We are delighted to introduce you to Zita Gacser, EHC Think Tank Officer. Zita joins Naja Skouw-Rasmussen in the Think Tank team and will be responsible for communications activities related to the Think Tank, supporting the development of the EHCucate app and supporting hybrid events.
Zita, can you tell us about yourself?
I originally come from Hungary, but my studies in International Relations brought me from the Hungarian countryside to the heart of Europe. I have always enjoyed living and working in a multicultural environment, and also in college, I enjoyed the company of international students. My studies brought me to Kortrijk in Belgium, where I spent a semester during an Erasmus exchange programme, and as a result, besides speaking Hungarian and English, I also speak Dutch.
Since arriving in Brussels, I have worked for various international membership-based organisations. After graduating, I did a three-month internship, then another one which led to a temporary contract and my first work experience in event management. As I enjoyed event organisation, my next permanent role and the last one before joining EHC were in event management, but I also have experience in communications and project management.
What attracted you to join EHC?
I find work rewarding if I can go to bed knowing that my work made a difference. I find solace in knowing that I have contributed to a good cause and that my work can help improve other people’s lives. This is why I have a strong preference for working for non-profits. Another activity outside of the EHC is to provide health coaching to the general public. Improving patients’ quality of life, access to care, and promoting patients’ rights are, therefore, all objectives I can very much align with.
In addition to that, the EHC seemed like a workplace where I could combine my educational background in international relations, my experience in working for membership-based organisations, my passion for physical and mental health, and my interest in social psychology.
Last but not least, the EHC is a people-oriented organisation that genuinely cares: about the well-being of patients, members, employees, and volunteers alike.
What are some of your most significant projects and priorities at EHC?
As a Think Tank Officer, I work alongside Naja Skouw-Rasmussen on all Think Tank-related activities, including website management, member support, communications, and logistics of all Think Tank events. In addition to the Think Tank activities, I am also supporting other projects, including the quality control and content management of the EHCucate Educational App and the organisation of hybrid events.
Can you tell us something about yourself that you enjoy doing in your free time?
As the saying goes, “you can’t pour from an empty cup”, and so I dedicate the little free time I have to personal development and self-care, either in the form of working out at the gym, going for a run or long walk in nature, or reading a good book. Travelling and discovering new destinations is another passion I could not do much of these past two years due to all the lockdowns, so I cannot wait to be back on the road again!
Thank you Zita for the interview and welcome to the EHC team!
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.
