Clinical Consultant, Cancer Research UK Centre for Epidemiology, Mathematics and Statistics, Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine

Dr Anne Szarewski has worked as a clinician and researcher in cervical cancer for many years and has been an investigator on many of the key studies that have formed the foundation for our current understanding of how to prevent this disease. At present, she is involved in two Phase III randomised controlled trials of HPV vaccination in 15 to 25 year olds and in women over 26. Dr Anne Szarewski also has an active gynaecology practice, working as an Associate Specialist in Family Planning at The Margaret Pyke Centre in London, England.

Dr Anne Szarewski has authored or co-authored many scientific papers, several books including The Cervical Smear Test: A Woman's Guide” (1994) and “Preventing Cervical Cancer; what every woman should know” (2007) and she is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care.

Dr Anne Szarewski has been a member of the ECCA’s Board of Directors since its inception in 2003 and currently serves as it interim President.

Chief Executive Officer, ECCO - the European CanCer Organisation

After studying economics in his native Belgium and in the United States, Mr Michel Ballieu worked for several large, multinational companies including Xerox and BASF, where he obtained high-level experience in sales, marketing and strategic management at a multinational level.

Mr Ballieu entered the non-for-profit sector 12 years ago as the head of European Operations for the ‘Up with People’ exchange programme that provided students with international learning opportunities. He was then appointed European Executive Director for MCI, a renowned association management organisation, and subsequently became Chief Executive Officer for the World Federation of Biological Psychiatry.

Mr Ballieu joined ECCO as Chief Executive Officer in 2006 where he is responsible for leading a team of 21 professionals that develop and execute scientific educational programmes, communication programmes, policy and regulatory awareness campaigns and congresses on behalf of the ECCO membership.

Mr Ballieu joined the Board of the ECCA in 2009.

Member of the European Parliament 2004-2009

Dr Jolanta Dičkutė completed her degree in medicine at Kaunas Medical University in 1995, continuing with her general medical training until 1996 and a specialisation in paediatrics until 1998. From 1998 to 2002, Dr Dičkutė completed her Masters in Public Health at the Nordic School of Public Health in Gothenburg, Sweden and her Doctorate in Public Health at Kaunas Medical University.

From 2001 to 2004, Dr Dičkutė worked as a lecturer in prophylactic medicine and as a projects coordinator for the Kaunas Medical University, and she acted as the co-ordinator of the Kaunas District World Bank Health Project.

In 2004, Dr Dičkutė was elected to the European Parliament. As a Member of the European parliament, Dr Dičkutė sat on the Committee of Education and Culture as well as the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety where she worked to promote awareness about public health issues including cervical cancer prevention. She has been a member of the Lithuanian Labour Party since 2004 and the executive secretary of the Labour Party’s Health Committee since 2003. Dr Dičkutė chose not to stand for re-election in to the European Parliament in 2009 in order to spend more time with her family.

Dr Dičkutė joined the Board of the ECCA in 2009.

Member of Cyprus Parliament

Mrs Stella Kyriakides is a Clinical Psychologist specialising in the area of Child and Adolescent Psychology. Since being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996, Mrs Kyriakides worked to establish the Breast Cancer Awareness movement in Cyprus which became a full member of EUROPA DONNA in 2000. Mrs Kyriakides served as Vice-President on the European Board of EUROPA DONNA since 1999, was elected as its President in 2004, and presently serves as President of EUROPA DONNA Cyprus.

Mrs Kyriakides has been a tireless advocate for breast cancer awareness both within her native Cyprus and across Europe. She has presented at many conferences on breast cancer in Europe, North America and Australia, has participated in numerous working groups and taught in ESO and Europa Donna Courses on the psychosocial needs of women with breast cancer, the rights of patients and other related topics. Mrs Kyriakides has been honoured with a large number of awards, and was selected as an Olympic Torch bearer for her country at the Athens Olympics.

In 2006 Mrs Kyriakides was elected a Member of the Cypriot Parliament where she is Vice Chair of the Health Committee and a member of the Committees on Human Rights, Equality, Anti Social behaviour and Drug Abuse.

Mrs Kyriakides joined the Board of the ECCA in 2009.

Professor of Public Health, University of Montpellier, France
Scientific Director, Epidaure, Montpellier, France

Prof Hélène Sancho-Garnier has devoted much of her career to research on cancer epidemiology and and public health.  Her particular areas of interest include epidemiology and prevention, evaluation methods for mass screening programs, cancer registration and national cancer planning. Prof Sancho-Garnier participated in the establishment of France’s pilot national screening program for breast cancer and she is currently involved in the development of a pilot mass screening program for colo-rectal cancer in Hérault (France). 

As an active supporter of cancer control efforts in developing countries, Dr. Hélène Sancho-Garnier consultants for various cervical screening programs in Cambodia, Tunisia, Morocco and Latin America.  She has also served as Strategic Leader for Cancer Prevention and Early Detection at the International Union Against Cancer (UICC) for 8 years where she is also a member of the Task Force for Cervical Cancer Prevention

Dr Sancho-Garnier is author or co-author of more than 150 papers in international journals, has contributed to 65 books including International Agency for Research on Cancer monograph on breast cancer screening, and has been the editor or co-author of five books on cancer prevention.

Dr Sancho-Garnier has served on the ECCA’s Board of Directors since 2007.