Advocacy Training Speakers

Arabela Acălinei serves as the President of Neuro Move CMT Association in Romania and President of EAMDA - the European Alliance of Neuromuscular Disorders Associations. She is Strategic Partnerships and Funding Director of the European Charcot-Marie-Tooth Federation and a Vice-President of EFNA (European Federation of Neurological Associations).In 2022, she became ePAG in EURO-NMD ERN, contributing in Peripheral Nerve Diseases working group and the Inter-ERN working group on Gene therapy. Since 2024 she is part of the ERN’s Patient Advisory Board. Arabela is herself a patient with Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1A disease and has several members in her family with the same condition, her 2 sons included. Dealing with such a disease, ignited her passion for patient advocacy, particularly for individuals living with CMT and similar neuromuscular disorders. In her professional life, Arabela is a Romanian-English teacher, translator, and professional trainer. Her educational background also includes trainings in Project Management and Career Counseling for people with disabilities. She is a EURORDIS Winter and Summer School alumni, EUPATI fellow and a member of EURORDIS HTA Task Force. Beyond her advocacy and professional pursuits, she is passionate about reading, learning, traveling and connecting to people. 

Gökşen Çalışkan is a media and communications professional with a nomadic upbringing that shaped her international outlook early on. A dual Belgian–Turkish national, she has been based in Brussels since 2017. She began her career as a news reporter covering Turkey–EU relations and policy developments, before moving into the business side of media. She has worked with leading European outlets including Deutsche Welle and Euractiv, gaining experience across both editorial, audience, product and commercial dimensions of the news industry. Today, as Senior B2B Advisor at Euractiv, she builds strategic partnerships and drives business growth. Her career at the intersection of public affairs, news media, and policy communications, helps her navigate complex international environments to strengthen relationships across EU stakeholders and beyond. Beyond her professional work, she co-leads The POP Collective, an initiative boosting creativity and collective intelligence within the EU policy and communications community. She also pursues photography through her personal project, called Random Moments. Gökşen holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Ankara University and a Master’s in Communication Policy Studies from City, University of London.

David Corcoran is a Language & Communication Coach with a rich background in professional opera and a dedication to enhancing communication skills across diverse sectors. David spent eight years as a Principal Tenor with Opera Australia at the Sydney Opera House, where he mastered the nuances of voice modulation, stage presence, and audience engagement. As a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) accredited by the International Coaching Federation and a Certified Emotional Intelligence Facilitator with Six Seconds, David is adept at guiding professionals to refine their communication prowess and leadership presence. David has been the English Coach at Die Schule des Sprechens for the last 7 years and is also a University Lecturer in International Business Communication at Hochschule Burgenland focused on soft skill development. David believes it is important that people take responsibility for their communication and his unique skills and talents help people to achieve this.  

Frédéric Destrebecq is the Executive Director of the European Brain Council since October 2014. In this capacity, he is responsible for providing strategic direction and leadership while managing the day to day operations of EBC and its ongoing relationships with its member associations and other stakeholders, as well as representing the organisation in various European and national forums. Fred holds a Master Degree in Political Science and International Relations from the Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium). He also studied at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques (Paris) and University of Wales College (Cardiff), in the framework of the former EU Socrates exchange programme. Prior to EBC, Fred served the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) as Chief Executive Officer, and previously as Director for European Affairs. 

Matilde Leonardi is a neurologist, paediatrician, neonatologist, and paediatric neurologist specialising in bioethics. She is Director of Unit at IRCCS National Neurological Institute Besta. Her activity in the field of disorders of consciousness allows her team to have one of the largest epidemiological databases on such patients worldwide. She is a WHO expert on disability and ageing, co-chair of the WHO-FIC (Family of International Classifications) Functioning and Disability Reference Group- FDRG and Director of the Italian WHO Collaborating Centre Research Branch. Leonardi has co-ordinated and partnered on several, EU-funded and non-EU-funded research projects, including within the FP6, FP7, Horizon2020 programmes (MHADIE, MURINET, COURAGE in EUROPE, PATHWAYS and partner in PARADISE, MARATONE  ATHLOS, CHRODIS Plus,EMPOWER). Dr. Leonardi is also a consultant on public health, UNCRPD monitoring and disability policy development for several European and non-European Governments and is an expert for the European Commission on public health, ageing, disability and neurosciences. 

A highly respected neurologist from the United States, Prof. Lewis currently serves as President of the World Federation of Neurology. He has been a longstanding partner and tireless advocate for global neurology, playing a pivotal role in advancing international education, training, and outreach initiatives within the WFN. His distinguished leadership, deep understanding of academic neurology, and unwavering commitment to improving access to high-quality neurological care have been instrumental in furthering the Federation’s mission. In addition to his leadership within the WFN, Prof. Lewis is widely recognised for his transformative contributions to neurology education worldwide. As former Editor-in-Chief of Continuum: Lifelong Learning in Neurology, the American Academy of Neurology’s flagship educational publication, he elevated the journal to global prominence, inspiring generations of neurologists and trainees around the world. 

Donna Walsh joined the International Bureau for Epilepsy [IBE] as Chief Executive Officer in January 2022. Since her appointment she has been responsible for overseeing the new strategic direction of IBE and, is working to ensure IBE empowers and amplifies the voices of people with epilepsy globally. Prior to her role with IBE, she worked as Executive Director of the European Federation of Neurological Associations (EFNA) for 10 years. Donna has been active in representing the neurology patient community throughout her career, including as a board member of the European Brain Council, a member of the European Affairs Sub-Committee at the European Academy of Neurology, and as a member of the World Health Organization’s NeuroCovid Global Forum. Donna has also moderated and chaired many events and has shared patient insights at high-level conferences and meetings at institutions such as the World Health Organisation and European Parliament.