Scientific Advisory Committee
Our Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) supports the wider mission of EHMA, providing advice on research and scientific issues. Building on EHMA’s reputation for academic excellence, the SAC comprises EHMA Members who bring the highest standards of research governance to ensure that the EHMA’s work programme and activities are of an internationally recognised high standard.
The SAC plays an important role in providing a focus and voice for the EHMA research community. SAC Members advise the Board on the key directions for health management to be pursued in the future. The SAC provides advice and guidance on the engagement of EHMA in European-funded research projects. SAC Members also provide expert advice, as requested, or suggest names of experts for events, trainings, projects, and other EHMA activities. Additionally, the SAC ensures adherence to robust research methodologies and supports the Policy and Research Team in maintaining the quality and integrity of EHMA’s research outputs.
Ms Lisa Baldini
AGE.NA.S – National Agency for Regional Health Services, Italy
Ms Lisa Baldini
AGE.NA.S – National Agency for Regional Health Services, Italy
Dr Isabel Craveiro
Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Portugal
Dr Isabel Craveiro
Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Portugal
Dr Isabel Craveiro is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (IHTM), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa.
She is a member of the Scientific Council of the Research Center Global Health and Tropical Medicine and leads the research group Population, Policies and Systems. Her work focuses on health systems and health evaluation, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary research and collaboration.
She has participated in several European and nationally funded research projects and has published numerous articles. Additionally, she co-edited a book on health evaluation.
Dr Craveiro holds a PhD in International Health from NOVA University of Lisbon.
Dr Eszter Kovacs
Semmelweis University – Health Services Management Training Centre, Hungary
Dr Eszter Kovacs
Semmelweis University – Health Services Management Training Centre, Hungary
Prof Dr Lasse Lehtonen, MD
Kela & Helsinki University Hospital, Finland
Prof Dr Lasse Lehtonen, MD
Kela & Helsinki University Hospital, Finland
Prof Dr Lasse Lehtonen, MD is Director General of Kela, Finland’s social insurance fund. He is also associated with Helsinki University Hospital (HUS), where he served as Director of Diagnostic Services.
Prof Lehtonen’s research interests are in healthcare management, patient’s rights and patient safety. He also has a long list of scientific publications on cardiovascular pharmacology and transplantation immunology. As one of the leading academics in healthcare legislation in Finland, he has regularly been used as an expert in the Finnish healthcare reform by both the Ministry of Welfare and Health as well as the Finnish parliament.
From 2013 to 2022 Prof Lehtonen was a member of the Expert Panel on Effective ways of Investing in Health for the European Commission.
Prof Lehtonen holds doctorates in both medicine and law. He holds medical specialties in clinical pharmacology and pharmacotherapy.
Dr Silvia Lopes
NOVA National School of Public Health, Portugal
Dr Silvia Lopes
NOVA National School of Public Health, Portugal
Dr Simon Moralee
Aqua & The University of Manchester, UK
Dr Simon Moralee
Aqua & The University of Manchester, UK
Dr Simon Moralee is Deputy Director of Quality Improvement and Safety at Aqua – Advancing Quality Alliance and Executive Education Associate at The University of Manchester.
With more than 25 years of experience across the NHS, higher education, and public sector organisations, his work focuses on leadership, organisational development, and professional identity in healthcare.
A graduate of the NHS Management Training Scheme, Simon has held senior roles in hospital management, service improvement, and leadership development, including Non-Executive Chair of North Shropshire Primary Care Network (2022–24). He has coached and mentored NHS staff through the NHS Leadership Academy and supported professional development programmes for healthcare scientists.
Simon is co-editor of Healthcare Management (4th edition) and has published widely on medical leadership, professional identity, and regulatory bodies. He is an accredited facilitator in change management and organisational development, working with healthcare providers, industry, and public sector partners to improve services and strengthen leadership capacity.
Prof Guido Noto
CREMS – University of Messina, Italy
Prof Guido Noto
CREMS – University of Messina, Italy
Prof Guido Noto is an Associate Professor of Performance Management at the Department of Economics, University of Messina. He currently serves as the Coordinator of the Research Center for Health Economics and Management (CREMS) at the same university and has been Auditor of the Italian Association of Health Economics (AIES) since 2020.
He obtained his PhD in ‘Model-based Public Planning, Policy Design and Management’ from the University of Palermo and was a research fellow at the Management and Healthcare Laboratory of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa.
His research focuses on the design and implementation of performance management systems in healthcare, as well as the measurement of economic and financial performance in health organisations and systems.
Prof Noto has contributed to several European and nationally funded research projects, including as Principal Investigator of a national programme on digital technologies in healthcare performance management. He has published extensively in leading journals such as Health Policy, BMC Health Services Research, and International Journal of Health Policy and Management. In 2025, he received the Italian National Qualification as Full Professor.
Prof Nicolas Sirven
EHESP - School of Public Health, France
Prof Nicolas Sirven
EHESP - School of Public Health, France
Dr Bellis van den Berg
Vilans, the Netherlands
Dr Bellis van den Berg
Vilans, the Netherlands
Dr Bellis van den Berg is Senior Advisor at Vilans, where she coordinates the monitoring of research in large-scale implementation and innovations programs in long-term care.
She studied psychology and holds a PhD in epidemiology. She has more than twenty years of experience in health services research.
Her work focuses on monitoring and impact, learning organisations and data-driven health care. She engages in research and implementation of continuous improvement and innovations in health care organisations, focusing on collaborating with practice and translating conceptual knowledge to practice.
WHAT OUR MEMBERS SAY
I have been active in EHMA since the first years of the '90s and I have seen its evolution from a small association of members interested in sharing knowledge on health management practices to the current status of reference and advisory key player for EU, health systems and organisations, stakeholders associations, industry and universities. EHMA is now a unique knowledge hub, policy advisor, community of practice and network of best in class organisations involved in health policy and management. A place where health managers can build their competences, policy-makers and stakeholder associations envision how to implement and sustain change through health management, industry leaders understand how to engage more effectively with health organisations and systems. The right place to nurture and grow health management capabilities and capacity for every stakeholder of health systems.
Prof. Federico Lega, University of Milan, Italy
Health management has a crucial function in shaping public health and health system challenges. The Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria had success in collaborating with EHMA on EU-funded projects that has resourced us to create new health management competencies for the future workforce. In addition to all classical definitions, health management is a science dealing with individuals, groups, and society at large. It is an art contributing to the beauty of our lives and an interactive communication process at all levels of institutions and human energy. I have also had the pleasure to chair the South Eastern European Special Interest Group which gives members a space to discuss and tools to address how health systems are managed in our regions.
Prof. Todorka Kostadinova, Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria
I enjoy the high level of interaction and engagement in EHMA’s activities, in particular during the annual conference where the panel discussions are rich and well prepared. As a hospital manager and professor of health management, EHMA motivates and inspires me to be creative. You go back home feeling energised from seeing old friends and making new connections, as well as being convinced of serving as EHMA’s ambassador. It’s a strong feeling of interdisciplinary engagement, but it also feels like being part of family-like community.
Prof. Sandra C. Buttigieg, University of Malta, Malta
EHMA is a pre-eminent organisation for everyone working in planning, managing and delivering health services across Europe. As a long standing member of EHMA I have always been impressed by the vibrant community of managers, researchers and academics it has created and by the many opportunities for sharing knowledge and funding opportunities it has brought to its members. Its international scope is impressive and its impact is often felt in management and research across European and national health systems.
Prof. Axel Kaehne, Edge Hill University, UK
Health workforce has become more essential in operating, managing and maintaining health systems lately, particularly in crisis and emergency situations. European healthcare professions and the workforce need to be high on the agenda of managers and decision makers. The Health Services Management Training Centre, Semmelweis University in Hungary is a longstanding EHMA member, because it connects us with collaborators and experts, with whom we can have complex debates, from whom we can learn and at the end find solutions in various challenging fields of healthcare management.
Dr Eszter Kovács, Health Services Management Training Centre, Semmelweis University, Hungary
As a hospital administrator and health management professor, I see on a daily basis that the healthcare challenges require talented and skilled managers to transform it. the EHMA membership has been beneficial to bring healthcare management research and education to the demanding healthcare services world, promoting healthcare management competencies and knowledge creation.
Dr Alexandre Lourenco, APAH - Association of Portuguese Hospital Managers, Portugal
Many healthcare systems in Europe and beyond are facing similar challenges which require innovative and creative solutions. EHMA’s annual conference, webinars, Programme Directors’ group and other activities and resources provide incredible opportunities for networking, connecting and sharing experiences. A distinct feature of EHMA is the diversity of members with representation from many countries, sectors and different communities of practice – academic, policy-makers, practitioners, managers, leaders and students. The annual conference is a highlight in the calendar year, offering a friendly, fun and learningful environment for emerging and established members to engage, collaborate and meet up with old and new friends. I am proud to be a member of the EHMA Board.
Prof. Ann Mahon, University of Manchester, UK
Society evolution, pandemics and ageing modify health needs. So, health policies and services are to change dramatically. EHMA, through webinars, workshops and annual conference provides an excellent insight to a professional changing world, favouring closeness to management innovation and the protagonists of these changes. As a primary care services’ manager, participating in EHMA activities is really worth it and allows to involve oneself in the innovation processes.
Dr Antoni Peris Grao, Consorci Castelldefels Agents de Salut (CASAP), Spain