Key Persons

Universitat de Vic – Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-CC)

Javier Jerez-Roig

Professor (Serra Húnter Fellow) and lecturer in Community and Geriatric Physiotherapy.

Javier Jerez-Roig

He leads the M 3 O Research Group at UVic-UCC and heads the Healthcare research line at IRIS- CC. Javier also serves as a Research Adviser to the Catalan Board of Physiotherapists and is a Senior Researcher at the Lithuanian Sports University. His expertise includes geriatric physiotherapy, healthy ageing, and continence care. He has published 90 papers, supervised 11 PhD theses, and led 26 research projects, including 19 funded initiatives.

Andrea Fuente-Vidal

Physiotherapist, MSc in physical activity, PhD in Education and Sports Sciences.

Andrea Fuente-Vidal

She has extensive experience in physical training and university lecturing within the Degree of Physiotherapy. Her participation in funded research projects includes experience with app-delivered physical training, e-Health, online educational courses on physical activity and nutrition in cancer survivors and an emphasis in the older adult population. Since 2022, Andrea holds positions of Project Manager for EU-funded projects at UVic-UCC, where she collaborates in coordination and science-related approaches.

Institute of Vic (IVic)

Mayra Monroy Martìnez

VET Teacher. Head of the Health Department, IVic. Holds a Master’s degree in Biology Laboratory Expertise.

Mayra Monroy Martìnez

She has long-standing experience in teaching Pharmacy Assistance and Clinical Laboratory modules in vocational programmes.

Maria Dolors Cubì Quadrada

VET Teacher. Head of the Health Department, IVic. Holds a Master’s degree in Pharmacy.

Maria Dolors Cubì Quadrada

She specialises in Clinical Pharmacy and has extensive teaching experience in Nursing Assistance.

Cristòfol Estrella i Padilla

VET Teacher Headmaster of IVic. President of NetinVet. Holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.

Cristòfol Estrella i Padilla

HHe teaches Business Organisation and Management and has broad experience leading Erasmus+ projects. He is a founding member and current President of NetinVet, a European network that connects VET centres at EQF levels 4 and 5.

University of Alberta

Adrian Wagg

is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Alberta and Professor of Continence Sciences at the University of Gothenburg.

Adrian Wagg

He is a specialist in Geriatric and General Medicine, his research focuses on urinary incontinence, quality of care in nursing homes, and community engagement. He co-chairs the International Consultation on Incontinence. Adrian is actively involved in clinical guideline development and leads several national and international research collaborations aimed at improving senior care and promoting healthy ageing.[ Adrian Wagg - Directory@UAlberta.ca}

Wiliam Gibson

is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta.

Wiliam Gibson

He conducts research on urinary incontinence (UI), including its links to falls in older adults, its impact on cognitive performance, and management in dementia. He also studies medications for overactive bladder syndrome. [https://apps.ualberta.ca/directory/person/wgi bson]

Jane Schulz

Jane Schulz

is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Head of Department with expertise in urogynecology and continence research in older women [https://apps.ualberta.ca/directory/person/sch ulz]

Turku Vocational Institute (TAI)

Anna-Maija Karapuu,

is a first aid teacher at Turku Vocational Institute with ten years of experience in nursing education.

Anna-Maija Karapuu,

She specialises in online teaching and is actively involved in the path study collaboration between Turku Vocational Institute and Turku University of Applied Sciences. Anna has over 20 years of clinical experience in the acute surgical department at Turku University Hospital, with a specialisation in wound and stoma care.

Tuija Suotunen

a nurse and Master of Health Sciences, works as a teacher at Turku Vocational Institute and has been teaching for 16 years.

Tuija Suotunen

Tuija has also worked as a nurse at Turku University Hospital in the Traumatology Department for three years and in home care for the City of Turku for two years. Tuija specializes in teaching final-year practical nursing students surgical nursing and home care.

KU Leuven

Hannelore Strauven

is a postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Engineering Technology of KU Leuven with a strong interest in ambient intelligence and healthcare technology.

Hannelore Strauven

In her PhD, Hannelore conducted a human-centred design and development of an ambient monitoring technology to support continence care in nursing homes. This research was aimed to support both care personnel and residents by improving the quality of care and quality of life. In addition to her research, Hannelore is the coordinator of the Advanced Master of Innovative Health Technology, a programme with a specific focus on the integration of different healthcare technologies and methodologies into usable systems.

Bart Vanrumste

is a Professor at the Faculty of Engineering Technology of KU Leuven.

Bart Vanrumste

He is a member of the STADIUS division of the Department of Electrical Engineering and a member of e-Media Research Lab at Campus Group T. His research interest is decision support in healthcare in general and ambient assisted living in particular. He has (co-)authored over 90 peer- reviewed papers in international journals or conference proceedings. He is associate editor of IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics.

Vic Hospital Consortium (CHV)

Roger Hortal-Mas

is a Registered Nurse with an MSc and a PhD candidate at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB).

Roger Hortal-Mas

He is Coordinator of Research, Education, and Innovation in Nursing Care at CHV, leading initiatives to enhance evidence-based nursing practices and integrated care models. His clinical background focuses on mental health across diverse care settings and long-term care. He teaches in the Bachelor of Nursing and the Master's Degree in Nursing Innovation Applied to Vulnerability and Health at UAB. He is also a member of the Ethics Committee for Investigation with Medicinal Products at the Institute for Research and Innovation in Life and Health Sciences in Central Catalonia.

Ramona Nicoleta Sandu

is a Registered Nurse with postgraduate academic training and an established background in geriatrics and clinical research.

Ramona Nicoleta Sandu

She works in an intermediate care hospital, where she combines clinical care with teaching and applied research. She is a member of the C3RG research group and actively contributes to various projects. She has presented at national and international conferences and received research grants from FORES. She trains healthcare professionals, aiming to improve geriatric care through the integration of clinical practice, research, and education.

Montse Solé-Casals

is a Registered Nurse with an MSc.

Montse Solé-Casals

She serves as Director of Intermediate Care and Dependency at CHV and has extensive experience in geriatric care and healthcare management. Montse has taught in the Nursing and Occupational Therapy programmes at UVic-UCC, as well as in master’s programmes focused on active aging and palliative care. She currently represents CatSalut in Central Catalonia as Delegate for Integrated Care and is a member of the Sociosanitary Advisory Council. She also coordinates the ResiCOVID-19 research project, which studies the impact of the pandemic on long- term care.

Byteflies

Lise Lynen

Lise Lynen is the application specialist and project manager at Byteflies.

Lise Lynen

Lise has over 10 years of experience in medical technology and transmural care. Within Byteflies, she builds bridges between hospitals and industry partners, aiming to implement transmural care and make it routine clinical practice, via training, change management, and pro-active customer care.

Zorg Leuven

Karen Gilis

holds a university degree in motor recovery and kinesitherapy. She is the coordinator of resident care across the four nursing homes of Zorg Leuven.

Karen Gilis

Her role includes overseeing and implementing the electronic care file system, managing the use of belRAI to assess residents' care needs, and leading initiatives in key care areas such as continence care, comfort care, and advanced care planning. She also coordinates various projects involving the nursing homes to improve quality of care.

Laura Vandenberk

started in 2019 as a speech-language therapist at Zorg Leuven. Now, she works as specialist of life, living and care in Edouard Remy (one of the four nursing homes of Zorg Leuven).

Laura Vandenberk

She works in close contact with the director in order to implement the vision in the nursing home. Therefor, she coordinates various projects to improve quality of life and quality of care.

World Federation of Incontinence and Pelvic Problems (WFIPP)

Mary Lynne Van Poelgeest,

President of WFIPP since 2011, is an international patient advocate committed to promoting patient rights globally

Mary Lynne Van Poelgeest,

With 23 years of experience at Shell in the Netherlands, she holds a BA from the UK and a Drs. Degree from Leiden University. She is involved with organisations such as IAPO, EPF, and EFPIA, and has been Vice-Chair of EFGCP since 2017. Mary Lynne is also a member of the EAU Patient Office Board, the PACT Steering Committee, and several advisory panels. She co-chairs the European Health Coalition and works to improve patient engagement and healthcare access across Europe. Mary Lynne van Poelgeest–Pomfret received the EAU Patient Advocacy Medal of Excellence during the EAU Congress 2025 for her work as an effective patient advocate and her positive impact on European Urology over the past 20 years

Turku University of Applied Sciences

Marion Karppi

holds an M.Sc. in Public Health and is a Senior Lecturer in Health and Well-Being.

Marion Karppi

She leads the New Ways of Promoting Performance research group and coordinates national and international projects. Marion teaches physiotherapy, with a focus on health promotion, physical activity, ergonomics, and musculoskeletal care. She holds a Project Management Foundation Certificate (PMAF 2018) and is currently a doctoral researcher at the Turku University School of Economics, where she studies teamwork and well-being at work

Becton Dickinson Benelux (BD)

Tannaz Mirbaha

is a PharmD and MBA-qualified Medical Affairs leader with a strong foundation in clinical science and strategic healthcare management.

Tannaz Mirbaha

She currently serves as EMEA UCC Medical Affairs Manager at BD, where she leads cross-functional initiatives focused on clinical evidence generation, healthcare professional engagement, and medical strategy alignment across diverse markets in EMEA. With a background in pharmacy and extensive experience in marketing and product management, Tannaz has played a pivotal role in shaping medical programs that support innovation in urology, critical care solutions. Her work spans medical education, KOL development, and the integration of scientific insights into business strategy. Tannaz is passionate about advancing patient outcomes through evidence-based practice, cross-border collaboration, and impactful medical affairs leadership.

Jakub Hodek

is the EMEA Senior Programmes Manager for Public Policy & Advocacy, overseeing public policy projects at both European and international levels.

Jakub Hodek

His work focuses on the digitalisation of healthcare and stakeholder engagement with EU institutions, scientific bodies, NGOs, and patient associations. He currently leads a public policy programme aimed at improving urinary incontinence care in nursing homes. Jacob holds an MSc in Political Economy of Europe from the London School of Economics and Political Science and an MA in European Affairs from Sciences Po.

EuroCentro

Maria Nygren

Has extensive experience in European public affairs, EU-funded programmes, network building and stakeholder engagement.

Maria Nygren

She holds a Master of Arts in European Political and Administrative Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges and a Bachelor's degree from Uppsala University in Sweden. She is a co-founder and a partner at EuroCentro, a consultancy specialised in European project development and cooperation. Prior to this, Ms. Nygren worked for the European Commission in Brussels, where she gained experience in EU policy-making.

Claudio Carlone

Has over 20 years of experience managing complex national and transnational projects. He brings extensive expertise in training and life-long learning initiatives, including the development of innovative training concepts and the validation of competencies and guidance.

Claudio Carlone

Mr. Carlone regularly delivers lectures to graduate and post graduate students on topics related to EU project management and development. He holds an academic background in economic and financial studies from the University of Ancona in Italy and the Institut Catholique des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (ICHEC) in Brussels and is a co-founder and partner at EuroCentro.