OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM

Dr Daphne Holt | PhD MBA FRCPATH

Chair

Daphne boasts a rich and diverse career spanning over three decades in medical research, education, and charity management. She began her journey with the UK Medical Research Council, later moving to Imperial College, London. At Imperial, she took the helm of the Karim Centre for Meningitis Research from 1986 onwards. She then spent a decade contributing to international development at the Meningitis Trust (UK). In 2009, she took on the pioneering role of the first Executive Director for the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO), successfully registering the organisation in Perth, Western Australia. Daphne became a member of the Governing Council of CoMO and later its Vice President for Europe and Africa until she retired in 2017 to co-found CLCI.

Today, Daphne continues to be a driving force in the vaccine advocacy space, serving on the editorial board of Vaccine Today. Her indomitable spirit and unwavering commitment to improving public health stand as a testament to her professional journey.

Malcolm Taylor | PhD

Secretariat

Malcolm is a founding member of CLCI, bringing a wealth of experience from his career of 40 years in the electricity industry. Malcolm started his career as a research scientist and advanced through various technical and managerial roles, eventually serving as an operational manager and business development director.

Amid the privatisation of the UK electricity industry, Malcolm played a key role in shaping the UK wholesale electricity market, later shifting focus towards power project development and operations across Europe, India, and sub-Saharan Africa.

Malcolm is using his extensive experience in strategy, regulatory environments, policy development and operational management to promote CLCI’s mission and vision, ultimately to enhance public health.

Ms Sandra Evans | MPhil

Acting Executive Director

As the Acting Executive Director of the Coalition for Life Course Immunisation (CLCI), Sandra Evans orchestrates a symphony of stakeholder engagement, talent management, and translating complex scientific dialogues into actionable policies and practices. The inception of two innovative startups marks her entrepreneurial journey, showcasing her foresight in tech-enabled health service delivery and advocacy, underpinned by a philosophy of community co-creation.

Founding Director of Sandra Evans Health Policy (SEHP), she carries a decade’s rich experience spanning NHS leadership, European policy shaping, social entrepreneurship, and academia. Sandra is an alumna of the University of Cambridge, where she earned her MPhil in Public Health. She is proficient in English and French, enabling her to engage with a diverse international audience effectively.

Ms Elena Moya | BSc

Vice President, Asociación Española contra la Meningitis (AEM)

Elena Moya, a meningitis survivor and respected educator with over 25 years of experience, brings a powerful combination of personal story and professional acumen to our vaccine advocacy efforts. She has overcome meningococcal meningitis at age four and is committed to raising awareness about this severe illness.

Elena holds a degree in Philology and has a rich career as a Spanish and French Literature teacher, sharpening her communication skills and ability to connect with diverse audiences. She plays a critical role in building awareness of meningitis across Spain through her visits to schools, hospitals and ministers. She has recently  joined the Board members of the European Patients Forum (EPF) and the Boston Scientific Foundation (BSF) in Europe. She also represents the patients voice in Experts Working Groups as well as in medical symposiums and conferences in Europe.

Mr Gary Finnegan | BSc MSc

Editor, Vaccines Today

Gary Finnegan, a distinguished health journalist, editor, and author, brings in-depth knowledge and understanding of health communications. He has a degree in physiology and an MSc in science communication, Gary’s expertise is evident in his vast body of work, including his tenure as the Editor of Irish Medical News and his regular contributions as a newspaper columnist.

He has been steering Vaccines Today since its launch in 2010 and has served on the Advisory Board of the WHO Vaccine Safety Net, a network of credible vaccine websites. Gary is currently a member of the External Advisory Board of ImmuHubs, an EU project aiming to increase vaccination uptake among disadvantaged populations. He’s a three-time national European Commission’s EU Health Prize for Journalists winner. He has received two Irish Medical Media Awards for his exceptional work in online health journalism and opinion writing.

Professor Anna Odone | MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Public Health at the University Vita-Salute San Raffaele

Prof. Anna Odone holds degrees in Medicine, Epidemiology, and Public Health from prestigious institutions, including the University of Parma and Harvard School of Public Health. She is an Associate Professor of Public Health at the University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Italy, and heads its School of Public Health. She also leads the Unit of Clinical Epidemiology and HTA at the San Raffaele Research Hospital.

Prof. Odone’s research primarily focuses on controlling infectious diseases, particularly on vaccines and immunisation policies. She participates in the European Joint Action on Vaccination and spearheads research projects exploring key topics: the role of digital technologies in promoting vaccine uptake, the impact of immunisation policies on coverage, and tuberculosis control in Italy.

Her expertise in vaccine-preventable diseases has led to her involvement in several scientific boards and committees. She has provided consultation services for the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and has authored textbooks, book chapters, and over 80 research articles.

Professor Joe Schmitt | MD, PhD

Scientific advisor, VACCELERATE consortium & Editor-in-Chief, Global Health Press

Dr. Joe Schmitt, a medical doctor and PhD holder, boasts an extensive list of board certifications that include paediatrics, infectious diseases, microbiology, virology, and epidemiology. His accomplished career includes a tenure as a professor of infectious diseases and vaccine development in Mainz, Germany, and over a decade serving as chairman of Germany’s National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group (STIKO).

In addition, he lent his expertise to committees for both the Paul Ehrlich Institute (PEI) and WHO, including SAGE and the GACVS. In 2007, Dr Schmitt transitioned to the industry and most recently held the position of Vice President and Global Lead of Viral Vaccines at Pfizer until May 2021.

Professor Vytautas Usonis | MD, PhD

Professor, Vilnius University

Prof. Vytautas Usonis is an eminent paediatrician and vaccine expert who served as the Head of the Clinic of Paediatrics at Vilnius University, Lithuania. A specialist in the immunology of viral hepatitis, his research contributions include over 200 publications across paediatric infectious diseases, vaccine-preventable diseases, and vaccinology. His work extends to the pedagogical realm, tutoring students at Vilnius University and Oxford University. Prof. Usonis has held key positions: Chair of the National Committee for Poliomyelitis Eradication in Lithuania, board member of the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases (ESPID), and President of the Lithuanian Paediatric Society. He also served as President of the UNICEF National Committee of Lithuania. His dedication to medicine is evident in his continued contributions to several international scientific journals and vaccination advisory groups.

Professor Catherine Weil-Olivier | MD

Honorary Professor of Paediatrics, Paris VII University, France

Catherine is a distinguished member of the CLCI board who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in paediatrics and vaccinology. She earned her medical degree in Paris and has been a Professor of Paediatrics at Paris VII University since 1989.

From 1995 to 2005, she held the prestigious position of Head of the Department of General Paediatrics at Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris. Her expertise has been sought in various capacities over the last two decades. This includes serving as an expert for the French Drug Agency (AFSSAPS, now ANSM), where she worked in the technical group to register vaccines, antibiotics, and anti-virals, a Core Member of the European Medicines Agency Vaccine Working Party, a valued member of European Centre for Control and Prevention (ECDC) working groups, Infovac France and several French paediatric groups. Her involvement with French health policy extends to being a member of the national French Technical Committee on Vaccination and the National Committee against Influenza.

Professor Francisco Gimenez-Sanchez​| MD

Director of the Balmis Institute, Spain

Dr. Francisco Giménez-Sánchez was trained in the School of Medicine of the University of Granada (Spain) as MD finishing in 1989 and obtaining the Doctoral degree by the same university in 1994. He is specialist in Pediatrics (Department of Pediatrics of the University Hospital in Granada).

Since 2014, he works in Institute Hispalense of Pediatrics. In the field of international collaboration, he is the president of the Balmis Institute, organization dedicated to teaching, research and international cooperation in vaccines and immunizations. He is Spanish representative of the Management Committee of the COST network One Health (European Union). He often participates in immunizations campaigns in Africa.