What is your current role in EPAD?
Within the Geneva University, I act as a project manager for both EPAD and the AMYPAD Prognostic Natural History Study (PNHS). This includes all the tasks incumbent to this function, ranging from the submissions to the Ethics committee, the follow up of the speed of recruitment, the identification of some deviations and the proposal and implementation of corrective measures, but also the coordination of the integration of new sites in Switzerland and Italy. Among these activities, the organisation of the last EPAD General Assembly presented no minor challenges.
What did you do prior to joining EPAD?
My background is quite atypical: once my law degree obtained at the University of Geneva. I spent more than 20 years in the banking industry, both in Geneva and Zurich I acted as a relationship manager first for banking institutions located in Western Europe, then as a senior client adviser for wealthy individuals from the Unites Arab Emirates. This gave me a unique opportunity to interact with various cultures and people as well as to develop a robust knowledge of all kinds of products useful to my clientele. Besides, I was involved in several projects, one of them being the set-up of a dedicated data management system for our department. After having managed to help my former customers to surf on the tsunami of the banking crisis, I decided that it was high time not only to take care of the financial welfare of individuals, but also of their physical welfare. I hoped I could make a small contribution to that end. I had the chance to come across Professor Frisoni’s path. His passionate and visionary mind and his commitment decided me to join this flagship. The idea of being part of a European initiative where efforts and dedication of so many people are put in common appealed to me and I was confident that I could happily transfer some of my former competences in this new environment.
What are your expectations from the EPAD project?
My expectation on EPAD are high. To paraphrase Alice in the beautiful film “Still Alice”, I hope that all these efforts will mean that one day, no one will have to say: “I used to know how the mind handled language, and I could communicate what I knew. I used to be someone who knew a lot. No one asks for my opinion or advice anymore. I miss that. I use to be curious and independent and confident. I miss being sure of things.” I cannot believe that so much time and effort will be spent in vain.