Who we are

Hilde De Keyser

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

It is inspiring to work together with so many committed people and great minds towards a world where people with CF are at the centre of their own care and CF is no longer an incurable disease.

Elise Lammertyn

Head of Research

Already during my PhD work, I felt so warmly welcomed by the scientific CF community. Now to get to work for and with people with CF and their families, and the organisations that represent them, is really fulfilling and heartwarming. With great pleasure I am at your service.

Claire Francis

Project Coordinator for the Twinning Expansion Project

I am leading the Twinning Expansion Project for CF Europe, which expands the support given to CF care centres in Eastern Europe by including patient organisations in twinned mentee and mentor countries. Patient organisations play a pivotal role in identifying and addressing unmet needs and facilitating communications to drive improvements in care.

Renate Kos

Vice president (Netherlands)

I have been extremely motivated by the people with CF that I’ve met, but also by the nurses, caregivers, researchers, and the rest of the community that truly wishes for people with CF to live a longer and better life. I want to put my scientific knowledge to good use. With CF Europe we can make an impact for people with CF on a European level. So that people can get access to the potent drugs we have these days. So that CF can stand for Cure Found.

Stefan Joris

Secretary (Belgium)

Together we can make ourselves heard, solidarity leads to a better care for all!

Valerie Storms

Board member (Belgium)

Despite advancements in CF care, challenges remain as not all persons living with CF can access the latest treatments and high-quality care, leading to disparities in health equity across Europe. CF Europe’s work is crucial in fostering collaboration among patient communities and other stakeholders to continue positive change. Leveraging my personal experience of living with cystic fibrosis, I advocate for more patient involvement as equal stakeholders in healthcare, fuelled by my passion for health data and access to health innovation.

Oana Voivod

Board member (Romania)

Leading a CF patient organization in Romania and being the parent of a child with cystic fibrosis have shaped my deep commitment to advocacy. My journey began with love, fear, and the relentless search for answers — a path that led to the founding of “Împreună pentru Patrick,” the Romanian CF patient organization. Through this work, I’ve learned that advocacy means never giving up. I’ve seen how much courage, resilience, and hope are needed every day. I want to channel this lived experience into meaningful action, working alongside CF Europe to support common goals that reflect the real needs of our community. Together, we can create a more compassionate and inclusive future for everyone affected by cystic fibrosis.

Marco Magrì

Board member (Italy)

I believe that we are in an important and positive moment for the treatment of CF, despite COVID-19 and the Ukraine war slowing down many activities. Today, more than ever, cooperation, skill diversification, and knowledge sharing are essential to achieve the same level of healthcare for all CF patients across Europe. Pushing scientific research forward to identify new drugs, improving digital health and personalized therapies, can transform the quality of life of all people with CF. I’m extremely proud and motivated to be able to contribute to the achievement of these common goals.

Andreas Hager

Board member (Sweden)

I want to help foster a community that welcomes all those living with cystic fibrosis in their life, within their family, their work, their community. When we regard each other as equals it helps us to achieve things together beyond formal institutions. When we aim to help others, to enhance understanding of us as patients, the depth of our stories can be better grasped and listened to. Healthcare and research needs to be informed by a true story - and every personal journey with cystic fibrosis is a true story. So that together we can promote health and wellbeing, while preserving mutual respect, honesty, collaboration, equality and ethics.

Nick Medhurst

Board member (UK)

I believe that, through research, CF can become entirely treatable in my lifetime and during more than 7 years working for the UK’s Cystic Fibrosis Trust (2013-2020), I was privileged to see a major step forward in fighting the disease when new highly effective treatments were developed. I also felt the loss and saw the damage that CF does so I continue my work with CF Europe to represent and defend the interests of people with CF.

Przemysław Marszałek

Board member (Poland)