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EUSTAR Board
The work of EUSTAR is coordinated by an Executive Office comprised of clinicians, researchers, and professionals involved in scleroderma care and research. The Executive Office is supported by a group of Counsellors (clinicians, researchers, or other professionals involved in scleroderma care and research), who, together, form the EUSTAR Board. The Board is elected by the EUSTAR Consortium (the network of EUSTAR centers) every three years.
The EUSTAR Board convenes an Annual General Meeting, inviting the entire EUSTAR Consortium to participate. This meeting promotes transparency and accountability and serves as a forum for EUSTAR centers to influence the organisation’s governance and strategic direction. The current Board, elected at the 2022 meeting, will serve until June 2025.
Executive Office

Prof. Marie-Elise Truchetet
President
At Bordeaux University Hospital, her clinical work focuses on systemic sclerosis, particularly joint involvement. Since 2012, she has organized a systemic sclerosis network within her hospital, including the establishment of a biological sample collection. Prof. Truchetet is also the Co-Director of the research unit "Origins and Pathogenesis of Autoimmune and Inflammatory Disorders" within the immunology laboratory ImmunoConcept UMR CNRS 5164, where she co-leads the "Inflammation and Fibrosis in Human Pathophysiology" research group. Her research is patient-centered, focusing on the causes and treatment of systemic sclerosis, including early-phase clinical trials for new therapeutic agents.
Additionally, she is a member of the RESO reference center for rare systemic autoimmune diseases and leads the systemic sclerosis section of the center.

Prof. Masataka Kuwana
Vice-President
A EUSTAR member since 2018, Prof. Kuwana has contributed to expand EUSTAR centers in Asian countries. Prof. Kuwana has served as a co-editor-in-chief of Journal of Scleroderma and Related Disorders (JSRD), an official journal of World Scleroderma Foundation and EUSTAR, since its launch in 2016.

Prof. Francesco Del Galdo
Treasurer
A EUSTAR member since 2006, Prof. Del Galdo served as a EUSTAR counsellor from 2019 to 2022, when he started the EUSTAR platinum project and as EUSTAR president from 2022 to 2025.
Counsellors

Dr. Carina Mihai
Counsellor
Alumna of the Faculty of Medicine of the Carol Davila University in Bucharest, from which she also received her PhD title in Medicine in 2006, she headed until 2017 a research center on systemic sclerosis in the Dr. Ion Cantacuzino Clinical Hospital of Bucharest. Her research in systemic sclerosis focuses on predictors of disease course, outcome measurements, treatment response and clinical trial design. She was involved in several EULAR task forces, EULAR online and live courses’ faculty, and is a co-convener of the EULAR online course on systemic sclerosis.

Dr. Monique Hinchcliff
Counsellor
Her research program includes mechanistic studies in animal models and human tissues with the overarching goal of better understanding the pathogenic mechanisms of SSc to pave the way towards identifying novel treatments. She also conducts observational and interventional studies in SSc patients to test existing treatments and gain insights into response heterogeneity.
Currently, her major research focuses are probing the role of monocyte-derived alveolar macrophages in the pathogenesis of SSc interstitial lung disease and the development of novel quantitative outcomes for use in clinical trials. Her team utilizes high-throughput approaches to identify deregulated molecular programs that underlie SSc endophenotypes including various organ-based complications. Additionally, they are leveraging imaging modalities to assess disease heterogeneity and quantify treatment response.

Dr. Ivan Castellvi
Counsellor
EUSTAR member since 2008, Dr. Castellvi has been collaborated in several EUSTAR projects and he is scientific committee member of patient’s Spanish Association of Scleroderma (AEE).

Dr. Elisabetta Zanatta
Counsellor
In my vision, EUSTAR represents a unique opportunity to strengthen research networks, to advance together in research and patient care, and to promote knowledge in the field of systemic sclerosis.
Thus, key priorities will be to improve the network through dedicated meetings to share ideas and clinical projects, to optimize the collection of blood samples, radiological images and the quality of PH/PAH data. Another important point concerns the realization of educational events, especially aimed at young rheumatologists to ignite in them the passion to take care of such a complex pathology.
As in the past, I believe it is essential to promote exchange between centers through dedicated fellowship programs. EUSTAR can be crucial in training and guiding emerging young experts in the field of SSc, to improve the care of scleroderma patients worldwide.
EUSTAR Structure
The President leads EUSTAR by chairing meetings, presenting an annual report at the EULAR Congress, and reporting annually to the World Scleroderma Foundation (WSF). They ensure accurate data entry in the EUSTAR database and oversee its utilization. As the primary liaison with external parties, the President represents EUSTAR in official capacities. In their absence, the Vice-President assumes these responsibilities.
The Vice-President supports the President in all duties, and steps in when necessary, co-chairs meetings and maintains communication with Principal Investigators at EUSTAR Centers. They assist in supervising the database and presenting the annual report to the Counsellors and the EUSTAR Consortium at the EULAR Congress. Should the President be unable to serve their full term, the Vice-President succeeds to the office.
The Treasurer oversees EUSTAR’s financial matters, including managing all assets, funds, and property. They maintain accurate financial records, which are audited annually by two auditors. The auditors’ report is presented at the EULAR Congress Annual General Meeting. If the Treasurer cannot complete their term, the Board of Counsellors appoints a successor until the next meeting.
Counsellors provide guidance and support to the Executive Office in managing EUSTAR. Each counsellor also has individual responsibilities, including managing the clinical project review process and leading the Young Investigators Group.
Affiliated EUSTAR Centers gain membership in the EUSTAR Consortium upon registration, confirmation by the Vice-President, and the entry of at least one patient case in the EUSTAR database. Each center is responsible for expanding the EUSTAR network in their country and raising awareness about scleroderma across political, social, and scientific platforms. The Consortium, composed of all EUSTAR Centers, convenes at the Annual General Meeting during the EULAR Congress. Each center holds one vote on any issues put forward to the Consortium.
Board members are elected by the EUSTAR Consortium for a term of 3 years, following which, elected members have the option to apply for another 3-year term in another position. All executive decisions should be unanimous among the Executive Office members and approved by the Counsellors.
2022-2025:
- Chairman: Francesco Del Galdo
- Vice-President: Marie-Elise Truchetet
- Treasurer: Madelon Vonk
- Counsellors: Maria-Grazia Lazzaroni, Corrado Campochiaro, Tania Santiago, and Michael Hughes
2019-2022:
- Chairman: Oliver Distler
- Secretary: Anna-Maria Hoffmann-Vold
- Treasurer: Armando Gabrielli
- Counsellors: Madelon Vonk, Francesco Del Galdo, Cosimo Bruni, Alexandra Balbir-Gurman
2016-2019:
- Chairman: Yannick Allanore
- Secretary: Otylia Kowal-Bielecka
- Treasurer: Oliver Distler
- Counsellors: Duska Martinovic, Alexandra Balbir-Gurman, Armando Gabrielli, Nicolas Hunzelmann