Merel van Klinken, the Netherlands (Co-Chair)
Merel van Klinken graduated as a nurse in 2006. She has been working as a registered oncology nurse since 2009 and is currently also working as a palliative care nurse in a specialised oncology hospital in the Netherlands. She holds an MSc in nursing sciences and is looking to improve the quality of palliative care in her own hospital setting and in the Netherlands. She’s passionate about safety for patients and nursing staff and building resilience among young cancer nurses. She teaches within the speciality training for cancer nurses in her own hospital. Merel has been a Board member since February 2021.

Grażyna Suchodolska, Poland (Co-Chair)
Grażyna began her nursing career in 2005, gaining clinical experience in critical care, emergency medicine, and oncology. Grażyna is the Specialist Oncology Nurse and was the first Breast Cancer Nurse in Poland. Since 2018, she has remained dedicated to this role, currently working in Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Day Unit at the University Clinical Centre in Gdańsk.

In 2023, Grażyna accomplished her PhD at the Medical University of Gdańsk, where she continues to share her expertise and passion for breast cancer with nursing and medical students as a lecturer.  

Beyond her clinical role, Grażyna actively advocates for breast cancer nursing in Poland and participates in initiatives aimed at raising awareness about breast cancer and its prevention among Polish women. She is a member of the Polish Society of Oncology and holds the position of Vice President for the local Polish Oncology Nurses Association.

Lena Sharp, Sweden
Lena Sharp is the Head of Cancer Care improvement, Regional Cancer Center, Stockholm, Sweden. She was previously the Chief Nursing Officer and Patient Safety Coordinator at the Department of Oncology, Karolinska University Hospital and has a long experience in cancer nursing, clinical work, leadership, teaching and research. Lena’s main research focus is Health Care Communication and Patient Safety. Lena has a PhD from the Karolinska Institute, Sweden. Lena is the current Advocacy Working Group Chair and Past President of the European Oncology Nursing Society.

Fernanda Conceição, Portugal
Fernanda has been a cancer nurse since 2004. She worked in the Portuguese Oncology Institute, Lisbon, until 2016. During that time she postgraduated in Oncology Nursing in 2008. In 2016, she moved to the oncology clinical center at the Champalimaud Foundation. Progressing to a leadership role as head nurse in the critical and recovery area, she is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Healthcare Management. She is also focused on the promotion of patient- and family-centered quality care and the better performance of teams. The impact of health financing and promotion/prevention policies is a growing interest.

Julio Cesar de la Torre, Spain
Julio de la Torre works as Associate Professor at Comillas Pontifical University in Madrid, Spain. He was previously Study Coordinator and Study Nurse at the Department of Oncology, Hospital Clinico San Carlos and he has experience in cancer nursing (chemo administration from 1998), research and educational programs. Julio’s main work focus is patient quality of life, safety, experimental drugs, and access to medicine. He is a board member at Spanish Society of Oncology Nursing and the director of SEEO Official Journal. You can follow Julio on twitter at @julio_delatorre

Nuno Salgado, Portugal
Nuno is a registered nurse, specialised in psychiatry and mental health nursing, with a master’s degree in health sociopsychology, a graduation in citizenship, violence and intervention and a differentiated added competence in clinical supervision conferred by the Portuguese council of nursing. Currently he is researching for a master’s in psychiatry and mental health nursing. He has worked at the radiotherapy department of the Portuguese Oncology Institute, in Coimbra, since 2007 and has also collaborated with the Nursing School of Coimbra since 2014. Scientific Interests: symptom management, psycho-oncology, integrative nursing, complementary and alternative medicines, promotion of psychological wellbeing and advocacy.

Ana Rita Dias, Portugal
Ana Rita started working as a nurse in 2005 in the surgery area, but her major interest has always been the empowerment of those undergoing oncology treatment, their family and others close to them during the transition to home care, which ultimately led to change her intervention area. Since 2011, after finishing her specialised training and master’s degree in oncology, she started working as a cancer nurse in the haematology-oncology department at Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central, E.P.E. – Pólo Hospital Santo António dos Capuchos. Although her major interest is cancer nursing – reflected in several projects which she is involved in and managing – she maintains interests in other areas such as clinical supervision, in which she is a postgraduate.

Paraskevi-Maria Prapa, Greece

Paraskevi-Maria has been a nurse for almost 30 years, with a clinical experience ranging from paediatric care to chronic patients and cancer care. For the last 10 years she has been head nurse of the Oncology Unit of 3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Sotiria General Hospital for Chest Diseases, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

She has a master’s degree in Primary Health Care and a PhD in Sleep Medicine. She is also an educator in various classes in Nursing Universities in Greece. As an active member of the Hellenic Oncology Nurses Society, she participates in oncology congresses and is involved in research projects. Her current research interests focus on symptom management, physcosocial care, immunotherapy and targeted treatments and patient education and advocacy.

Mary Tanay, UK

Mary is a Lecturer and Associate Dean for Postgraduate Taught Studies at the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care, King’s College London. She previously worked in various clinical cancer nursing and cancer research nursing roles. She completed Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Santo Tomas, Manila and a specialist Cancer Nursing Diploma from the Royal Marsden School, London. Mary has a Master of Science in Nursing Research and Postgraduate Certificate in Healthcare Education obtained from King’s College London. She is also a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy.  Mary received a fully funded Doctoral Research Fellowship by the National Institute of Health and Social Care Research in the United Kingdom. She completed her PhD in 2023 at King’s College London entitled ‘Developing a behavioural intervention for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy using experience-based co-design and the Common-Sense Model’ and was awarded King’s Outstanding Thesis 2022-23. Her research interests are supportive care in cancer, CIPN and co-design methodology. Mary has authored book chapters and published in peer-reviewed healthcare and nursing journals. She has been invited as expert speaker for topics relevant to cancer care and has presented in national, European, and international conferences. [Contact on X: @MerryTea and Linked In: Mary Tanay]

Pilar del Valle, Spain

Pilar del Valle is currently working as Oncology Research Nurse for phase I clinical trials in Madrid. She graduated as a nurse in 2011 and one year later moved to the UK where she developed her career as a cancer nurse working in multiple oncology areas including surgery, chemotherapy unit, education and managerial roles. She completed further post-graduate studies at the University of Manchester, focusing on leadership and foundations in cancer care, evolving into a Clinical Nurse Specialist for oncology. She also brings experience from her work as Nursing Education Manager for a languages company specialised in relocating nurses from Europe to the UK. She is passionate about promoting patient-centred care, quality of life, research and oncology nursing recognition.