Advisory board

The external advisory board (EAB)

Posted on May 10, 2024  •  3 minutes  • 576 words

The consortium will be supported by an external advisory board (EAB) which consists of scientific experts, an expert patient nominated by E.M.S.P. and a representant from industry.

• Ms. Jana Hlavacova, expert patient group, E.M.S.P.
• Professor Maria Masucci, Karolinska institute, Stockholm, Sweden
• Dr. Francesca Aloisi, Retired former employee of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
• Christopher Oelkrug Director Business Development at Advanced Clinical

Jana Hlaváčová

Jana Hlaváčová brings to the advisory board a lived patient experience and expertise of a pan-European patient organisation – European Multiple Sclerosis Platform (EMSP). Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) at age 24, Jana has been actively involved with the EMSP since 2015, initially through the Young People’s Network, later serving in the Executive Committee (2015–2022) and interim CEO (Sept 2022–May 2023). She continues to contribute as EMSP’s External Policy Advisor. Jana works at the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, where she co-founded a patient involvement agenda and currently focuses on healthcare policy areas including clinical trials, health technology assessment, healthcare workforce and relating innovative technology applications. She was part of COVID-19 crisis management teams and coordinated provision of Czech humanitarian aid in medicinal products to Ukraine shortly after the Russian invasion. Jana has a legal background and has previously held positions dedicated to human rights on national and international level.

Maria Grazia Masucci

Maria Grazia Masucci is since 1997 Professor of Virology at the Karolinska Institutet. She was born in Italy where she earned her medical degree in 1977 and specialization in Experimental Oncology in 1980 at the University of Ferrara. She obtained her PhD in Tumor Biology at the Karolinska Institutet in 1985 and became docent in Tumor immunology in 1987. Her research aims to understand how tumor viruses can promote cell growth and malignant transformation, and how cellular and host immune defenses deal with these abnormal cells. Her studies on viral host-cell remodeling are particularly focused on perturbation of the ubiquitin protein system and on the induction of DNA damage and genomic instability in cells infected with oncogenic herpesviruses. Since 2006 she is a member EMBO and of the Swedish Royal Academy of Science.

Francesca Aloisi

Francesca Aloisi has been Head of Research and Acting Director of the Department of Neuroscience at Istituto Superiore di Sanità in Rome, Italy, until November 30, 2023. She is a biologist with past research interests in neuropharmacology, neurochemistry, glial cell biology and neuro-immune interactions. Over the past 20 years, she has been involved in investigations on the aetiopathogenesis of multiple sclerosis. She has coordinated research activities aimed at clarifying the involvement of and the interactions among B cells, Epstein-Barr virus and antiviral immunity in the development of central nervous system inflammation and tissue damage in multiple sclerosis.

Christopher Oelkrug

Christopher Oelkrug acts currently as a Director of Business Development at Cytel and is primarily focused on identifying new opportunities with sponsors to provide a better clinical experience. Based on his broad experience in Cancer Immunotherapy and Immunology and his entrepreneurial mindset, Christopher brings a unique perspective to novel developments within these therapeutics fields. His focus lies on the translation of basic research into life saving therapies and acts as an interface between science and the industry.
Christopher has a M.Sc. in Cancer Immunotherapy and is the holder of several patents in gut microbiome modulation and antibiotic resistance. Through his broad experience and global network in the Life Science field including basic research and the industry he is constantly identifying new trends.