The General Assembly of the European Haemophilia Consortium (EHC) elected four new lay members for its Steering Committee during its annual general meeting held in Stavanger, Norway. The meeting was held just ahead of the EHC 2016 Annual Conference.
Mr Miguel Crato, President of APH – Associação Portuguesa de Hemofilia e de outras Coagulopatias Congénitas, the EHC Portuguese National Member Organisation (NMO) and Ms Naja Skouw-Rasmussen, Board Member of Bløderforening, the EHC Danish NMO were newly elected to serve as lay Steering Committee members for a three-year term. Ms Olivia Romero Lux, member of Association Française des Hémophiles (AFH), the EHC French NMO and Dr Radoslaw Kaczmarek, member of Polskie Stowarzyszenie Chorych na Hemofilię, the EHC Polish NMO, were re-elected for a second three-year term.
The EHC would like to thank Ms Traci Marshall Dowling from the Irish Haemophilia Society and Dr Giuseppe Mazza from the Federazione delle Associazioni Emofilici (Fedemo), the EHC Italian NMO, for the work carried out during their 2013-2016 term and hope that they will remain active within the EHC activities.
Jim is aged 66 and has Haemophilia A with a high titer inhibitor which he developed at age 14.
Maria Elisa Mancuso (MD, PhD) is a Haematologist and works as a Senior Haematology Consultant at the Center for Thrombosis and Haemorrhagic Diseases of IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital in Rozzano, Milan, Italy. She is Adjunct Clinical Professor at Humanitas University. She obtained a post-degree in Clinical and Experimental Haematology and a PhD in Clinical Methodology. She is involved in clinical research and has published several original articles in peer-reviewed journals a The Lancet, Blood, Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, Haematologica, Thrombosis and Haemostasis, British Journal of Haematology and Haemophilia. She is reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals and member of the Editorial Board of JTH. She is a member of several scientific societies (ISTH, WFH, ASH, EAHAD, SISET, AICE) and was a medical member of the Inhibitor Working Group of the European Hemophilia Consortium. She is co-chair of the ADVANCE Study Group. She has acted also as co-chair of the Scientific and Standardization Subcommittee of ISTH on FVIII, FIX and rare bleeding disorders. She has been involved as principal and co-investigator in several clinical trials, and she takes care of both children and adults with hemophilia and other congenital bleeding disorders with a specific scientific interest in novel therapies, prophylaxis, inhibitors, and chronic hepatitis C.
As a patient with factor II deficiency, the diagnostic and treatment of rare bleeding disorders is a matter dear to my heart. My motivation to participate in the work of the ERIN committee is to improve both diagnostic and treatment for patients with rare bleeding disorders across Europe.
Economist and financial expert by profession, executive coach and trainer by passion and haemophilia advocate by every drop of my blood through my son (who has severe haemophilia A with inhibitors). Bringing a good decade of practical experience from the corporate insurance world, laser focus, growth mindset and resilience from my own experience, offering you anything I can just do, in hope that together we can make life more fulfilled for those impacted by bleeding disorders.
Amy Owen-Wyard is a Registered Mental Health Nurse. With experience working with children, young people, their families and adults with severe and enduring mental health conditions. Amy was also involved in a service improvement to provide a holistic care approach for those in general hospitals to support both their mental and physical health, whilst sharing her expertise and knowledge in mental health with the wider multidisciplinary team.
