration).
David H.-U. Haerry (1960), Swiss, Marketing
Director (retired), Board Member European AIDS
Treatment Group, Member Patient's and
Consumer Working Party at the European
Medicines Agency; European research projects:
Europrise (FP6), NEAT (FP 6), PROTECT (IMI),
ENCePP.
David Halpin Dr (1960), British, Consultant
Physician & Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer in
Respiratory Medicine at the Royal Devon & Exeter
Hospital. He trained at Oxford (MA, DPhil) & St
Thomas Hospital Medical School (MB BS) &
completed his postgraduate training in respiratory
medicine at the Brompton Hospital. Fellow of
Royal College Physicians, Member British
Thoracic Society, European Respiratory Society,
American Thoracic Society; He leads a busy
clinical department, continues research in
respiratory medicine & has published widely. He
was the Chairman and Clinical Expert for the
COPD Guideline Development Group of the
National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) in
the UK.
8

Christine Hancock is the Founder and Director of
C3 Collaborating for Health, a small global charity
which works with diverse stakeholders to focus on
the risk factors which cause the major chronic
diseases: tobacco, poor diet and lack of physical
activity, which are responsible for over 50% of the
world’s deaths. C3 looks for ways that make the
healthy option the easy way and works particularly
with health professionals and businesses. She is
an experienced nurse and health service
manager: was ward sister at London’s National
Heart Hospital and CEO for the NHS in north east
London. As CEO of the Royal College of Nursing,
she was instrumental in developing clinical nurse
specialist and consultant nursing roles. As
President of the International Council of Nurses,
she was able to see the health services of 50
countries, 23 in Europe. She is a member of the
World Economic Forum’s Working Towards
Wellness Initiative, a Governor of De Montfort
University, an adviser to Doctors.net and Trustee
of a charity providing Life Skills to homeless
people.
Wilfried Haslauer; Dr; deputy governor, of state
government Salzburg, Austria.
James Higgerson (1982), Young Gasteiner;
British; Public health research – alcohol and policy
in urban areas; PhD student, Clinical
Epidemiology and Public Health Unit, University of
Manchester.
Sue Hill; Prof.; Chief Scientific Officer,
Department of Health, UK.
Kevin Holton; Head of Respiratory Programme;
Department of Health, UK.
Matthias Horx (1955), German, trend analyst and
futurist, former author and editor for magazines:
Tempo, Die Zeit and Merian, founded the
“Zukunftsinstitut” in Kelkheim, Germany; he
teaches prognostic and Early Detection at the
university in Friedrichshafen, author of the books:
“Wie wir leben werden” and “Anleitung zum
Zukunftsoptimismus”.
Michael Hübel; Head of Unit; European
Commission.
Manfred Huber PhD, Director a.i.,Division of
Information, Evidence, Research and Innovation,
World Health Organization Regional Office for
Europe, Copenhagen, Manfred Huber is acting
Director, Division of Information, Evidence,
Research and Innovation at the WHO Regional
Office for Europe where his team provides
Member States with evidence for health policy.
This includes the Health for all (HFA) information
system publications on health trends and policy
synthesis in the form of Policy Briefs of the Health
Evidence Network. This Division also supports
Member States and other stakeholders through
work on eHealth and innovations in
communication. Prior to his joining WHO, he was
Director, Health and Care, at the European Centre
for Social Welfare Policy and Research in Vienna,
where he published on social services, long-term
care, and health and social exclusion. Moreover,
he worked for ten years with the OECD in Paris,
where he was in charge of Health and Ageing,
long-term care policy, and health indicators and
health accounting. Manfred Huber is the main
author of the manual A System of Health
Accounts. Manfred graduated from the University
of Munich with a Master of Science MSc in
Mathematics and received a PhD in Economics
during his time as Lecturer and Research
Assistant in Economic and Social Statistics at the
University of Munich.
Jean-Sebastien Hulot Dr (1973), French,
Cardiologist, Pharmacologist, MD PhD; head of
the Pharmacogenetics & genomics unit at La
Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France; visiting
faculty at the Cardiovascular Research Center at
Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, USA; member of
the European Society of Cardiology; pioneer in the
description of the pharmacogenetics of antiplatelet
agents.
Stuart Hurst is Senior Director, European Public
Affairs, Communications & Advocacy for Eli Lilly,
based in Brussels. Prior to this, Mr. Hurst was
International Market Access Director for Nycomed
and spent twelve years with Pfizer, with whom he
also held a variety of roles in Public Affairs, Sales
and Marketing, both in Europe and the UK. Before
Pfizer, Stuart worked for Astra and Servier in the
pharmaceutical industry, having started his career
with Duracell.
Simon Illmer (1954), Austria, President regional
Parliament of Salzburg since April 2009.
Kaisa Immonen-Charalambous (1971), Finnish;
MA in International Relations. Policy Officer at the
European Patients’ Forum, responsible for
supporting EPF's policy development and
advocacy work at EU level. Previously worked in
the private and non-profit sectors in the UK and in
Cyprus in communications, marketing and
relationship management roles.
9

Philip Insall, Director, Health, Sustrans; born
1955, United Kingdom. Philip established and
leads the Sustrans programme interfacing with the
health sector across the UK and internationally,
and linking it to transport, planning, sustainability
and communities. He works with a wide range of
strategic partners on the development of policy
and official guidance, and contributes to the
Sustrans communication programme circulating
evidence and best practice in the field of transport,
planning, sustainability and health.
Zsuzsanna Jakab (1951), Hungarian; Regional
Director at the WHO Regional Office for Europe in
Copenhagen, Denmark; Educational background
in public health, epidemiology, public
administration and political science; Founding
director of the European Union’s European Centre
for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in
Stockholm, Sweden.
Gro Jamtvedt Dr (1957), Norway, Executive
Director, Department for Evidence-Based
Practice,The Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the
Health Services. Associated Professor at Bergen
University College, Faculty of Health and Social
Sciences. Physiotherapist, MPH, PhD in quality
assessment in primary care. EPOC group in
Cochrane Collaboration (systematic reviews).
Dirk Jarré (1941); German; lawyer and
sociologist; Vice-President of the “Social Platform”
in Brussels, chairs the “Social Policy” WG of the
Platform; lectures “Comparative European Social
Policy” at the Johannes-Kepler-University in Linz
as well as at the universities for applied sciences
in Graz and in Luzern; International Cooperation
Officer of EURAG, the European Federation of
Older Persons.
Bengt Jönsson is Professor of Health Economics
at the Stockholm School of Economics and is a
member of various boards including the Scientific
Advisory Board of the National Board of Health
and Welfare, the Editorial Board of the European
Journal of Health Economics in Health Economics
in Prevention Care and the Editorial Board of
Pharmaco-Economics. He is also an Associate
Editor for the Journal of Health Economics and
was previously Director of the Center for Medical
Technology Assessment at Linköping University,
Sweden. He has acted as consultant and advisor
to a number of governmental and nongovernmental
organisations including The World
Bank and UNIDO and participated in the
organisation of the 1995 European Conference on
Health Economics in Stockholm as well as various
other international conferences and symposia.
Panos Kanavos (BSc, MSc (Oxon), MSc, PhD)
Senior Lecturer in International Health Policy in
the Department of Social Policy, London School of
Economics (LSE) and Head of the Medical
Technology Research Unit (MTRU) at LSE Health.
Panos is Visiting Professor at the University
Lausanne, Switzerland and Visiting Senior
Lecturer at the London School of Hygiene and
Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). He is an Economist
by training, currently coordinates the Programme
in Health Policy Planning and Financing at LSE
and teaches Health Economics, Pharmaceutical
Economics and Policy, Health Care Financing,
and Health Systems Performance Measurement.
Panos has acted as an advisor to a number of
international governmental and nongovernmental
organizations, including the European
Commission, the European Parliament, the World
Bank, the World Health Organization, the
Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development, the American Association for
Retired Persons, and Ministries of Health of over
21 transition and developing countries. He has
participated in the European Pharmaceutical
Forum as advisor to the European Commission –
DG Enterprise and has been involved in the
Commission’s reflection process on the
Economics of Medical Devices. His research
interests include comparative health policy and
healthcare reform, pharmaceutical economics and
policy from a developed and developing country
perspective, quality and access in healthcare, and
socio-economic determinants of health.
Inge Kaul is professor at the Hertie School of
Governance, Berlin, Germany and advisor to
various governmental, multilateral and non-profit
organizations on issues of international
cooperation finance, public-private partnerships
and global-issue diplomacy. She was the first
director of UNDP’s Human Development Report
Office and director of UNDP’s Office of
Development Studies; author of numerous
publications on international public economics and
finance and the lead editor of Providing Global
Public Goods; Managing Globalization and The
New Public Finance; Responding to Global; her
current research focuses on institutional issues of
global public goods provision, especially UN
system reform and the future of multilateralism.
Alastair Kent is the Director of the Genetic
Alliance UK (formerly Genetic Interest Group)
whose aim is to improve the lives of people
10

affected by genetic conditions by ensuring that
high quality services and information are available
to all who need them. Prior to joining Genetic
Alliance UK Alastair worked for a number of
voluntary organisations on issues concerning
policy, service development and disabled people.
Ilona Kickbusch is the Director of the Global
Health Programme at the Graduate Institute of
International and Development Studies, Geneva.
She advises organisations, government agencies
and the private sector on policies and strategies to
promote health at the national, European and
international level. She has published widely and
is a member of a number of advisory boards in
both the academic and the health policy arena.
She has received many awards and served as the
Adelaide Thinker in Residence at the invitation of
the Premier of South Australia. She has recently
launched a think-tank initiative “Global Health
Europe: A Platform for European Engagement in
Global Health” and the “Consortium for Global
Health Diplomacy”. Her key areas of interest are
global health governance, global health
diplomacy, health in all policies, the health society
and health literacy. She has had a distinguished
career with the World Health Organization, at both
the regional and global level, where she initiated
the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion and a
range of “settings projects” including Healthy
Cities. From 1998 – 2003 she joined Yale
University as the head of the global health
division, where she contributed to shaping the
field of global health and headed a major Fulbright
programme. She is a political scientist with a PhD
from the University of Konstanz, Germany. Details
can be found on her website:
www.ilonakickbusch.com
Ingrid Klingmann, Dr MD, German, physician,
Chairman of the European Forum for Good
Clinical Practice and President of Pharmaplex
bvba, board-certified in general medicine, clinical
pharmacology and pharmaceutical medicine,
Brussels, Belgium. Co-Chair of the EFGCP
“Patients’ Roadmap to Treatment” Working Party
and former Co-Chair of the EFGCP Ethics
Working Party. President of the Association for
Applied Human Pharmacology (AGAH), Germany.
Consultant in drug development planning and site
management support.
Jonathan K.C. Knowles, former Head of Group
Research and Member of the Executive
Committee at Roche up to 2009, is a global
opinion leader in personalized medicine. He was a
member of the Board at Genentech for the last 12
years as well as a member of the Chugai
Pharmaceuticals Board. Jonathan Knowles holds
a Distinguished Professorship in Personalized
Health Care at FIMM (Finnish Institute for
Molecular Medicine) at the University of Helsinki,
was recently appointed Professor of Translational
Research at EPFL in Switzerland and has been
appointed to a visiting chair at the University of
Oxford. From the beginning of 2010, Dr. Knowles
joined the Board of Caris Life Sciences, an
international cutting edge molecular diagnostics
company based in Irving, Texas. From May 2010
Dr. Knowles also assumes the role of Caris’ Chief
Scientific Officer.
Gisela Kobelt is Managing Director of European
Health Economics France, a company specializing
in training courses in health economics and
economic evaluation of health interventions. In
particular, she organizes since 1994 an intensive
training course in health economics and economic
evaluation, and has given short courses in
numerous countries and for several
pharmaceutical companies. She is the author of
an introductory guide to economic evaluation that
is now available in several languages. Until the
end of 1997, Gisela was Vice-President,
Corporate Health Economics, at the Pharmacia &
Upjohn Corporate Management Center in
Stockholm and London. Prior to her
responsibilities with Pharmacia, she created and
headed the Health Economics department at
Sandoz in Basel (Switzerland). She holds a
Master’s degree from the University of Strasbourg
(France), an MBA from the Institute for
Management Development (IMD/IMEDE) in
Lausanne (Switzerland), and a PhD in health
economics from the Karolinska Institute in
Stockholm (Sweden). As of summer 2007, she is
a visiting Professor at the Department of
Orthopedics/Rheumatology at the University of
Lund in Sweden. She speaks six languages and
lectures in five. She is the author of over 80
scientific publications in the field of health
economics, several book chapters and reports,
with a particular focus on auto-immune diseases.
She also serves on several editorial boards.
Mihály Kökény, M.D. (1950), Hungarian, trained
for medicine, cardiology and political sciences.
Joined the staff of the health ministry in 1979.
Member of the Hungarian Parliament between
1994 and 2010. Served in various government
positions including health and welfare minister
(1996-98, 2003-4), government commissioner for
public health coordination (2004-2006),chairman
of the health committee of the Hungarian
11

Parliament (1998-2002,2006-2010). Elaborated
the first national public health programme in
Hungary (1987), later a new law on health care
and health insurance (1997).
International activities covered broad fields of
health promotion, environment and health and
health care reforms as WHO, EC and World Bank
consultant and speaker of major conferences. As
of 2008 Member of the Executive Board of WHO.
In May 2010 he was elected to be the Chairman of
the Executive Board of WHO.
Monika Kosinska (1978), British / Polish,
background in Public Health Policy and Advocacy,
European and International Law: Secretary
General of the European Public Health Alliance,
membership non-governmental organisation
representing approximately 100 non-profit
organisations working in health; Board member of
the Health and Environment Alliance, the Civil
Society Contact Group and former Chair of Action
for Global Health; Co-founder of the EUREGHA
network bringing 450 regions across Europe
together to work on health issues; Member of the
EU Platform against Obesity; the EU Alcohol
Forum; and the EU Health Policy Forum.
Igor Krampac Dr. (1950), Slovenian, General
medicine (GM), Specialist in Paediatrics -
cardiology, ultrasound, rheumatology,
postgraduate education in public health - health
promotion, health systems management and
social medicine; Head of the Regional Centre of
Public Health and Health Promotion Maribor,
Slovenia, National Coordinator of the Slovenian
WHO Healthy Cities Project Network; temporary
WHO/EURO European Urban Health Centre
adviser for the Healthy City Programme;
WHO/EURO Healthy Cities NN Advisory
Committee member; Slovenian Coordinator of the
European Union Commission projects: DETOUR
– Compact Cities and Tourism: The Development
of Tourism in Urban Europe; GEP – Getting
Evidence into Practice; Interreg IIIC: Health
Cluster NET; DG Sanco BORDERNET
Programme: HIV/AIDS and STD – Services in
Crossing-border Areas; SIALON; EURO-URHIS
Programme – Development of a System of Urban
Health Indicators for the European Union; Fred
goes NET, Take Care, Climate TRAP, Mental
Health, Mental Health Environments and
DETERMINE – Consortium on social
determinants of health.
Karl Kuhn, Prof. Dr (1945), German, Former
Senior Policy Adviser in the Federal Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health, Dortmund
(Germany); Retired on April 2010. Adj. Prof at
Griffith University in Brisbane. Studies of Social
Sciences at the Universities of Tübingen, Lund
(Sweden), and Stockholm. Member of the
advisory board of the Demography Network of
German enterprises (ddn). Member of the
international advisory board of the Collaborating
Centre for Mental Health Promotion at the
National Agency for Public Health and welfare in
Helsinki. Since the foundation Chairman of the
European Network for Workplace Health
Promotion ENWHP. Member of the European
Expertplattform on Depression. In the last years
Coordinator of EU funded projects on Mental
Health: “Mental Health Promotion and Prevention.
Strategies for Coping with Anxiety, depression
and Stress related Disorders in Europe; Dortmund
(2004)”; “Implementation of Mental Health
Promotion and Prevention Policies and Strategies
in EU Member States and Applicant Countries”.
http://www.emip.org/; “Promoting and Protecting
Mental Health – Supporting Policy by Integration
of Research”, Current Approaches and
Practices(ongoing):http://www.mentalhealthpromo
tion.net/
Susanne Kümpers Dr, German, Educational
Sciences & Public Health; Research on
Prevention & Care for Older People in
Comparative European Perspective. Senior
Researcher & Coordinator of Research Area ‘Old
Age, Inequality and Health’ in the Research Group
Public Health, Social Science Research Center
Berlin (since 2005); before Researcher at
University of Maastricht.
Ken N. Kuo, MD Prof. (1940) Taiwan; Health
policy researcher and pediatric orthopedic
surgeon. Director at Center for Health Policy
Research and Development, Institute of
Population Health Sciences, National Health
Research Institutes in Taiwan, a think tank for
health policy. He was the professor of
Orthopaedic Surgery at Rush University in
Chicago. He serves at advisory capacity to
Department of Health in Taiwan. He conducted
and coordinated the forum for Healthy People
2020 in Taiwan which ended with a publication of
a white paper.
Taavi Lai (1974), Young Gasteiner; Estonian;
Senior Analyst; medical doctor; University of
Tartu, 2000, graduated (MD) from the Faculty of
Medicine.
Helena Legido-Quigley (1976), Spanish/British;
Young Gasteiner; Researcher; Sociologist with a
12

PhD from the London School of Hygiene and
Tropical Medicine on Health Services Research
and Medical Sociology.
Günther Leiner, MD (1939) Austrian, doctor of
internal medicine, is the President of the
International Forum Gastein and the founder of
the European Health Forum Gastein; former
medical director of the “Badehospiz”, Bad Gastein.
He was re-elected as member of the Austrian
Parliament in 1999, where he was Deputy Chair of
the Health Committee and fraction leader of his
party. As MP he was the representative of the
Austrian Parliament in the Roundtable on Human
Genetics of the European Parliament. In the early
1990s he founded the International Forum
Gastein. Günther Leiner was also the President of
the “Salzburger Hilfswerk” which he established in
the late 1980s. The not for profit organisation with
some 800 employees delivers home health
services, domestic aid, support to the elderly and
related services.
Clare Lewis- Jones, MBE, discovered she had
fertility problems in 1978 and over the next 8
years had 3 attempts at tubal surgery and 4 IVF
attempts which all failed. 1985 she was successful
in adopting her 2 children, James and Holly, who
are now aged 26 and 25 respectively; Having
been a member for 3 years, she joined the
National Management Committee of CHILD, the
national infertility support network (1984);
Between then and 1989 she held voluntary posts
of Membership Secretary and Chair. In 1989 she
became Executive Director working part-time from
home. On the merger of CHILD and ISSUE 2003,
Clare became Chief Executive of the new
organisation Infertility Network UK; Clare was
appointed as Member of Human Fertilisation and
Embryology Authority (HFEA) in 2002; Clare is
President of National Infertility Awareness
Campaign, Chair of Fertility Europe, patient
representative on Management Committee of
British Fertility Society and was the consumer
representative on the NICE Fertility Guideline
Development Group; Founder and Chair of
Association of Fertility Patient Organisations, UK.
Holds World Fertility Awareness Month Lifetime
Achievement Award (2007) – an award which has
historically been given to eminent clinicians
working in the field of infertility; Clare was
awarded the MBE for her services to health in the
Queen’s Birthday Honours List (2009).
Christoph Lotter Dr. studied International
Politics, Communication Sciences and Sinology at
Bonn, Frankfurt/M and Beijing. For more than 10
years he worked with the German Parliament in
the field of foreign politics, security and social
security/health.
As dept. director in several scientific cooperation
projects based in the universities of Jena and
Giessen he was responsible for project
implementations in China, Hong Kong and
Indonesia. During the conflict in former Yugoslavia
he served as Chef de Cabinet and Special Advisor
to Head of Mission in the European Community
Monitor Mission in Zagreb and Sarajevo.
Before joining Swiss MS-Society as Director of
Communications, he worked with Malik
Managment Center St.Gallen and CURE AG. In
2007 Dr.Lotter received responsibility for all
services of the MS-Center in Swiss MS-Society.
David Lowe Head of Secretariat; European
Parliaments Petitions Committee.
Robert Madelin (1957) Director General,
Directorate General for the Information Society
and Media from 1 April 2010; 2004-2010 Director-
General for Health and Consumers. Robert was
educated in England at the Royal Grammar
School, High Wycombe and at Magdalen College,
Oxford. He has also studied at the Ecole
Nationale d’Administration in Paris. He has
previously served as a Director in the Directorate-
General for Trade, and was Deputy Head of
Cabinet to Sir Leon (now Lord) Brittan, European
Commission Vice-President.
Claudia Bettina Maier (1980), Young Gasteiner;
German Master of Public Health (MSc) and 4-year
Degree in Nursing Science; Since 2008 Research
Fellow at the European Observatory on Health
Systems and Policies in the FP7-funded
PROMeTHEUS project (FP7-funded) “Mobility of
Health professionals in the EU” and Dissemination
activities: Technical preparations and organisation
of Policy Dialogues on Human Resources for
Health.
Frederiek Mantingh (1978), Young Gasteiner;
Dutch, Senior Policy Advisor; MSc in Biomedical
Sciences; Coordination of the development of the
National Public Health Strategy 2011 – 2014;
Coordination of the work on intersectoral health
policies.
Bernd Marin Prof. Dr. (1948), Austrian, Executive
Director of European Centre for Social Welfare
Policy and Research since 1988; studies of social
sciences at University of Vienna and postgraduate
training at Institute for Advanced Studies
in Vienna, he became Research Fellow and later
13

Deputy Director of the Institute for Conflict
Research in Vienna. In this period he also
completed his Habilitation in Linz and carried-out
post-doctoral research at Harvard University
(1978/79), Prof. Marin lectures in universities in
Europe and overseas including at the European
Forum of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem,
served as an expert and policy advisor to various
governments, international, inter-governmental
and non-governmental organizations; Since 2001,
he served as a rapporteur on Ageing for the
Second World Assembly on Ageing. Since 2004
he guides the RIS monitoring process
Mainstreaming Ageing: Indicators to Monitor
Implementation (MA:IMI) together with the UN
Economic Commission for Europe (UN-ECE),
currently within the framework of a Memorandum
of Understanding till 2014.
Eric Marin is a doctor in veterinary medicine and
graduated with an Executive MBA (HEC). He is
currently working for the Health and Consumers
Directorate General in the European Commission
as deputy Head of Unit in the Strategy and
Analysis unit. He has been following policy
developments in the areas of better regulation and
impact assessment. His activities within the
Commission were broadened, from issues of
animal health, aid to developing countries
(EuropeAid office- DG AIDCO), fight against fraud
(OLAF) to audit of the implementation of food
safety legislation (Food and veterinary office – DG
SANCO) Before joining the European Commission
in 1998, Mr Marin was working for the French
Ministry of Agriculture since 1991. He held
positions in Madrid at the French embassy and in
Brussels as a national expert on food safety
issues in dairy products. He is also an expert for
the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health).
Mike Martin (1951): Deputy Director; Primary and
Community Care Directorate, Scottish
Government and Director of Joint Improvement
Team (2005-present Scottish Government/Local
Government Association/NHS Scotland).
Previously Director of Housing and Social Work
(1993-2005 Moray Council Scotland) and Director
of Neighbourhood Services (1986-1993 Rochdale
Council England). Background in housing and
urban renewal; voluntary sector and community
development and health and social care
management.
José Martin-Moreno; Senior Strategic Advisor to
the Regional Director; World Health Organization.
Stephen Matlin Prof (1948), British, international
development consultant, was Executive Director
of the Global Forum for Health Research in
Geneva (2004-2009), Chief Education Adviser at
the UK Department for International Development
(2001-2002), Director of the Health and Education
Division in the Commonwealth Secretariat,
London (1995-2001) and prior to that worked in
academia for over 20 years as a Professor of
Biological Chemistry. BSc and PhD in Chemistry
from Imperial College, London.
Tuuli-Maria Mattila Policy and Communication
Officer; European Commission.
Kevin McCarthy; Head of Sector Public Health in
the Medical and Public Health Research unit, in
the Directorate-General for Research of the
European Commission. Mr. McCarthy has
responsibility for a small team implementing the
area: "Optimising the delivery of health care to
European citizens" as well as international public
health and health systems, under the Health
Theme of the Cooperation Programme of the 7 th
Framework Programme for Research (2008-
2013). He also oversees as the health related
scientific support to policies activities under the
6th Framework Programme.
Martin McKee, CBE (British/Irish) is Professor of
European Public Health at LSHTM, London
School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, codirector
of the European Centre on Health of
Societies in Transition (ECOHOST), a WHO
Collaborating Centre, and research director in the
European Observatory on Health Systems and
Policies. He has written extensively on health and
health policy in Europe. His work has been
recognised by, among others, the 2003 Andrija
Stampar medal, honorary doctorates from
Hungary, the Netherlands and Sweden,
Fellowship of the UK Academy of Medical
Sciences, and membership of the US Institute of
Medicine.
Elizabeth Mestheneos, Dr President of AGE-
Platform Europe, UK trained sociologist, has
primarily worked through the Sextant Research
Group in Athens, undertaking EU funded research
projects and publishing on a wide variety of areas
including older people, refugees, and the labour
market.. She is a founder member of the Greek
NGO for older people “50+ Hellas” devoted to
promoting the well being and social inclusion of all
older people primarily through information,
advocacy and research.
14

Leen Meulenbergs (1959), Belgian, Head of
International Relations, FPS Health, Food Chain
Safety and Environment is responsible for the
coordination of the Belgian EU Presidency.
Piotr Mierzewski, (1950), Polish; physician, a
specialist in public health and paediatrics (Medical
University, Gdansk, Poland); Head of the Health
Division, Directorate General III – Social
Cohesion, Council of Europe, Strasbourg, France.
He is also the secretary of the European Health
Committee (CDSP). He was a founding member
of the Solidarity ("Solidarnosc") movement (1980-
1981). He served as the First Deputy Minister of
Health in the first non-communist government in
Poland (1989-1992), then as the director of the
National Centre for Health System Management,
Warsaw.
Valerio Miselli, Dr Italian, Diabetologist, Director
of the Diabetes Unit at the Hospital of Scandiano,
Italy; Degree in Medicine, University of Modena
with specialisation in Endocrinology and
Gastroenterology; Educational Specialist with the
European Association for the Study of Diabetes;
Consulting Professor at the University of Turin;
Chronic Diseases Consultant for the Emilia –
Romagna Regional Health Office.
Øydis Monsen (1983), Norwegian; Young
Gasteiner; Political scientist; Higher executive
officer, Norwegian Directorate of Health; Øydis
Monsen holds a master degree in European
political and administrative studies from the
College of Europe (Bruges).
George Morris Prof. (1953) is Consultant in
Ecological Public Health with NHS Health
Scotland, Scotland’s national health improvement
agency. He joined the organisation in early 2009
following a 5 year period as Scientific Policy
Adviser to Scottish Government on environment
and human health. He has previously worked in
local government, academia and as a Consultant
in the field of health protection. Whilst in
Government, he led development of an innovative
new policy on environment and health, Good
Places, Better Health, and is retained as external
adviser to the initiative. Good Places, Better
Health, and indeed much of George’s work to
date, is concerned to develop a more
sophisticated view of the role played by
environment in health and to develop new
structures to assist policy and other decision
makers in the field. He holds PhD in Bioscience
and Biotechnology and Fellowships of the UK
Faculty of Public Health and the Royal
Environmental Health Institute of Scotland.
Jean Mossman; Policy Advisor; European
Federation of Neurological Associations.
Arun Nanda (1949); British; Strategic Adviser to
the Regional Director and acting Executive
Manager for strategic relations with partners,
WHO Regional Office for Europe in Copenhagen;
has extensive experience in operational research,
health policy, information and evidence, health
threats, as well as strategic planning and
coordination, at national and international level;
previous positions held include WHO Liaison and
Adviser to the Director, European Centre for
Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in
Stockholm; WHO Representative/Head of Office
in Uzbekistan and WHO/Europe Regional Adviser,
Health Information and Evidence.
Katja Neubauer, (1966), Health Strategy and
Health Systems Unit of Directorate-General
Health and Consumers, European Commission.
Laurent Pierre Nicod; Chief of Pulmonology
Service; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois,
Switzerland.
Detlef Niese is head of Global Development
External Affairs at Novartis Pharma A.G
responsible for policy and ethical issues
concerning drug development. He is a licensed
pharmacist and physician with board certification
in internal medicine and specialisation in Clinical
Immunology.
Following 18 years in research and medical
practice at the University of Bonn Dr.Niese joined
Clinical Research and Development of Sandoz
AG in 1992 which later became Novartis AG. He
held positions of increasing responsibility in
Clinical R&D working on programs in the areas of
organ transplantation, xenotransplantation, clinical
immunology, infectious diseases, dermatology
and tissue engineering as well as programs in
tropical disorders including malaria. Since 2003 he
is responsible for External Affairs in Clinical R&D
and since 2008 in Global Development. Dr.Niese
is member of the Faculty of Medicine of the
University of Bonn, Germany, teaching Internal
Medicine and Clinical Immunology. He also
teaches at the faculty of medicine, university of
Basel, Switzerland and is a member of the
Executive Board of the Pharmacy Centre at the
University of Basel. Dr.Niese is a member of the
Board of Management and Vice Chair of Science
at the Healthcare Council of EuropaBio, the
15

European Biotech Association, of the Board of
Directors of the European Platform for Patient
Associations, Science and Industry and Secretary
of the Novartis Foundation for Biological and
Medical Research. From 2003-2004 Dr.Niese
served as a member of the expert group for the
European Commission on Legal, Societal and
Ethical Issues of Genetic Testing.
Irene Norstedt (1961), Swedish, MSc ChemE,
Head Medicines for the Future Sector at the
European Commission's Health Reserach
Directorate where she currently focuses on
Personalised Medicine. One of the key drivers in
setting up the Innovative Medicines Initiative and
with experience of EU research funding and
research policy since 1996. Before that, employed
by BiacoreAB in Sweden and member of Swedish
Technical Attachées.
Fotinie Ntziora (1978), Young Gasteiner;
Hellenic; MD, Resident in Internal Medicine and
Infectious Diseases; Laiko General Hospital, 1st
Academic Department of Medicine, Medical
School, University of Athens; PhD candidate:
Quantification of hepatitis B viral (HBV) strains
with resistance associated mutations. National
Retrovirus Reference Center, Department of
Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics,
Medical School, University of Athens
Ana Raquel Nunes (1978), Young Gasteiner;
Portuguese; Biomedical Scientist. Public Health
and Epidemiology Researcher. Doctoral
Researcher Climate Change and Sustainable
Development, main topic Public Health and
Sociology of Health. Currently PhD student in the
field of Heatwave Planning and Adaptation,
Climate Change and Sustainable Development
Policies, main field Public Health at University of
East Anglia and Universidade de Lisboa.
Peter O’Donnell is an EU-accredited Brusselsbased
journalist who has been covering European
affairs for over twenty years. He has worked for
The Financial Times, The Sunday Times, Reuters,
the Economist Intelligence Unit, UPI, Euronews,
and many other media in Europe and beyond. He
is a former editor-in-chief of Europe Information
Service, and is currently associate editor of
European Voice. Recent books include a study on
EU enlargement - “Big Bang, Smaller Shocks” -
for Burson Marsteller, a review of the debate on
climate change and tourism - “Open Mind, Open
World” - for the World Travel & Tourism Council,
and "Making sense of animal research" for the
European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries
and Associations. In addition to his work as a
journalist, he acts as editor, editorial adviser and
speechwriter for numerous clients in the
corporate, political and academic world. He has
conceived, created and authored numerous
publications for the EU institutions and corporate
clients. He lectures widely on media subjects, and
is also in frequent demand as a conference
chairman and speaker.
Anders Olauson has been President of the
European Patients Forum since 2005. Since 2006
Anders has been a member of the advisory group
for Health Research within DG Research. In 2005
Anders was accepted as a researcher within the
PhD program at Gothenburg University. In 2008,
the Swedish Government appointed him to be a
member of the Advisory Council at The National
Board of Health and Welfare. Anders is
particularly concerned with the impact of rare
conditions on children and their families. His work
involves contact with both national and regional
legislative bodies on the subject of rare disorders.
He is also in contact with representatives of
hospitals, education and labor unions as well as
other key players in the field of rare diseases.
Pau Olivella Dr. (1959), Spanish, Associate
Professor, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona,
CODE member, Barcelona GSE Affiliated
Professor, and MOVE Research Fellow. Ph.D.
Northwestern University, 1989. Spanish Economic
Association, Spanish Health Economics
Association, international Health Economics
Association. Associate Editor of the Journal of
Health Economics and of the Spanish Economic
Review. Co-Editor, Elsevier on-line Encyclopaedia
of Health Economics. Has published his research
in health economcs in the Journal of Health
Economics, Health Economics, European Journal
of Political Economy, and the Journal of
Economics and Management Strategy, among
others.
Zeynep Or Dr (1967), French, is a senior
economist at the Institute for Research and
Information in Health Economics (IRDES) in Paris;
PhD in Economic Analysis from Sorbonne Paris-I;
specialist in issues related to health system
performance at the macro level, including the
determinants of health outcomes, measures of
health expenditure, equity and health care quality;
member of International Health Policy Monitor,
and European Health Policy Group.
Jozef Pacolet Prof. Dr. (1951), Ph. D. in
Economics, Catholic University of Leuven (KU)
16

(1989), head of the Welfare State and Housing
Research Group (KU), research manager of
research group ‘Economy and the welfare state’;
studied economics, KU Leuven; 1974-1977:
Higher institute of labour studies (HIVA), KU;
1977: joined Centre for Economic Studies (CES),
KU. 1983: returned to HIVA as head of the Social
and Economic Policy Sector and research
manager of the ‘Economy and the Welfare State’
research group. 1989: doctoral degree: market
structure and economies of scale in the Belgian
financial sector; taught financial economics at
Vlekho (1981-2002). Since 2009: Professor for
Business Projects at the HUB. Since 1985: deputy
member of the Central Economic Council,
Belgium. 1991-2007: Board member of several
independent public enterprises such as Belgacom,
ASLK-Bank and ASLK-Holding, mortgage credit
institution CBHK and Federal Investment
Company, Federal Participation Company and
Credibe. At HIVA he conducted research on the
relation between economics and the welfare state
since 1983, focusing on the relation between
economics, ageing and social protection and on
the organization of the social sector at three
different levels. Specific attention: pensions
sector, and health and long term care insurance;
extensive experience in research in health care
expenditures and manpower planning for the
health professions, research priority: financing of
the welfare state, including attention for tax policy,
fight against tax fraud and evasion and continued
attention for the competitiveness of the economy.
Zilvinas Padaiga is Professor of Public Health at
Kaunas University of Medicine, Lithuania. He has
graduated as a medical doctor at the same
university and was trained in public health at
Kuopio University, Finland. Since 1990 he is
doing research in epidemiology of childhood
diabetes, newborn health, health inequalities,
health human resources. Recent areas of interest
– health economics and e-health. During 2004-
2006 was appointed as a Minister of Health,
Lithuania.
Paolo Palange Prof. (1957), Italian, Professor of
Medicine; Head of the Pulmonary Function and
Research Unit at University of Rome “La
Sapienza”; Chair of the European Respiratory
Society (ERS) School; member of the European
Respiratory Society, American Thoracic Society,
American College of Chest Physician, and Società
Italiana di Medicina Respiratoria.
Vivienne Parry (1956) British, writer and
broadcaster, Genetics and immunology;
Contributor to wide variety of print outlets
including The Times, The Guardian, Good
Housekeeping; Writer and presenter for BBC
Radio 4; Vice Chair of Council, UCL; Council
Member, Medical Research Council; Presenter,
Tomorrow’s World (BBC TV), reporter, Panorama
(BBC TV).
Antonyia Parvanova Dr (1962), Bulgarian,
Paediatrician and Public Health policy expert, is
currently Member of the European Parliament,
Vice-President of the Alliance of the Liberals and
Democrats for Europe (ALDE), and seats as a full
Member of the Committee on the Environment,
Public Health and Food Safety. She is also the
ALDE group coordinator for the Committee on
Women's Rights and Gender Equality. Following
her career as a clinician and public health
researcher in Bulgaria and in the UK, Dr
Parvanova started her political career when
elected Member of the Bulgarian Parliament in
2001. There she was Vice-Chairperson of the
Committee on Public Health and worked actively
on public health and healthcare legislations at
national level. In the European Parliament she
initiated several public health policy actions,
notably the campaign on patients' rights in Europe
in 2007. She now continues being actively
involved in public health dossiers currently being
discussed in the European Parliament, such as
the pharmaceutical package and the proposal for
a Directive on Patients' rights in cross-border
healthcare.
Martin Paul Prof. Dr. (1958), German, Medicine,
Pharmacology, Clinical Pharmacology; Dean of
the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences,
Maastricht University and Vice President,
Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht,
The Netherlands; responsible for strategic
development and integration of education,
research and valorization activities with
prevention, patient care and rehabilitation; chair of
the steering committee, Life and Science Campus
Maastricht.
Katherine Payne Dr (1968), British, Pharmacy
and Health Economics; Reader in health
economics, The University of Manchester. She
holds an RCUK academic fellowship to value and
evaluate genetics technologies and services.
Ongoing and recent projects include: identifying
and costing pathways of care for people with
ataxia; economic evaluation to identify the
appropriate interval for breast cancer screening;
preliminary economic evaluation of highthroughput
whole genome sequencing
17

technologies and a clinical and economic trial of a
pharmacogenetic test. Member of a NICE
technology appraisal committee. Winner of the
Royal Pharmaceutical Society conference practice
research award in 2010.
Kjeld MØller Pedersen; Professor of Health
Economics; University of Southern Denmark.
Amy Perrin Ross, APN, MSN, CNRN, MSCN;
board-certified neuroscience nurse and is the
Neuroscience Program Coordinator at Loyola
University Medical Center in Maywood, IL. She
obtained her bachelor of science in nursing
degree from Loyola University School of Nursing,
Chicago, and a master of science in nursing from
the Graduate School of Nursing at the same
institution. She is certified by the American Board
of Neuroscience Nurses and by the Multiple
Sclerosis Nursing International Certification Board.
In her role as an advanced practice nurse, Ms.
Perrin Ross oversees the Multiple Sclerosis
Center at Loyola and coordinates clinical research
trials in MS. She is a member of the Consortium of
Multiple Sclerosis Centers and serves as
Immediate Past President of the International
Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Nurses. She
has authored numerous articles and book
chapters on multiple sclerosis and dementia, and
she serves as series editor for MS Counseling
Points. In addition, Ms. Perrin Ross is a clinical
nurse consultant with the National Multiple
Sclerosis Society, a member of the Health Care
Advisory Council for the Multiple Sclerosis
Association of America, and a board member of
the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers. She
has been an invited speaker at numerous
meetings and conferences and has been very
active in neuroscience clinical research for over
20 years.
Alena Petrakova, Head of Country Cooperation
Section, Communication and Country Cooperation
Unit, ECDC, Sweden.
Lukas Pfister has been Executive Director
European Public Policy since March 2009. In this
position, he is in charge of leading public policy
and advocacy initiatives for MSD with the
European institutions and across the diverse
European region. Lukas Pfister received his legal
degrees lic. iur. in 1983 and Dr. iur. in 1990 from
the University of Zurich, Switzerland and a
Master's Degree of Comparative Jurisprudence
from New York University in 1988. He has
become a member of the Bar in Switzerland in
1987 and of the State of New York in 1995. Before
joining MSD, Lukas Pfister started his legal career
with the law firm von Erlach & Partner in Zurich,
Switzerland and worked as a clerk at the local
district court. In 1988, Lukas gained legal
experience in the law firms Fox & Horan in New
York City and with Baker & Botts in Houston,
Texas. In 1991, Lukas Pfister joined MSD in
Switzerland as Director Legal Affairs Central &
Eastern Office from where he provided legal
support for the establishment of Merck
organizations across Central & Eastern Europe
after the collapse of the Soviet system. In the
1990s, he became Director Health Care Policy for
Central & Eastern Europe. Before his appointment
as Executive Director Public Policy EMEAC he
was Director External Affairs in MSD Germany
based in Munich.
Munir Pirmohamed, English, MD, PhD in
Pharmacology, Consultant Physician at the Royal
Liverpool University Hospital, Personal Chair in
Clinical Pharmacology at the University of
Liverpool, and Chair of Pharmacogenetics to the
NHS. Member of the Commission on Human
Medicines of the UK's Medicines and Healthcare
products Regulatory Agency and Chair of its
Pharmacovigilance Expert Advisory Group. His
main area of research is in pharmacogenetics and
drug safety.
David Price Prof MA MB Bchir FRCGP (1960),
British, heads the Primary Care Respiratory
Research unit at the University of Aberdeen,
Scotland. He is ex chair of the research committee
of the International Primary Care Respiratory
Group and a member of the executive committees
for the international ARIA and EPOS guidelines
groups. He is director for the Comprehensive
Local Research Network in Norfolk and Suffolk.
Special areas of interest are “real-life”
effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of
interventions, clinical trial design, compliance, and
patient attitudes to their disease. He has authored
over 200 peer-reviewed publications since 2000
and responsible for approximately $12 million in
grants.
Patricia Garcia Primo (1979), Spanish; Young
Gasteiner; Researcher on Autistic Spectrum
Disorders (ASD); Researcher at the Rare Disease
Research Institute, Health Institute Carlos III,
Spain. Technical Officer for the Project “European
Autism Action EAA 2020“. Member of organization
of the EAHC-funded EAA Conference 2010”.
Klaus Friedrich Georg Rabe Prof. (1957)
German, Medicine. Chairman of the Department
18

of Pulmonology and chair of Medicine, University
of Leiden, The Netherlands. President Elect
European Respiratory Society 2010, Chief Editor
European Respiratory Journal until 2008, Deputy
Editor Proceedings of the American Thoracic
Society. Director of the Institute for Lung Research
(ILF) of the German Thoracic Society (DGP).
Philipp Radlberger (1978), Mag. Young
Gasteiner, Austrian; Researcher in HTA and
health economics; Involvement in several
international and EU projects (e.g. EUnetHTA,
InnoHTA).
Felix Ratjen Prof. (1960), German, Paediatric
Respirologist and Division Head, Respiratory
Medicine, at the Hospital for Sick Children in
Toronto, Canada; MD and PhD from University of
Essen, Germany. Chair of the Cystic Fibrosis
Group at the European Respiratory Society
(ERS), a committee member of the ERS, current
member of the American Thoracic Society -
Paediatrics Program Committee, Canadian CF
Foundation – Clinical Study Network Committee,
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (US) Research
Development Program Grant Committee, North
American CF Conference Program Committee,
Canadian CF Foundation Research
Subcommittee, and the Ontario Thoracic Society
Grant Committee; Past Secretary of the
Bronchology Group of the ERS and Chief
Executive of the Scientific Board of the German
CF Foundation (Forschungsgemeinschaft
Mukoviszidose).
Alexander Roediger (1968), Swiss and German,
MA and Executive Master of Business
Administration, is Director European Union Affairs
of MSD Europe, Inc. Before joining MSD, he
worked with UNICEF Switzerland as head of
information. He started is professional career as
guest lecturer in philosophy at the Theological
School of the Monastery of Einsiedeln and with
the largest Swiss health insurer Helsana.
Tamsin Rose, (1969) British; Political Science,
adviser and consultant on public health issues for
a range of institutions (Swedish Institute of Public
Health, WHO Euro Stop TB Partnership, DG
Research, DG Education and Culture, DG
SANCO), philanthropic bodies (Open Society
Institute, European Funders Group on HIV,
KNCV), and civil society organisations (IOGT-
NTO, EPHA, Social Platform).
Nicole Rosenkötter (1975), Young Gasteiner,
German; Health Scientist, Epidemiologist; PhD
candidate at Maastricht University, Application
possibilities of syndromic surveillance systems
based on emergency medical care data.
Magdalene Rosenmöller Dr., German, PhD, MD,
MBA, professor at IESE Business School,
Barcelona. She teaches health sector
management in the MBA and executive education
programmes at IESE and as visiting professor in
other settings in Europe, Latin America, Africa and
Asia, including CEIBS, the China European
International Business School in Shanghai and
SBS, Nairobi, Kenya. She gained executive
experience as health economist at the World
Bank’s Latin American and Caribbean Region
(2000 – 2002). She gained executive experience
spending two years as health economist at the
World Bank’s Latin American and Caribbean
Region. Frequently serving as expert in different
assignments for the European Commission
(health research and health policy) and the
European Parliament, she has extensive
experience in European health policy and health
research issues. She led several European
research projects, served as expert evaluator on
the Innovative Medicine Initiative (IMI) and
biomedical research strategies. Other international
assignments include studies on Innovative
Financing for Global Health with the Brookings
Institutions, the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundations and the OECD. She is member of
several international organizations including IHEA
and EHMA, the European Health Management
Association, on which board she served.
Damjana Rozman Prof. Dr (1960), Slovenian,
Head of CFGBC, Inst. of Biochemistry Fac. of
Medicine at Univ. of Ljubljana. Published over 50
SCI papers, 750 citations, h-index 17. Received
the 2009 Zois award of Republic Slovenia for
Achievements in Biochemistry and Molecular
Biology. Is a member of several Scientific
Committees and Boards at national (Biochemical
Society, Univ. of Ljubljana) and international level
(ISSX, P450).
Marianella Salapatas is a member of the board of
the Hellenic patient association ANIXI since 2001.
In 2003 Marianella was elected board secretary of
European Federation of Allergies and Airways
Diseases Patients’ Association. Since June 2009
she is the President of EFA.
Reinhard Salhofer, (1951), Austria, Graduation
with a PhD in Law, he is financial consultant in the
Board of European Health Forum Gastein since
2010. He started his career 1975 in leadership
positions in the Austrian banking sector. In 2002
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he was appointed Director General of the
Salzburger Landes-Hypothekenbank AG, a highly
successful universal bank in the province of
Salzburg. Reinhard Salhofer is an active member
of executive boards of various international
organisations and he holds additional supervisory
board seats of various commercial enterprises.
B. Serdar Savas Dr. (1960), Director of GENAR
Institute for Public Health and Genomics
Research, education in medicine, law and health
policy and finance. Extensive experience in
several layers of Turkish health systems, focused
on preventive health care and public health. His
positions included Provincial Health Director of
Adana, advisor to the Minister of Health, General
Coordinator of the Health Project to manage
projects financed by World Bank, and Deputy
Undersecretary leading work on Turkish Health
Sector Reforms. Regional Advisor for Health Care
Policies and Systems at WHO EURO (1993). Was
in charge of preparing Ljubljana Charter on
Reforming Health Care in Europe and had major
role in restructuring the health systems of Central
Asian countries. Appointed to Deputy European
Regional Director/Director of Program
Management of WHO EURO (1998) coordinated
the development of policy document “Health 21:
Health for All in the 21st Century”. Founded ITT in
Turkey – Advanced Medical Technologies working
in area of biotechnology, molecular genetics, and
prevention of chronic-complex diseases (2001).
Under ITT, established GENAR Institute for Public
Health and Genomics Research (2004), in
Hacettepe University Science Park. GENAR
Institute carries out national and international R&D
projects funded by European and national
agencies. Currently Steering Committee Member
of Public Health Genomics European Network
(PHGEN); founder and general secretary of
Turkish Society of Public Health Genomics and
Nutrigenetics; member of Futurists Society.
Erika Scharer; Member of Provincial Government
(Health); Federal Government of Salzburg,
Austria.
Matthias Schwab Dr. (1963), German, Clinical
Pharmacologist and Pediatrician; Professor and
Chair of Clinical Pharmacology; Head of the Dr
Margarete Fischer-Bosch Institute of Clinical
Pharmacology, Stuttgart and Department of
Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital,
Tuebingen; Friedrich Hartmut-Dost Award and
Galenus von Pergamon Award; Visiting Professor
at St Jude Children’s Hospital, Memphis, TN,
USA; member of IUPHAR Division of Clin.
Pharmacology - Sub-Committee
Pharmacogenetics; Vice Chair of the Expert
Group "Drugs for Children and Adolescents" at the
German Federal Institute of Drugs and Medicinal
products (BfArM); Main Research Interests:
Pharmacogenomics of ADME genes, anticancer
and immunosuppressive drugs, Drug–Drug
Interaction, Pediatric clinical pharmacology an
Novel methodologies in genomic research.
Walter Sermeus is Professor in Nursing
Management and Nursing Research, Centre of
Health Services and Nursing Research, Catholic
University Leuven, Belgium. He is a nurse from
basic training and holds a masters degree in
Health Administration (1985), a masters degree in
Biostatistics (1990) and a PhD in public Health
(1992). He is Program Director of the Master in
Nursing/ midwifery and the Master in Health Care
Management & Policy. He is coordinator of the
EU-FP7 RN4CAST-project, Nurse Forecasting in
Europe 2009-2011. Research interests: Nursing
Minimum Datasets, Diagnosis Related Groups &
casemix management, nursing intensity & nursing
workload management, healthcare financing,
manpower planning, healthcare organization,
clinical pathways.
Ioana-Raluca Siska (1965), Romanian, MD, PhD.
Scientific Officer, Research Directorate General –
Health Directorate, Unit F4, working in the area of
biobanks and population genetics since 2006.
Previously Senior Lecturer in Physiology at the
"Victor Babes" University of Medicine and
Pharmacy in Timisoara, Romania.
Kristine Sørensen is researcher and project
coordinator for the Health Literacy Survey (HLS-
EU) in Europe hosted by the department of
International Health at Maastricht University. Her
research and teaching interests are health
literacy, European and global health, child health,
health inequalities, cross-border health care and
life skills.She has since 2007 been involved in the
bachelor and master of European Public Health in
various functions. Furthermore she is a visiting
lecturer at Centre for European Studies in
Maastricht and at Copenhagen University in
Denmark. Being Danish of origin her educational
background is in medicine and public health with a
bachelor/master degree in Public Health Science
from Copenhagen University. She is currently a
Ph.D. fellow at research school CAPHRI on the
topic of health literacy. Kristine Sørensen has held
several organizational honorary positions at
national, regional and world level. Currently she is
member of the board in prooSes - an umbrella
20

organization of nine primary schools in the
Limburg region of the Netherlands embracing 250
staff members and 3000 pupils.
Marc Sprenger Dr (1962), Dutch. Public health
official, Director of the European Centre for
Disease Prevention and Control in Stockholm;
medical doctor with specialisation in medical
microbiology and PhD in epidemiology; member of
Executive Board of International Association of
Public Health Institutes; Director-General of the
Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the
Environment 2003-2010; founding Chairman of
ECDC Management Board 2004-2008.
Ulf Staginnus is Head of Pricing & Health
Economics Europe with Novartis Oncology
responsible for pricing and market access
strategies in Region Europe. He is a health
economist with 14 years of international
experience in pharmacoeconomics, pricing and
reimbursement as well as in Competitive
Intelligence and health technology valuations
within the biotechnology and pharmaceutical
industry (Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer Inc., Baxter
Inc., GSK Biologicals). In 1996, Ulf graduated as
Diplom Volkswirt (MA Economics) – with a major
focus on health economics - from the University
Bayreuth, Germany. During the course of his
career he also founded and run his own
consultancy, serving biotech and pharmaceutical
clients in supporting their product pricing,
valuations and market access strategies. Ulf is
Co-Editor of the Spanish Journal of Health
Economics and a regular presenter on HTA and
pricing related issues.
Alois Stöger, diplômé (1960); Austrian Minister of
Health; education and training: apprenticeship as
a machinist, final apprenticeship examination in
the trades of toolmaker and lathe operator, 1986-
87 Social Academy of the Chamber of Labour,
Vienna, 1995-96 European Trade Unions
Academy, 1997-2000 Degree Course in Social
Practice at Marc Bloch University Strasbourg and
Linz, graduated with the Diplômé des Hautes
Etudes des Pratiques Sociales; professional
experience: 1975-79
apprenticeship as machinist at Voest Alpine,
1979-1986 skilled worker, 1986-2008 secretary of
the Austrian Metalworkers, Miners and Energy
Supply Workers Trade Union, 2005-08 Chairman
of the Upper Austrian Regional Health Insurance
Fund, since 2008 Austrian Minister of Health.
Catherine Stihler, MA (Hons.) Geography and
International Relations, St Andrews University
(1996); M.Litt. (International Security Studies), St
Andrews University (1998). Political advisor to
Anne Begg MP (1997-1999). Member of Unite
trade union. Member of the Co-op Party. In the
Labour Party: Youth representative on the
Scottish Executive Committee (1993-1995); Youth
representative on the National Executive
Committee (1995-1997); Parliamentary
Candidate, Angus constituency (1997). Labour
candidate, Dunfermline and West Fife by-election
(2006). In the European Parliamentary Labour
Party: health spokesperson (1999-2004); fisheries
spokesperson (1999-2004); fisheries and regional
development spokesperson (2004-2009); Deputy
Leader (2004-2006). Editor of the Parliament
Magazine (2002- ).
L. Suzanne Suggs, Prof PhD, CHES, (1970),
American. Assistant Professor, Health
Communication, Università della Svizzera italiana,
Faculty of Communication Sciences, Institute of
Public Communication and Education, Lugano
Switzerland. PhD, MSc (Health Studies), BA
(Marketing). Responsible for FAN study (Family,
Activity and Nutrition), testing the effects
of interactive, tailored Web, e-mail and SMS
communication on diet and physical activity
behaviors. Responsible for MoveM8!, a worksite
study testing new media communication on
physical activity. Co-Responsible for TRIAGE, a
study examining patient-provider decision-making
and communication in managing cardiovascular
disease. Member of the American Academy of
Health Behavior, European Communication
Research and Education Association, and Journal
of Health Communication Editorial Review Board.
Carl Johan Sundberg Dr (1958), Swedish, is a
licensed physician and researcher at Karolinska
Institutet (KI). He has extensive experience in
research (physical activity, genes and health),
design and directorships of educational
programmes and science communication. He
heads the Unit for Bioentrepreneurship (UBE) at
KI where entrepreneurship and innovation
education, training and research are performed.
Sundberg has served as member or chairman of
numerous company and academic boards. He is
vice-president of Euroscience and the founder of
Euroscience Open Forum.
Leonie Sundmacher (1979), Young Gasteiner;
German; Economist; Research Fellow at the
Department for Healthcare Management, Berlin
University of Technology.
21

Hildrun Sundseth is a Board Member of the
European Institute of Women’s Health where she
is advocating for an equitable and gendersensitive
approach in health policy, research,
treatment and care with a special focus on
women’s cancers.
She has also sat on the European Medicines
Agency’s Patient and Consumer Working Party for
the last 5 years. Hildrun brings several decades of
political and public policy experience to the NGO
world after a long career as Director of European
Public Affairs for one of the world’s leading
pharmaceutical companies. On her retirement,
Hildrun took up the challenge of campaigning for
improved cancer control in Europe. Heading up
the Brussels office of the European Cancer
Patient Coalition between 2004 and 2009, she
was instrumental in raising the political profile of
the fight against cancer by setting up the MEP
Against Cancer interest group in the European
Parliament. Due to this political pressure, in 2009
the Commission establishing the European
Cancer Partnership, an ambitious programme that
aims to reduce new cancer cases by 15 % by
2020.
Matthew Sutton Prof. (1969), English, Academic;
Professor of Health Economics and leads the
Health Economics team within the Health
Sciences – Methodology Research Group and the
Workforce Team within the National Primary Care
Research and Development Centre at the
University of Manchester, Visiting Professor in
Health Economics at the University of Bergen and
at Aberdeen University’s Health Economics
Research Unit; BA Economics with Econometrics
(Leeds), MSc Health Economics (York), PhD
Economics (York); Associate Editor of Health
Economics, member of the UK Health
Economists’ Study Group; he has published over
60 papers in academic journals and has held over
30 research grants from a range of research
councils and government bodies.
Miklós Szócska Dr. (1960), Hungarian, Medical
Doctor, Minister of State for Health at the Ministry
of National Resources of the Republic of Hungary
(since June 2010), graduated at the Semmelweis
University of Medicine (1989), Master of Public
Administration degree from John F. Kennedy
School of Government at Harvard University,
Ph.D. in the field of change management
(Semmelweis University); founding-member of the
Health Services Management Training
Centre(1990; acting director: 2000-2009; director:
since 2009); relevant memberships: He serves on
the boards of the European Health Management
Association and the European Health Property
Network.
Erik Tambuyzer Dr (1949), Belgian, Profession:
Management; Present position: Senior VP Global
Public Policy Genzyme Educational background:
bio-engineer with a Ph.D in bio-industrial sciences;
Relevant memberships: Board member of
EuropaBio (the European Association for
Bioindustries), Board member of the Centre for
Medical Innovation, CMI, Member of the Royal
Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and Arts,
Board member and current Vice-Chair of EPPOSI,
the European Platform for Patients’ Organisations,
Science and Industry, Board member of ICORD, a
Foundation working on worldwide policy issues
related to Orphan Drugs and Rare Diseases;
Relevant professional activities and past
achievements 1977: start of career at Baxter
Healthcare, 1985: co-founder + General Manager
of Innogenetics NV (Ghent, Belgium), a healthcare
biotechnology company, 1992: Genzyme VP
Diagnostics and Genetics Europe (setting up
Genzyme’s activities in Europe), 1996: VP & SVP
Corporate Affairs Europe, 2008: SVP Public Policy.
Nicoline Tamsma (1960) Dutch; International
health policy, senior adviser international affairs
Netherlands Institute for Care and Welfare NIZW;
Master’s Degree in Psychology; member of EHFG
advisory committee and EHMA EU advisory
panel; international collaboration, EU policy
analysis, training and consultancy; previous
experience includes work on European health
systems reforms at the Nuffield Institute for Health
in Leeds (UK) and on integrated HIV/AIDS policies
with WHO Europe; recently published EU policy
recommendations on advancing integrated care
for older people based on EHMA’s CARMEN
project.
Rebecca Taylor (1975), British, Senior
Researcher, International Longevity Centre – UK
(ILC-UK). BA (hons) Japanese and Management
Studies (University of Leeds, 1997), MA
International Relations (University of Kent, 2001).
Master in Public Health (MPH) candidate at King’s
College, London (2010-2012). Rebecca has over
10 years experience in public affairs and public
policy mainly in the health field including working
for the pharmacy profession (PGEU), the NHS,
patient groups, and the pharmaceutical industry.
At ILC-UK Rebecca’s research interests include
healthy ageing and nutrition.
Paola Testori Coggi is Director General in the
Directorate-General for Health and Consumers of
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the European Commission since April 2010. In
July 2007 she became Deputy Director General
for Health and Consumers with specific
responsibility for food safety and animal health,
inspections and scientific matters. Since 2000, as
Director for the Safety of the food chain, she has
been responsible for the White Paper on food
safety and the legislative action programme as
well as the management of emergencies. She was
previously Advisor for consumer health in the
Cabinet of Commissioner Emma Bonino and she
worked on the definition of the new EU policy on
consumer health after the crisis of the food safety
crisis. She joined the European Commission in
1983 in the Directorate-General for Environment
where she worked until 1989 in the field of the
control of dangerous chemicals and industrial
risks. Afterwards, she served as Member
responsible for the research programmes on life
sciences, environment and energy in the Cabinet
of the Vice-President of the European
Commission, Filippo Maria Pandolfi. She also
worked in the EU Joint Research Centre where
she was responsible for administrative
coordination. She is a biologist from the University
of Milan, Italy, with a Master degree in
Ecotoxicology. In 2008 she received a Doctor
Honoris Causa in Veterinary Medicine at the
University of Cluj, Romania.
Christoph Thalheim (1952), Germany, spent the
first part of his professional life in the German
Airforce, where he got his university degree in
pedagogics and left as Captain after 12 years of
service. A complete new orientation towards the
field of "Intercultural Learning" followed, caused
by a sabbatical year, which saw him travelling
once around the world. Returned from this lifeturning
experience, Mr.Thalheim set up and run
the EU- liaison office in Brussels of a major
international NGO focussing on intercultural
learning and international youth exchange
programmes for 10 years. In the beginning of
2000, the third new professional challenge in his
life came up as EU affairs consultant, working
mainly as Secretary General of the European
Multiple Sclerosis Platform (EMSP), the European
Advocacy Group representing the interests of 34
national MS Societies and more than 500.000
people affected by MS. From 2000 – to 2010,
EMSP has emerged from an unknown “kitchen
table business” starting with 21 member
organisations, 1 sponsor, no major projects, very
limited funds and one “multipurpose” part time
staff to one of the key players in European patient
advocacy. Today, EMSP has excellent working
relations to DG SANCO, DG Enterprise, and DG
Employment as well as to Members and senior
staff of the European Parliament, has a seat in
several European Think Tanks and Working
Groups (incl. the Management Board of the
European Medicines Agency and their Working
Party with European Patient and Consumer
Organisations) and supports its national member
organisations by training, information and lobbying
initiatives and tools, meant to improve
continuously the quality of life of people with
Multiple Sclerosis and their care givers and
families.
Göran Tomson Professor of International Health
Systems Research, Division of Global Health
(IHCAR) and Medical Management Centre,
Karolinska Institutet (KI). Originally a
paediatrician, now leader of the Health Systems
and Policy research group, KI. Has supervised 25
PhD students to graduation.150 publications.
Previous major health systems projects in Lao
PDR, Vietnam, Tanzania and Uganda. Ongoing
EU funded research: Iatrogenic Poverty in
Cambodia, China, Laos; supporting use of
research evidence for policy in African health
systems; Improving quality of maternal and
perinatal health care via IT-support systems in
Burkina-Faso, Ghana, Tanzania. Member of
Global Health Europe Task Force, Co-founder of
International Network for Rational Use of Drugs
(INRUD), ReAct Network to contain antimicrobial
resistance. Sits on the Scientific Technical
Advisory Committee of the Alliance for Health
Policy and Systems Research, WHO and member
of WHO Expert Panel on Drug Policy and
Management. and Task Force Global Health
Europe. Senior advisor to the WHO Evidence-
Informed health Policy Network (EVIPNet).
Eva Turk (1978), Slovenian; Young Gasteiner;
Researcher; Master of Economics and Business
Administration from Vienna University of
Economics and Business Administration (2003).
She specialized in Hospital Management
(Diploma, 2005) and obtained her MBA in Health
care Management (2007); currently PhD student
in the field of Social Policy.
Gerald Ullrich Dr, German, Psychologist and
Psychotherapist in Medical Settings; Ph.D. in
Medical Psychology, University of Göttingen;
Board member European Cystric Fybrosis
Conference in 2008; Member of the German
Society of Behavioural Therapy.
Lejo van der Heiden; Dr; Head; Ministry of
Health, Welfare and Sport, The Netherlands.
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Albert van der Zeijden; after obtaining a degree
in pedagogy, Albert van der Zeijden was director
of a teacher training college. Since the early 80th
of the past century he is an active patient
advocate on all national and international levels.
At present he is, amongst others, board member
of the International Alliance of Patients’
Organizations (IAPO) and vice-president of the
European Health Forum Gastein (EHFG) as well
as chairman of the Dutch Steering Committee on
Orphan Drugs and of the Dutch National Council
of the European Disability Forum (EDF).
Ben van Ommen is leading the nutrigenomics,
nutritional systems biology and personalized
health activities at TNO Quality of Life, one of the
largest independent research organisations in the
area of nutrition world-wide. His training was in
biochemistry and toxicology. His PhD and early
research carrier were dedicated to molecular and
biochemical mechanisms in toxicology and
nutrition, including the interindividual differences
of genetic origin. His research group aims at
approaching effects of nutrition and nutrition
related bioactive compounds with regards to
health promotion and disease prevention on a
genome-wide scale. His team pioneers in
nutritional systems biology, with emphasis on
combined transcriptome, metabolome and
dynamic modelling approaches. In 2002, he was
appointed Senior Research Fellow of the TNO
organisation in the area of nutritional systems
biology. Currently, he coordinates the European
Nutrigenomics Organisation, an EU-funded
partnership of 32 universities and research
institutes in the area of nutrigenomics.
Heinrich von Wulfen (1956) was born in
Hollenstede, a small village near Osnabrück,
Germany; 1981: The German Academic
Exchange Service (DAAD) grants him a
scholarship in South Africa, which triggered his
job preference and international ambitions; 1983
He completes his studies of Electrical
Engineering, including Biomedical, at the
Technical University of Braunschweig, He joins
Siemens Medical Engineering Group, Erlangen
in the Magnetic Resonance Division as an
Application Scientist; 1992 subsequently
becoming Head of the Magnetic Resonance
Division of Siemens Medical Systems, USA;
1997 He enters the General Manager Career as
Head of the German Northern Region Medical
Engineering Group, Hamburg. 2001 Taking on
another International assignment as Head of
Siemens Ltd. Medical Solutions in Bombay,
India; 2004 He completes his Asia/Pacific
assignment as President of Siemens Medical
Solutions Asia/Pacific in Singapore; 2006 After
moving back to Germany he was named
President of European Sales & Service of
Siemens Medical Solutions Europe, Erlangen;
2008 His responsibility was extended to
becoming the Regional CEO Europe, Africa and
Middle East of the Siemens Healthcare Sector,
Erlangen; 2009 He was appointed additional
responsibility in order to enhance the CRM
culture within the Workflow and Solutions
Division of Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen; April
2007 H. von Wulfen was elected President of
COCIR, the European Association of the
Radiological, Electromedical and Healthcare-IT
industry.
Karl Vass; Professor; University of Vienna,
Austria
Arpana Verma Dr (1971), British, Doctor, Senior
Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in Public Health
in Greater Manchester for cancer, sexual health
and other chronic diseases. Founder and Head of
the Manchester Urban Collaboration on Health
(MUCH)which is part of the Clinical Epidemiology
and Public Health Department in the University of
Manchester; Principle investigator and coordinatory
of EURO-URHIS 2 (www.urhis.eu), a
EU Commission (DG Research) FP7 project
investigating urban health indicators in European
and non-European countries, President of the
urban health section of the European Public
Health Association (www.eupha.org).
Cristian Vladescu, Prof.(1962), Romanian, MD,
MPH, PhD, Romanian, Director General, National
School of Public Health, Medicine, Health Policy,
Sociology and Health Management; Professor of
Public Health, University of Medicine and
Pharmacy Timisoara, Chairman of the Presidential
Commission on Health, former Secretary of State
for Health , President of the National Health
Insurance House, member of EUPHA, ASPHER,
visiting scholar in USA and UK, project manager
and expert for international organizations such as
WHO, UNICEF, World Bank, USAID, Council of
Europe, etc; author of more than 30 books and
book chapters and over 100 scientific papers.
Heide Weishaar, BSc MSc (1977), German;
Young Gasteiner; Vocational training as
physiotherapist (University of Mainz, Germany);
BSc in Health Communication (University of
Bielefeld, Germany); MSc in Public Health
Research (University of Edinburgh, UK);
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Physiotherapist (Neurological Rehabilitation
Centre Wiesbaden, Germany); Research fellow in
tobacco control (University of Edinburgh, UK).
Alan White, Prof. a Registered Nurse, is Director
of the Centre for Men’s Health, Leeds
Metropolitan University and Chair of the Board of
Trustees for the Men’s Health Forum (England &
Wales). His research includes the ‘Scoping Study
on Men’s Health’ for the Department of Health; the
‘Report on the State of Men’s Health across 17
European Countries’; and the recent report in
conjunction with the NCIN and CRUK on the
‘Excess Burden of Cancer in Men in the UK’.
Currently he is heading up an international team
of academics for ‘The First European State of
Men’s Health Report’ for the European
Commission. Recently Alan has been working
with Headingley stadium in Leeds to establish
health checks for the supporters of the Leeds
Rhino’s, Leeds Carnegie and Yorkshire Cricket
and is undertaking the evaluation study of Premier
League Health for young men, which is being run
through the Football Premier League in England.
Jane Wills , British, Professor of Health
Promotion at London South Bank University,
Fellow of Royal Society of Public Health, Chair of
UK Network of Health Promotion Academics,
recent co-editor of Critical Public Health. Author
of numerous textbooks translated into five
languages.
Peter Wintlev-Jensen is currently Head of Sector
in the European Commission DG Information
Society responsible for development of policy and
research strategy related to Information and
Communication Technologies and Demographic
Ageing.He has been involved in this field for the
last 5 years, including the preparation and
implementation of the new European Joint
Research Programme on Ambient Assisted Living,
development of the ICT research agenda on
Ageing in the 7th Framework Programme, Ageing
pilot projects under the Competitiveness and
Innovation Programme and the EU Action Plan on
Ageing Well in the Information Society.Before this
assignment he developed the policy with Member
States on the European Research Area in the field
of ICT, coordinated the COST programme in ICT
and was strongly involved in the establishment of
the European initiatives on electronic Research
Networks (currently known as GEANT).Before
joining the European Commission in 1990 he
worked in the telecommunications industry as
project manager in Denmark and US in a number
of large industrial computing and communications
projects, e.g. with American Airlines, Delta
Airlines, EDS.He has an Engineering degree in
Electronic Systems from Aalborg University in
Denmark.
Christiane Wiskow (1957), German, Social
Sciences, Public Health; independent health
services specialist; expert in international public
health with focus on health workforce issues;
advisor to ILO and WHO on labour issues and
working conditions in the health sector;
management of research and action programmes
on international migration of health workers;
facilitator of the WHO Health Professionals Global
Network.
Matthias Wismar; Dr; Senior Health Policy
Analyst European Observatory on Health Systems
and Policies.
Shana Witcomb is 31 and has Intermittent
Relapsing MS. She was diagnosed nearly three
years ago but has had MS for at least 14 years,
possibly since childhood. Shana sold her business
during diagnosis, was signed off work
permanently and divorced due to the pressure MS
placed on her marriage. With the emotional and
practical support of her MS Nurse, Shana has
been able to rebuild her life. She has become a
Trustee for the Federation of Disabled People,
works voluntarily with the Campaigns, Press and
PR departments of the National MS Society and
organises social events for young people with MS.
Shana is politically involved with social care
reform, from national policy through to the
implementation of person centred planning on a
localised level. She is also learning British Sign
Language, company director of a community
theatre company and has written a book. Shana
regularly swims and attends weekly exercise
classes and therapies at her local MS treatment
centre.
Chih-Liang Yaung (1946), Taiwan, Public Health,
Health Care, Health Insurance; Minister of Health,
Taiwan; M.P.H. Public Health, Ph.D. Population
Planning of University of Michigan, U.S.A ;
Professional Member of American Public Health
Association; Professor, School of Public Health,
National Taiwan University in Taipei; Chairman of
Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Supervisory
Committee.
Kurt Zatloukal Dr. (1959), Austrian, Professor of
Pathology, Deputy Head of the Institute of
Pathology - Medical University of Graz,
Coordinator of the pan-European Biobanking and
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Biomedical Resources Research Infrastructure
(BBMRI), member of the European Strategy
Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI)
Thematic Working Group and the Austrian
Medicines Board, contributed to the OECD best
practice guidelines for biological resource centres,
the regulations for genetic testing of the Austrian
Gene Technology Law, and the opinion on
Biobanks for research of the Bioethics
Commission at the Austrian Federal Chancellery.
Friedrich Zettinig, (1948) Austrian; Mayor of Bad
Hofgastein; education and gastronomy
apprenticeship in Bad Hofgastein, certified ski
instructor, ÖSV (Austrian Ski Association) trainer,
hiking guide and bio trainer; international working
experience as trainer and ski instructor (e.g. USA
and Australia); spokesman for sports and events
of the Spa & Tourist Office Bad Hofgastein; more
than 20 years he headed the local ski school and
was president of the ski club, in this function he
organised and realised numerous regional,
national and international ski competitions; since
2004 he is local councillor, 2008 he became vicemayor
and since March 2009 he is elected Mayor
of Bad Hofgastein.
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