EFA

I am Allergy UK Chief Executive, responsible for the strategic development of the charity. Since 2017, I am an EFA Board member with a responsibility for supporting EFA with advice on development of strategy. This includes also representation at the Global Asthma and Allergy Patient Platform and being the Board liaison on indoor air quality. Board Member since 2017, Secretary since 2019, Treasurer since 2020.

I am the President of Food Allergy Italia, an association founded in 2002 focusing specifically on food allergies. I have taken part in several (inter)national studies on quality of life with food allergies. Being a lawyer, I also perform trainings for doctors, nurses and food business operators on issues related to legislation on food labelling. Board Member since 2020.

For over 15 years now, I work in the allergy, asthma and COPD patient movement. Being a patient myself, I am passionate about patients’ involvement in health, environment and research policy and partnership approach to achieve this. I represent EFA in many initiatives, last five years I served in the EC DG Research and Innovation’s Horizon 2020 Scientific Panel for Health, I was in the board of European Patients Forum EPF for 12 years and now I am Chair of the Patient Access Partnership PACT. As a Director I support the EFA Board and lead our busy and fabulous Secretariat.

I lead EFA policy and communications work. I joined EFA in 2014 to help EFA patients’ community improve awareness allergy, asthma and COPD. As Deputy Director and carer, I am moved by the need to ultimately bring positive policy change and action to patients and their families. I represent EFA in policy meetings, particularly within EFA’s care portfolio.

In 2020 I joined EFA to lead the management and implementation of EFA’s projects, including the EU funded ones. I have 10 years of experience in the field of public health and international development, both in NGOs and for-profit companies. My commitment is to ensure that the patients’ perspective is always at the centre of all EFA’s projects and that patients continue being the driver of EFA’s activities.

I joined EFA to contribute to change so that our patients and patients’ representatives are heard, empowered and informed. As a creative and passionate individual with an eye for detail, I worked for over five years with a variety of NGOs, supporting them with the development of their strategies and delivery of their educational/e-learning programmes and conferences. As the Events and Programme Officer at EFA, I ensure that with every project we become one step closer for all people with allergy, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Europe to live uncompromised lives.

I start working at EFA in August 2022 after completing my studies in healthcare policy and management. I joined EFA to advocate for better access to care at European level, and so I can continue to learn more about healthcare. My position as Junior Project Officer helps me to be involved in multidisciplinary projects, and challenge and improve my organisation skills. My first contact with patients with allergies and asthma, and their struggles, was on Erasmus and this helped me to want to raise awareness about these conditions.

At EFA I am responsible for the design, management and implementation of several EU and international projects. I have a background in clinical psychology and before settling in Brussels in 2019, I worked in a public health context in Italy. In order to engage and connect with individuals and organisations promoting health and wellbeing at the EU-level, I decided to move to Brussels where I joined a variety of NGOs that enabled me to enter the world of EU-funded initiatives and project management. My expertise mainly focuses on physical and mental health, innovation, green and digital twin transition. Being a qualified psychologist with a strong interest in public health, I am proud to contribute to EFA’s mission of advocating for better health and improving the lives of all people living with allergy and airways diseases.

I contribute to EFA since 2018 to develop advocacy and communications initiatives vis-á-vis the institutions and other stakeholders in the context of specific policy dossiers. EFA’s mission is fully aligned with my beliefs on the most pressing problems patients face in our days, such as participation in policymaking, the right to quality care, and the need for a healthier ambient environment. I am focal point for EFA’s prevention portfolio.

I joined EFA in 2022 as a passionate young professional interested in the protection of social rights of citizens. I have a background in European Union law, and previously I have worked with several EU and international stakeholders in order to contribute to advancements of EU legislation in various policy areas. I am interested in developing advocacy and policy strategies for patients with allergies and airway diseases so that they have their rights properly represented and addressed before all relevant policymakers and stakeholders across the EU and beyond. I am supporting the policy work at EFA on both prevention and care related issues.

I am at EFA to help the organisation be heard by its stakeholders and to improve communication procedures and tools. I joined EFA in 2023 after having held marketing and communications roles in research institutes, companies and consulting firms for about 20 years. As the father of a young patient with respiratory and food allergies, I am totally committed to supporting the EFA community and advocating for their rights.

I am EFA’s Digital Campaigns Assistant, supporting the policy and communications team. I am a recent graduate from a Master’s in International Relations and I have experience working for NGOs in the health sector. I am interested in peer-support, and I want to enable EFA’s patients’ voices to be shared. I believe it is necessary to give visibility and accountability to patients’ lived experience to ensure they have healthcare services that meet their particular needs.