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.

Kjeld Hansen - profile image
Kjeld Hansen
ELF Chair

kjeld.hansen@europeanlung.org


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


Simona Biancu - profile image
Simona Biancu
Senior fundraising consultant and asthma patient

Carlos Robalo Cordeiro - profile image
Carlos Robalo Cordeiro
ERS President

Monika Gappa - profile image
Monika Gappa
ERS President Elect

Paola Pierucci - profile image
Paola Pierucci
Professional Advisory Committee Chair

Arzu Yorgancioglu - profile image
Arzu Yorgancioglu
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

Bas Holverda - profile image
Bas Holverda
Longfonds

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

Krisnah Poinasamy - profile image
Krisnah Poinasamy
Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation Partnership (AUK-BLF)

Shane Fitch - profile image
Shane Fitch
Lovexair Foundation

Gundula Koblmiller - profile image
Gundula Koblmiller
Österreichische Lungenunion

Valeria Ramiconi - profile image
Valeria Ramiconi
European Federation of Allergy and Airway Diseases Patients Associations (EFA)

Gergely Meszaros - profile image
Gergely Meszaros
Hungarian Pulmonary Hypertension Association

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

Eilis Ní Chaithnía - profile image
Eilis Ní Chaithnía
Asthma Society of Ireland

Leo Casimo - profile image
Leo Casimo
Sarcoidosis UK

Beatriz Salgueiro - profile image
Beatriz Salgueiro
Portuguese Lung Transplant Association

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

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

Dorrit Novel - profile image
Dorrit Novel
Swiss Sarcoidosis Association

Carlee Gilbert - profile image
Carlee Gilbert
ChILD Lung Foundation, UK

Carlos Pons - profile image
Carlos Pons
Respiralia Foundation

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

Korina Pateli-Bell - profile image
Korina Pateli-Bell
Fair Life Lung Cancer Care

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

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.

Marta Almagro - profile image
Marta Almagro
Bronchiectasis PAG

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

Mark De Quidt - profile image
Mark De Quidt
Sleep PAG

Carlee Gilbert - profile image
Carlee Gilbert
ChILD PAG

Steve Jones - profile image
Steve Jones
Pulmonary Fibrosis PAG

Karen Needham - profile image
Karen Needham
Asthma PAG

Janette Rawlinson - profile image
Janette Rawlinson
Lung Cancer 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

Mar Martinez - profile image
Mar Martinez
Family doctor

Karl Sylvester - profile image
Karl Sylvester
Respiratory Physiologist

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

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

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

Valentina Ferraro - profile image
Valentina Ferraro
Paediatric pulmonologist

Karen Moor - profile image
Karen Moor
Adult Pulmonologist

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.

Jessica Denning - profile image
Jessica Denning
Communications and education

+44 1143220645


jessica.denning@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
Supporter experience & fundraising

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
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