Committee Members

Dr. Bernd Blobel received a multi-disciplinary education, covering mathematics, physics, systems engineering, electronics, medicine, informatics and medical informatics, including habilitations in medicine and informatics. He was Head of the Institute for Biometrics and Medical Informatics at the University of Magdeburg, and thereafter Head of the Health Telematics Project Group at the Fraunhofer IIS in Erlangen. Thereafter, he acted until his retirement as Head of the German National eHealth Competence Center at the University of Regensburg. He was leadingly involved in many countries health digitalization as well as electronic health record strategy. He was and is still engaged in international standardization at ISO, CEN, HL7, OMG, IEEE etc. Furthermore, he still engaged in international higher education. He is Fellow of several international academies.

Paula Astudillo-Díaz develops her academic experience in the areas of health and well-being. Her developed measurement model called ENvironmental PRotectors against hOspital work Stress , ENPROS, is based on stress caused by person-environment interaction, from the cognitive transactional model of Lazarus and Folkman (1988), the personal assessment of the situation as a threat, damage, loss, challenge or benefit. The environmental resources that protect against stress present in their hospital work were systematized, from the perception of the own work experience of the health personnel. Validity tests have been carried out on doctors and nurses in the Araucanía region, southern Chile and Brazil. This approach of protectors is a first step for them to reflect on encouraging hospital institutions to actively contribute to well-being and quality of work life.

Aline Chassagne is a nurse. She has completed her PhD in 2017 from University of Franche-Comté and postdoctoral studies from University hospital in Besançon. She is the director of nursing science in Besançon, France.  She has published several papers in reputed journals. She workes on end of life, palliative care and ethical issues in care. She teaches nursing student,  and future nurses advanced practice.

Binbin Mei completed her Master’s in nursing science in 2018 from Soochow University, PR China. She is currently studying PhD in Nursing Program (International Program) at Burapha University, Thailand.

Wedad Masalha earned her PhD from the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She leads the Specialization in Disability, Accessibility, and Inclusion in the BA in Education and Society Program at Ono Academic College’s East Jerusalem campus and lectures at the Hebrew University. In addition to her academic role, she is a clinical social worker at Hadassah Medical Center, Department of Children  and Adolescent Psychiatry in Israel. Her research focuses on cultural differences in parental coping and adjustment to children with disabilities and illnesses.

Dr Fitch complted her PhD at the University of Toronto (UofT). She is a Professor (Adjunct) in the Faculty of Nursing at UofT, Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Oncology Nursing Journal, and Associate Editor Nursing for the Journal of Current Oncology. She is Visiting Professor at the University of Nairobi and the University if Rwanda. She has published more than 200 papers in reputed journals and has provide many national and internatonal presentations and workshops.

Dr. Brunna Boaventura holds a degree in Nutrition, a Master’s in Nutrition, and a PhD in Food Science from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (Brazil), with part of her doctoral research conducted at Cornell University (USA). She is currently pursuing postdoctoral research under the supervision of Dr. Fatima Stanford from Harvard Medical School. She mentors dietitians and researchers, reviews scientific journals, and has extensive experience in nutrition counseling. Her work focus on person-centered care, obesity management, eating behavior, digital technologies in healthcare, spirituality and human flourishing in healthcare, compassionate care, and teaching these competencies to healthcare professionals.

Associate Professor Dianne Wepa, of Ngāti Kahungunu descent, is a respected academic and registered social worker with expertise in Māori health, mental health, and youth health. Her PhD focused on Māori engagement with healthcare services. She teaches courses on Māori health and Māori mental health at AUT University, where she also coordinates several programs. Dianne has held significant governance roles, including with the Nursing Council of New Zealand and the National Animal Ethics Committee. Her research spans topics such as digital technology’s impact on suicide prevention, Māori health, and resilience in healthcare professionals. Dianne is an editor for the International Journal of Education, Culture and Society and Journal of Health Equity. She is also preparing the third edition of Cultural Safety in Aotearoa New Zealand.

I am an Occupational Therapist and Bachelor of Human Occupation Sciences from the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Playa Ancha, Valparaiso, Chile. I have more than 14 years of experience in the field of Neurological Rehabilitation, especially in the treatment of patients with Multiple Sclerosis. I continued my postgraduate studies in Barcelona, Spain, my current place of residence. In 2016 I completed a specialization in Neuropsychological Rehabilitation at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. In 2019-2020 I completed the Official Master’s Degree in Clinical Research Applied to Health Sciences at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. I am currently a PhD student in the Doctoral Program in Biomedical Research and Public Health Methodology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain.

Case Management Nurse since 2006 (19 years). Graduated as MSN and Expert in Nutrition, Cancer and Pharmacology 2012. PhD 2016. Member of the research ethics commission and the gender violence commission since 2016. Qualified as Nurse Specialist in family and community nursing 2023. Researcher in IR Group C-13 “Chronicity, Dependency, Health Care and Services” Biomedical Research Institute and nanomedicine Platform-IBIMA BIONAND. Principal investigator with several scholarship projects. Belong to the community nursing association FAECAP, ASANEC and nutritional association ADENYD. First research prize at ASANEC 2022 (Of which I was part of its board of directors) and FAECAP 2023 international conference.

Ivana Jelinčić is a professional based in Croatia. She is affiliated with [Organization Name] and holds [position/role]. With a background in [field/area of expertise], she has contributed significantly to [specific projects, research, or work areas]. Ivana’s work focuses on [mention key areas of interest or expertise, e.g., healthcare, education, research, etc.].

Her academic achievements include [mention any degrees or qualifications], and she has participated in various projects aimed at [mention goals or contributions]. Ivana is passionate about [mention any personal or professional interests related to her work].

Dr. Alice Masini is an Assistant Professor of Public Health at the University of Eastern Piedmont and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Genova. With a PhD, she specializes in public health research, focusing on improving health outcomes through evidence-based approaches. You can contact her at alice.masini@uniupo.it.

Dr. Sharon Black is an Associate Professor of Nursing and Associate Deputy Head of School – People and Culture at the University of Nottingham’s School of Health Sciences. With a PhD in Nursing and extensive qualifications, including being a Registered Nurse (RN) and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), Dr. Black is committed to advancing nursing education and fostering an inclusive academic environment.

Her research focuses on nursing education, healthcare leadership, and organizational culture. Dr. Black plays a key role in shaping the school’s strategic direction, promoting academic excellence, and supporting the professional development of both students and staff.

Dr. Thalia Porteny is a post-doctoral fellow at Tufts University’s Lab on Research, Ethics, Aging, and Community Health. She holds a Ph.D. in Health Policy from Harvard University and an MSc in Global Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Her research focuses on how legal status affects health access, the constitutional right to health, and community-based strategies for addressing the health needs of aging minorities. Dr. Porteny has worked in global health, including with the Mexican Ministry of Health, Doctors Without Borders, and the World Health Organization. She has received multiple fellowships, including from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and NIMH.

Yvette JIOKAP NONO, PhD in Biotechnology and Food Industries from the National Polytechnic Institute of Lorraine (INPL), specializes in hydrodynamics and physicochemical parameters for bacterial elimination in milk. As an Associate Professor at the University of Ngaoundere, she teaches in various programs and leads four research teams. Her work focuses on solving African challenges in food transformation, bioenergy, and waste recovery. She supports Cameroonian industries and young entrepreneurs with scientific and technical expertise. Pr. JIOKAP has published 26 peer-reviewed articles and 21 conference papers and serves as a reviewer for several journals.

Professor Anne-Marie Russell is the Jenny Jones Chair of Nursing Science and Head of Research and Knowledge Transfer at the University of Birmingham. A leader in nursing research, her work focuses on improving healthcare delivery through evidence-based practice, workforce development, and the integration of research into clinical settings.

With extensive experience in nursing education and healthcare innovation, Professor Russell leads initiatives that bridge academic research with real-world healthcare applications. She is committed to enhancing patient care, advancing nursing practice, and mentoring the next generation of healthcare leaders.

Dr Agnes Lai is an Associate Professor of the School of Nursing and Health Studies at Hong
Kong Metropolitan University. Dr Lai received her BN, DN, and PhD from The University of
Hong Kong and her MSc (Epidemiology and Biostatistics) from the Chinese University of Hong
Kong. She is a registered nurse in HK and the USA, a fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of
Nursing, a registered polysomnographic technologist, a cancer exercise specialist, and a
certified Zentangle trainer.
Her research interest areas are two-fold, including clinical and preventive medicine in
hospital and community settings. Her work focuses on brief, cost-effective self-management
interventions to promote the self-care ability and well-being of the community’s patients,
individuals, and families.
She has broad experience conducting (i) randomised control trials on various chronic
diseases (e.g. sleep apnea, lung cancer, COPD, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and
insomnia), (ii) epidemiology studies to update lung function reference values for adults, and
(iii) capacity-building train-the-trainer workshops and large-scale community-based projects
and health promotion activities to integrate physical activity into daily life and enhance
holistic health.
Dr Lai also received nine international and local awards and scholarships. Her achievement is
recognized by conferring the “Excellence Research Award” from the Food and Health Bureau,
HKSAR, Hong Kong.

Ana María Fernández Araque, Doctor in Health Sciences, Master in Nursing research and biomedical research, title of Expert in Management of Nursing Units, Expert in human resources management. Member of the National Conference of Nursing Deans in Spain. Currently Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Valladolid and professor of the nursing department. Researcher in a recognized research group in pharmacovigilance, genetic polymorphisms and aging. Director of doctoral theses at the UVa Doctoral School. And previously my professional career was working in the hospital and Primary Care field as a nurse and six more years as Director of Nursing of all the Primary Care Health Centers in Castilla y León in Soria.