The ELF team is made up of its leadership, committees, volunteers and staff - working together to improve lung health. Meet the team here!
Content Table
The ELF Council sits at the top of the organisation and oversees everything that ELF does. Three committees work under the Council. These include the Patient Advisory Committee (PAC), the United Patient Advisory Group (UPAG) and the Professional Advisory Committee (PrAC). The ELF office carries out the day-to-day work of ELF and is based in Sheffield (UK) and Brussels (Belgium).
Find out moreThe ELF Council is the organisation’s main controlling body. They are responsible for the work plan, activities and financial control of ELF. The Council work to guide the foundation and provide an overview of its activities.
Dimitris Kontopidis is Chair of the European Lung Foundation. Dimitris is a cystic fibrosis patient and advocate and has been deeply involved in developing healthcare policy for chronic diseases. Dimitris chose not to have a lung transplant and by doing so brought ‘medicine for all’ to the forefront of Greek politics, helping to save the lives of many people with cystic fibrosis.
Dimitris has held a number of leadership roles within national and European patient organisations, including Cystic Fibrosis Europe, the Greek Patient Association and now ELF. His contributions to patient rights advocacy and improving healthcare services have been recognised through a wide range of awards. In addition to his advocacy activities, Dimitris is an architect and founded the HUMANE Network, a social enterprise that combines design with care, health, and innovation, and a non-profit NGO that focuses on empowering and advocating for people with disabilities.
The UPAG is the United Patient Advisory Group, a group made up of one representative per PAG (Patient Advisory Group). ELF has 13 PAGs in different topic areas. Helen Parks represents the DRAGON COVID-19 PAG on the UPAG, and the UPAG on the ELF Council.
I was diagnosed with bronchiectasis of the middle right lobe when I was 8 years old having suffered from chronic cough and wheezing since I was five months old.
I am currently 16 studying for A levels in Biology, Chemistry and Maths and I am also doing my gold Duke Of Edinburgh’s award.
In autumn 2023 I joined the ELF council.
I play the trumpet and sing in a variety of bands, ensembles and choirs in school and with a music school on a Saturday. I also enjoy cycling and hiking in the local countryside.
My 17 year old son Ed was diagnosed with non cf bronchiectasis 9 years ago. Having first showed symptoms at 5 months old. I have worked since 2019 with the European Lung Foundation (ELF) as a parent patient advisory member on paediatric and adolescent non cf bronchiectasis, on the Taskforce which produced guidelines and future research priorities. Since 2021 I’ve been an active member of Child-BEAR-Net and now sit alongside Ed on the ELF Core Council.
The Patient Advisory Committee is made up of European respiratory patient organisations, with members representing different conditions, to ensure all lung conditions are represented equally. The aim is to develop a united voice of respiratory patient organisations across Europe.
Hall Skaara, a Norwegian national, was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in 2005. He holds a master’s degree in computer science and previously worked at a large international computer company. In 2012, he retired from his regular job and is now a project manager at PHA Europe. His responsibilities include advocacy and managing the Bel Air Center, among other tasks.
The United PAG is made up of representatives from individual PAGs. Its purpose is to discuss and work on issues that are cross-disease, such as breathlessness; share ideas and best practice; provide support to each other; and help drive the ELF agenda and strategy.
The Professional Advisory Committee is made up of a group of ERS specialists and professionals from primary care selected from across Europe. They guide ELF on the topics to write about, and assess all written material made available online, to ensure content is accurate and reliable.
The ELF office is based in Sheffield in the UK and Brussels in Belgium. The team take care of the day-to-day running of ELF, they plan our events, coordinate our work with patients and healthcare professionals, and produce the materials on our website. If you contact us, via the website or our social media channels, this is the team you will reach.
