LISE-LOTT ERIKSSONLISE-LOTT ERIKSSON
Lise-Lott Eriksson is President of MPE. She joined the Board in March 2019.
Our board
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LISE-LOTT ERIKSSON
LISE-LOTT ERIKSSON
Lise-Lott has been Chairman of the Swedish Blood Cancer Association since 2015 and was previously Chairman of the Blood Cancer Society in Stockholm.
In the Swedish Blood Cancer Association, she is very active in policy-related issues within the Swedish cancer care area, focusing on access to new drugs for haematological disorders (especially myeloma), reimbursement, pricing and patient influence in clinical trials and health technology assessment decisions. She works actively to raise the status of expert patient advocates in Sweden.
As well as being an effective patient advocate, she has prior experience working as a physiotherapist in a variety of private healthcare settings and, since 2006, has been CEO and co-owner of LM Design to Live in AB, a family business in the construction business producing and selling individually designed site-built villas and tenant-owned apartments. Lise-Lott was diagnosed with essential thrombocythemia in 2011, and her father was diagnosed with myeloma in 2009.
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DIANE LOENING-MARTENS
DIANE LOENING-MARTENS
DIANE LOENING-MARTENSDiane is a carer of a myeloma patient, her husband, and a volunteer in the AMM-Online organisation. She was vice president at Myelom Deutschland in 2020 and, along with her husband, led the myeloma support group for patients and caregivers in Hamburg. Diane is a trained nurse with special training in psychiatry and palliative care. She is also an educator for early childhood. One of Diane’s interests is working to address the needs of younger patients and improving palliative care as part of myeloma treatment. Diane completed the MPE Advocate Development Programme (ADP) in 2019.
DIANE LOENING-MARTENS
Diane-Loening Martens is Vice-President of MPE. She joined the Board in March 2022.
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BARBARA LEONARDI
BARBARA LEONARDI
BARBARA LEONARDIBarbara is a patient advocate and a member of Carita, the Polish multiple myeloma patient organisation. With diplomas in history of art and English-Polish translation, Barbara has established her professional career as a copywriter, editor and translator specialising in law, business and economy. After being diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2019, she decided to get involved in patient advocacy. The first step was the one-year Advocacy Development Programme organised by Myeloma Patients Europe. The programme led to her becoming actively engaged with MPE projects and voicing the patients’ issues on the European level. Barbara is passionate about the patient’s role in the medical landscape and their right to clear and thorough information. She believes that an illness shouldn’t define anybody, as it is just one of many experiences in a person’s life.
BARBARA LEONARDI
Barbara Leonardi is Treasurer of MPE. She joined the Board in March 2022.
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ZVI ZILBERMAN
ZVI ZILBERMAN
ZVI ZILBERMANZvi is a myeloma patient and an active member of the organisation AMEN (Israel). He has graduated in Computer Science from the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology and has a master’s in MBA with distinction from Derby University. He is a Software engineer with 25 years of experience in the fields of development, marketing, and program management in various hi-tech companies. For the last ten years, Zvi has worked for Intel Israel. He aims to improve early diagnosis of myeloma. In addition, he is willing to strengthen patient organisations across Europe by sharing knowledge and information. Zvi completed the MPE Advocate Development Program (ADP) in 2021.
ZVI ZILBERMAN
Zvi Zilberman is Secretary of MPE. He joined the Board in March 2022.
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REIDAR NORDBY
REIDAR NORDBY
REIDAR NORDBYReidar is a Mechanical Engineer graduate from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. He worked in the private industry until 1988, when he was appointed CEO of the Norwegian National Lottery and stayed until the end of 2007. During this period, he was President of the World Lottery Association for six years and gained valuable experience leading an international association. He has also been Consul for Sweden in Norway for 20 years. As a myeloma patient, Reidar has been a member of the National Board of the Norwegian Blood Cancer Association since 2021. He is particularly interested in working for quicker diagnoses and strengthening government and public relations.
REIDAR NORDBY
Reidar Nordby joined the Board in March 2023.
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VINCENT CLAUS
VINCENT CLAUS
VINCENT CLAUSAfter having been diagnosed with myeloma in 2019, Vincent Claus got in touch with MPE and joined the Taskforce. In 2022, he joined the Advocate Development Programme (ADP) and has since then been involved in many patient advocacy efforts such as SISAQOL-IMI. Recently with the support of MPE, he launched a specific support group for younger myeloma patients (European Young Myeloma Patients Group). His main fields of interest are the youngest myeloma population, lobbying for early(er) diagnosis and equal treatment approaches across Europe.
VINCENT CLAUS
Vincent Claus joined the Board in April 2024.
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SNEŽANA DODER
SNEŽANA DODER
SNEŽANA DODERSnezana is a myeloma patient the president of the Serbian Association of Myeloma Patients (Udruženje obolelih od multiplog mijeloma Srbije). She spent years working as a business consultant covering finance, regulatory frameworks, international trade and distribution and also served as finance director with extensive experience at board level. Snezana’s mission is sharing knowledge, experiences, advocacy strategies, and developing collaboration between different EU regions to improve the capacities of CEE country myeloma associations.
SNEŽANA DODER
Snežana Doder joined the Board in April 2024.
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KRISTINA MODIC
KRISTINA MODIC
KRISTINA MODICKristina is the co-founder and long-time president of the Slovenian Lymphoma and Leukemia Patient Association, L&L and is currently serving as its managing director. She is also president of the Association of Slovenian Cancer Patients’ Organizations – Onko Net; a member of the Patients’ Council of the Oncology Institute Ljubljana and a member of the Council for the Supervision of the National Cancer Control Program at the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Slovenia. Kristina has a bachelor’s degree in business and management and has over 20 years of professional experience on the fields of project management, sales, marketing, PR and human resources.
KRISTINA MODIC
Kristina Modic joined the Board in April 2024.
Our staff
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KATIE JOYNER
KATIE JOYNER
KATIE JOYNERKatie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Arts from Georgetown University in Liberal Studies with a concentration in International Affairs. Katie has 15 years of experience with nonprofit organisations, specialising in development and programme management. Before joining MPE, Katie served as the Director of Development at a large New York City nonprofit supporting individuals with developmental disabilities, where she oversaw fundraising, board management, and events. Katie is originally from North Carolina, United States and is currently based in Munich, Germany.
KATIE JOYNER
Katie is co-Chief Executive Officer (CEO). She joined MPE in April 2020.
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KATE MORGAN
KATE MORGAN
KATE MORGANShe holds a Bachelor’s degree in Government from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences and a Master’s degree in International and European Politics from the University of Edinburgh. She also holds a Diploma in Public Relations from the Chartered Institute for Public Relations. Her main area of interest is health policy, specifically focusing on policies affecting drug development and access in European countries.
Kate previously worked for eight years in the Policy Team at Myeloma UK, where she was involved in influencing a range of policy and reimbursement decisions affecting myeloma patients’ access to good quality care and effective new drugs. She was involved in several patient and public advisory panels in the UK healthcare system, including for the Scottish Medicines Consortium, the drug approval body in Scotland.
She has been involved in a wide range of patient organisation networks, both nationally and internationally – most recently chairing the Blood Cancers Alliance, an information-sharing network of haematological cancer charities in the UK.
Kate currently lives and works in Edinburgh, Scotland.
KATE MORGAN
Kate is co-Chief Executive Officer (CEO). She joined the team in September 2017.
Access and Policy
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MONICA RACOVITA
MONICA RACOVITA
MONICA RACOVITAMonica holds a PhD in Global Social Sciences from Doshisha University, Japan and a Master of Engineering in Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology from Nagoya University, Japan. In her undergraduate studies she studied Biomedical Engineering at the University of Pharmacy and Medicine in Iasi, Romania. After her PhD she worked on science and health policy issues in academia, international development or consultancy in Italy, Austria and the UK. Subjects included the biosafety evaluations of genetically modified crops, Responsible Research and Innovation, Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things and public health. A desire to work for non-profit organizations and in particular for one representing patients led her to MPE, which she joined in January 2024. Monica comes from Romania and currently resides in the UK. She speaks Romanian, English and Italian and has a working/partial understanding of French and Spanish.
MONICA RACOVITA
Monica joined in January 2024 as Access and Policy Manager.
Medical Education and Scientific Engagement
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SOLÈNE CLAVREUL
SOLÈNE CLAVREUL
SOLÈNE CLAVREULSolène holds a PhD in Neuroscience and a Master of Biology and Physiology from Sorbonne University (Paris). She studied brain development during her PhD and then worked on brain cellular diversity as a researcher at the Helmholtz Zentrum München (Germany). Early involved in education, she has been leading holiday camps for children for many years and worked in a science museum during her studies to promote science, design exhibitions and lead workshops.
Interested in science policy and particularly in the health field, she trained herself in European policy implementation, clinical data management and industrial pharma management before joining MPE.
Solène comes from France and currently lives and works in Munich, Germany. She speaks French, English and German.
SOLÈNE CLAVREUL
Solène is Head of Medical Education and Scientific Engagement. She joined the team in January 2021.
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MORINE MAGURI
MORINE MAGURI
MORINE MAGURIMorine holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Development Studies from Midlands State University in Zimbabwe. She previously worked for an NGO that focused on advocating for people with terminal and stigmatised diseases such as HIV and was also involved in providing counselling, education and support to people living in vulnerable communities.
In 2018 she moved to Germany, and since then, she has gained experience in nursing procedures related to treatment plans, medication schedules and patient assessments. Morine speaks English, German and Shona.
MORINE MAGURI
Morine joined MPE as Project Officer in December 2021.
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THISARI DHARMAPRIYA
Thisari Dharmapriya
Thisari has a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia and is currently studying medicine at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. She is passionate about improving the health literacy of patients and medication management. In the last 10 years, she has had experience working as a pharmacist, research assistant and organiser for study abroad programs for medical students. In addition to her studies, in her free time, she is a mentor for international students. She has acquired her “Mental Health First Aid Certificate”, which aims to train participants to treat mental health emergencies with the same level of care and expertise as physical medical conditions. Being from Australia, Thisari also has a particular interest in indigenous Australian health and closing the gap in healthcare between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. She speaks English, Sinhalese and German.
THISARI DHARMAPRIYA
Thisari joined MPE as a Medical and Scientific Officer in October 2023.
Patient Evidence
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EILIDH DUNCAN
EILIDH DUNCAN
EILIDH DUNCANEilidh holds a PhD and MSc in Health Psychology and is a Chartered Health Psychologist. Her interests are in improving experiences of healthcare and in translating evidence into clinical practice. Eilidh is also interested in improving experiences of trial participation.
Before joining MPE, she spent 13 years working in a Scottish Government funded health services research unit tasked with improving health care for the people of Scotland, the UK and beyond. Eilidh led multidisciplinary, international research projects into improving experiences of healthcare. She also co-led the initiation of a behavioural science approach to trial methodology within the Clinical Trials Unit to reduce research waste and maximise trial efficiency. She has a mixed-methods research background and expertise in health psychology, behavioural science and participatory methods. She is passionate about doing work that has a real impact on improving outcomes and experiences for patients. Eilidh is currently based in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
EILIDH DUNCAN
Eilidh joined MPE in February 2023 as the Head of Patient Research.
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SILEN TEN SELDAM
SILENE TEN SELDAM
SILENE TEN SELDAMSilene holds a BSc (Hons) in Psychology from the University of Stirling and an MSc in Mental health in Children and Young People from the University of Edinburgh. She has experience in conducting qualitative research through a placement at the University of Stirling’s Careers and Employability Service and quantitative research experience, using both primary and secondary data, through her degree research projects. Silene also has experience in supporting individuals with mental health difficulties through voluntary roles during her time at university, such as Nightline, and healthcare experience through her role as a care and support worker for individuals with learning difficulties and complex needs. Silene is big on advocating for inclusivity and supporting vulnerable populations and is therefore enthusiastic about filling research gaps by expanding on current research to improve the understanding of myeloma patient experience and quality of life. Silene speaks English, French, German and Dutch and is currently based in Edinburgh.
SILENE TEN SELDAM
Silene joined MPE in October 2021 as Research Assistant.
Member and Patient Community Programmes
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LINDA CHRISTOPHER
LINDA CHRISTOPHER
LINDA CHRISTOPHERLinda holds a Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology and a Master’s in Medical and Psychiatric Social work from the University of Madras, India. She has vast experience in leading, managing, teaching and training in the Social (non-profit) and Educational sectors.
Her area of expertise in the past has been working with and for victims and survivors of domestic violence and abuse. Her passion and interest are to connect with vulnerable individuals/communities, be the change and make a difference for them to have holistic development. Linda comes from India and currently lives and works in Munich, Germany. She speaks English, Tamil and conversational German.
LINDA CHRISTOPHER
Linda joined the MPE team as Project Manager in September 2021.
Communications
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ANA VALLEJO
ANA VALLEJO
ANA VALLEJOShe holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Complutense University of Madrid, a Master’s degree in Audiovisual Communication from the University Antonio de Nebrija in Madrid and a Master’s degree in Digital Communications Strategies from the Complutense University of Madrid.
Ana worked as a journalist in weekly newspapers specialising in health and consumer health monthly magazines. She has been involved in different patient advocacy groups, first as a volunteer and later on within the communications department. Since 2014, Ana has worked as a PR and press consultant in the health department of an international PR agency, developing communication strategies for prominent pharmaceutical companies.
Ana has been involved in producing two books focused on patients with cancer as a co-writer and editorial coordinator. She speaks Spanish and English.
ANA VALLEJO
Ana is Head of Communications. She joined MPE in September 2016.
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Patricia Matamoros
PATRICIA MATAMOROS
PATRICIA MATAMOROSPatricia holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Florida and a master’s degree in Advertising Communications from the University Carlos III of Madrid. Patricia has experience in TV news production and social media management. She previously worked at a news station in Gainesville, Florida, USA managing the social media department. She speaks Spanish and English and is originally from Managua, Nicaragua. She is currently based in Madrid, Spain.
PATRICIA MATAMOROS
Patricia joined the MPE team as Communications Officer in September 2021.
Finance and Operations
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RIIKA LEMPIAINEN
RIIKA LEMPIAINEN
RIIKA LEMPIAINENRiika holds a Master’s degree in History and Economics from the University of Tampere. She has nearly 20 years of experience in finance, HR and general management in both international corporations and the non-profit sector. Most recently she worked for a Brussels-based European association advocating for informal carers where she was responsible for their finance, HR and member administration. Her areas of expertise cover business planning, reporting, controlling and analyses, financial project management including EU Grant administration, corporate and association governance, and contract management.
Riika speaks English, French and Finnish, as well as some German and Swedish. She is based in the Frankfurt region in Germany.
RIIKA LEMPIAINEN
Riika joined the MPE team as Finance Officer in January 2023.
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VALENTINA CHRISTODOULIDOU
VALENTINA CHRISTODOULIDOU
VALENTINA CHRISTODOULIDOUValentina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Cyprus and a Master’s degree in Human Rights from the University of Sussex. Valentina has experience working as an HR Research Officer in a multinational HR organization. She has also worked for one of the largest trade unions in Cyprus, representing workers across all sectors. She speaks Greek and English and is originally from Cyprus. She is currently based in Munich, Germany.
VALENTINA CHRISTODOULIDOU
Valentina joined the MPE team as HR and Operations Officer in September 2021.
