Get to know us

Prof. Hesham Elghazaly, a clinical oncology professor and Head of the Medical Research Center (MASRI) at Ain Shams University, chairs the Presidential Initiative of Women’s Health in Egypt. Launched in 2019 as part of the 100 Million Health initiative, aligned with Egypt's vision 2030 and SDGs, the initiative targets breast cancer, the most prevalent cancer in women. It focuses on early detection, screening, and updated treatment guidelines at health ministry and university-affiliated hospitals. The initiative adopts a Multidisciplinary Team approach, ensuring equitable cancer management per international standards. Prof. Elghazaly's MASRI serves as an innovative hub for research and knowledge transfer, collaborating internationally. It encompasses a Cancer Biobank, Genome Center, clinical research and preclinical centers, and a bioinformatics network. It has published over 150 international manuscripts. Additionally, Prof. Elghazaly is the founder and president of BGICS, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing cancer prevention  &creating one of the most recognized platform for continuous education in Africa& Middle East. Actively involved in international and national societies, including ASCO and ESMO, he also chairs Alfa Cure Oncology Center, the first European-accredited, multi-branched center for integrated oncology management and palliative care for cancer patients. In May 2024 , Egypt joined IARC as the 29th  Participating State, while Prof. Elghazaly elected as IARC Scientific Board Member as an expert highlighting his dedication to advancing cancer research.

Tanja Spanic, is a dedicated patient advocate and the current President of Europa Donna Slovenia as
well as the past President of Europa Donna – The European Breast Cancer Coalition. Diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 26, Tanja joined Europa Donna Slovenia just a year later. Since then, she has been an active and influential breast cancer advocate both nationally and internationally. She serves in numerous leadership and advisory roles, including as a faculty member at BCY and EBCC, and on the steering committees of the Olympia and POSITIVE clinical trials. She chairs the ESMO Patient Advocates Working Group and is a member of the ESMO Policy Making Group. Additionally, she contributes to the EBCTCG at Oxford and the Lancet Breast Cancer Commission. In Slovenia, she is a member of the Ethical Committee of the Institute of Oncology, the steering committee for screening programs at the Ministry of Health, and the Health Council at the Ministry of Health. She is also a co-author of several breast cancer scientific papers. She holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree and a PhD in Molecular and Behavioural Neuroscience.

Carla Whitbread became a breast cancer patient representative and advocate following her diagnosis of Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) de novo in 2011, at the age of 37. Driven by her experience, Carla is dedicated to raising awareness of MBC and advocating for improved cancer services to enhance survival rates and quality of life for those affected by the disease. Locally, Carla serves as the ambassador of Força – Strength Against Cancer, a UK-registered charity that supports the physical and mental well-being of individuals living with or affected by cancer. She also plays an integral role in Wessex Cancer Alliance’s Patient and Public Involvement Steering Group. Nationally, Carla is an Executive Committee Member of Europa Donna UK. In October 2024, she was elected Europa Donna’s Alternate Representative to the ABC Global Alliance Board of Directors. Additionally, she contributes to the Audit Advisory Committee for NaoME (National Audit of Metastatic Breast Cancer) as a Patient Representative. In 2023, Carla was one of five faces of The Cancer Currency, a pan-European campaign that aims to prioritize metastatic breast cancer and underscore the value of women living with the disease. Through her work, Carla continues to drive change in the MBC community, advocating for greater awareness, better services, and hope for the future.

Since January 2023, Ms. Rossella Blasi, a senior manager experienced in human and financial resources, has been part of the office of the CEO of the European School of Oncology. In her role, she is responsible for coordinating the Milan and Bellinzona offices and supporting the CEO in various activities. Subsequently, she was appointed Executive Director to promote the growth of the School in its mission to advance education in oncology. Her focus includes implementing strategies to improve processes and ensure that projects are context- and results-oriented.
Previously, Ms. Blasi served as Chief Operating Officer at IFOM ETS since 2015, overseeing the operational and administrative functions of the organisation.
With over 20 years of experience in non-profit organisation management, her work has mainly focused on the coordination and management of human and financial resources within charitable organisations.

Kyle Srinivasan is a Global Patient Partnership Director for Breast Cancer and Women’s Health at F.Hoffmann-La Roche. She thrives on building trusting relationships between people living with breast cancer and the private sector to achieve shared goals. Through her work with the global breast cancer community, she has been able to understand the impact of living with breast cancer on individual and their loved ones. Kyle is grateful to be in a position where she collaborates with the global breast cancer community to strategically advise on how to humanize healthcare in the interest of people living with breast cancer. She shares the ambition of the patient community that no one should die from breast cancer. Kyle brings more than 20 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry working across the global drug development life cycle gaining a robust perspective of patients, providers, payers and regulators. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from the University of South Carolina.

Stacy M. Lewis is a nonprofit changemaker who serves as the Chief Program Officer and Deputy Chief Executive for Young Survival Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the unique and complex needs of young adults diagnosed with breast cancer. In her 24-year career, Stacy has honed expertise in engaging diverse and inclusive survivor communities in an effort to reduce the disparities in healthcare experienced by historically marginalized groups. Early in Stacy’s tenure at YSC she was charged with creating meaningful programs for the community of young adults living with metastatic breast cancer (mBC). Her foundational project was the creation of the first-ever video entitled “The Beautiful Eight,” featuring the stories of eight young women living with mBC. She continues to lead the development and delivery of YSC’s many programs designed to reach, connect, educate and support the community of young adults affected by mBC. Stacy is an internationally sought-after expert on the young adult breast cancer experience. As a research and legislative patient advocate, Stacy has presented at the Australian Oncology Nurses Group and National Conference for Young Women with Breast Cancer, Japan's Hereditary Breast & Ovarian Cancer medical and patient consortiums, and ESO-ESMO Breast Cancer in Young Women (BCY) and Advanced Breast Cancer (ABC)international consensus meetings, among others. YSC is a founding member of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance. Stacy currently serves on the Executive Group as a member-At-large.

Vicki joined BreastCancer Network Australia (BCNA) – Australia’s leading voice for people affected by breast cancer - at the start of 2020.  As BCNA’s Director of Policy, Advocacy and Support Services, she brings extensive health leadership, governance, research, clinical and management experience – spanning 30 years.  Vicki is a registered nurse and gained a Master of Education in Leadership Policy and Change from Monash University in 2012. She has been appointed terms on a range of committees, including the Medicare Benefits Scheme Review Liaison Group, the Victorian COVID-19 Cancer Network Taskforce, and the Australian Access to Breast Reconstruction Collaborative Group.  Vicki is passionate about ensuring healthcare consumers have a voice.  That philosophy is at the centre of everything she does in BCNA’srigorous advocacy striving to improve the experience of Australians affected by breast cancer.

Dr Amanda Drury is an Associate Professor in General Nursing in the School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health, Dublin City University, Ireland. She has over fifteen years of experience in cancer care across clinical and academic settings, and holds a PhD and MSc in Cancer Care from Trinity College Dublin. Her research interests span the areas of supportive and palliative care in cancer and chronic illness. Her research aims to enhance understanding of the health and well-being of people affected by cancer, including the personal, social and healthcare factors which influence these outcomes. She is a member of the European Cancer Mission Board and a Board Member of the European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS), and Chair of the EONS Research Working Group.