Meet the ELF team

The ELF team is made up of its leadership, committees, volunteers and staff - working together to improve lung health. Meet the team here!

ELF Council


The 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 - profile image
Dimitris Kontopidis
ELF Chair

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.


Mikaela Odemyr - profile image
Mikaela Odemyr
Patient Advisory Committee Chair

Helen Parks - profile image
Helen Parks
UPAG representative

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.


Oksana Kulish - profile image
Oksana Kulish
EPAP PAG member

Location: Ukraine


Ed Powell - profile image
Ed Powell
England

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.


Zena Powell - profile image
Zena Powell
Bronchiectasis parent representative

Location: UK


Monika Gappa - profile image
Monika Gappa
ERS President

Silke Ryan - profile image
Silke Ryan
ERS President Elect

Paola Pierucci - profile image
Paola Pierucci
Professional Advisory Committee Chair

Barbara Hoffmann - profile image
Barbara Hoffmann
ERS Advocacy Chair

Judith Garcia - profile image
Judith Garcia
ERS Secretary General

Peter Wijkstra - profile image
Peter Wijkstra
ERS Treasurer

Patient Advisory Committee


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.

Mikaela Odemyr - profile image
Mikaela Odemyr
Patient Advisory Committee Chair

Hilde De Keyser - profile image
Hilde De Keyser
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Europe

Liam Galvin - profile image
Liam Galvin
European Pulmonary Fibrosis Federation (EU-PFF)

Liliya Gentet - profile image
Liliya Gentet
French Federation of Associations of Patients with Respiratory Insufficiency or Handicap (FFAAIR)

Leo Casimo - profile image
Leo Casimo
Sarcoidosis UK

Armando Ruiz - profile image
Armando Ruiz
Spanish Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (FENAER) (also represeting European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (EFA))

Stefano Pavanello - profile image
Stefano Pavanello
Union of Lung Transplant Patients of Padova

Carlos Pons - profile image
Carlos Pons
Respiralia Foundation

Jean-Michel Fourrier - profile image
Jean-Michel Fourrier
Pulmonary Fibrosis Association of France

Ana Marta Santos - profile image
Ana Marta Santos
Italian Bronchiectasis Association

Vildana Mujkic - profile image
Vildana Mujkic
Association of patients with asthma, allergies and atopic dermatitis in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Caroline Love - profile image
Caroline Love
Esophageal Atresia Global Support Groups/Tracheo-oesophageal Fistula Support

Debra Montague - profile image
Debra Montague
Lung Cancer Europe

Abdullah Ihsan - profile image
Abdullah Ihsan
PCD Support UK

Erika Kennington - profile image
Erika Kennington
Asthma + Lung UK

Hall Skaara - profile image
Hall Skaara
PHA Europe

Anna Andrałojć - profile image
Anna Andrałojć
Polish Federation of Asthma, Allergy and COPD Patients' Association

Ellen Ricke - profile image
Ellen Ricke
Longfonds

Lara Consani - profile image
Lara Consani
Respiriamo Insieme

Satu Mustonen - profile image
Satu Mustonen
The Organisation for Respiratory Health in Finland

Natalia Maeva - profile image
Natalia Maeva
Bulgarian Society of Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension

President
bgspph@gmail.com


United Patient Advisory Group


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.

Helen Parks - profile image
Helen Parks
UPAG Chair/COVID-19 PAG

Jane Calvert-Lee - profile image
Jane Calvert-Lee
Chronic Cough PAG

Carlee Gilbert - profile image
Carlee Gilbert
ChILD PAG

Steve Jones - profile image
Steve Jones
Pulmonary Fibrosis PAG

Janette Rawlinson - profile image
Janette Rawlinson
Lung Cancer PAG

Karolien Verheyen - profile image
Karolien Verheyen
Sarcoidosis PAG

Barbara Crossley - profile image
Barbara Crossley
Bronchiectasis PAG

Natalia Maeva - profile image
Natalia Maeva
COVID-19 PAG

Lisa McNeil - profile image
Lisa McNeil
Aspergillosis PAG

Elaine Bruce - profile image
Elaine Bruce
COPD PAG

Luca Roberti - profile image
Luca Roberti
Sleep Apnoea PAG

Professional Advisory Committee


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.

Paola Pierucci - profile image
Paola Pierucci
PrAC Chair, Respiratory Physician

Elena Gimeno-Santos - profile image
Elena Gimeno-Santos
Physiotherapist

Karl Sylvester - profile image
Karl Sylvester
Respiratory Physiologist

Valentina Ferraro - profile image
Valentina Ferraro
Paediatric pulmonologist

Andreja Šajnić - profile image
Andreja Šajnić
Chair of the ERS Group 9.3 for Respiratory Nurses

Hans In'T Veen - profile image
Hans In'T Veen
Pulmonologist

Karen Moor - profile image
Karen Moor
Adult Pulmonologist

Mar Martinez - profile image
Mar Martinez
Family doctor

Helle Marie Christensen - profile image
Helle Marie Christensen
Clinical researcher and nursing specialist

Oleksandr Mazulov - profile image
Oleksandr Mazulov
Clinical Researcher

ELF Office


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.

Lucy Robinson - profile image
Lucy Robinson
Communications and education

+44 1143220645


lucy.robinson@europeanlung.org
Rory Harris - profile image
Rory Harris
Communications and outreach

+44 1143220635


rory.harris@europeanlung.org
Jeanette Boyd - profile image
Jeanette Boyd
Patient involvement and engagement

+44 1142672872


jeanette.boyd@europeanlung.org
Courtney Coleman - profile image
Courtney Coleman
Patient involvement and engagement

+44 1142672875


courtney.coleman@europeanlung.org
Clare Williams - profile image
Clare Williams
Patient involvement and engagement

+44 114 3220651


clare.williams@europeanlung.org
Katherine Wylie - profile image
Katherine Wylie
Fundraising & stakeholder engagement

katherine.wylie@europeanlung.org
Polina Starchenko - profile image
Polina Starchenko
Policy and projects

polina.starchenko@europeanlung.org
Natalia Liagka - profile image
Natalia Liagka
Policy and projects

natalia.liagka@europeanlung.org