Webinar Access to Clinical Trials in Europe

Robina Weermeijer is a Trial Patient & Site Engagement Lead at Boehringer Ingelheim, focused on bringing patient and research site perspectives into clinical trial design and delivery. She works at the intersection of patient engagement, clinical operations, and representation in research, partnering with patient advocates, community organizations, and clinical trial study teams to make clinical trials more accessible, inclusive, site and patient centered. Her work focuses on translating insights into action, improving awareness of clinical trials, and ensuring studies better reflect the communities they aim to serve.

Hussain Jafri is the Chief Executive Officer of the World Patients Alliance (WPA) which is the largest umbrella organization working across all disease areas. He also serves as a Professor at the Institute of Patient Safety Research, University of Kalisz, Poland, where he advances academic work in patient safety and healthcare quality. He serves on the WHO Civil Society Commission Steering Committee, strengthening engagement between WHO and civil society worldwide. He is also a member of the Advisory Group for WHO’s Patients for Patient Safety (PFPS) program, where he previously served as Vice Chair. At the national level, Hussain founded the Pakistan Patient Safety Initiative and was appointed by the Government of Punjab as Provincial Focal Person on Patient Safety and Quality, where he led the development of provincial healthcare policies and services. He also established Alzheimer’s Pakistan, the country’s first national association for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, inspired by his experience as a caregiver for his grandfather. With over three decades of advocacy, Hussain has worked extensively with governments, patient groups, and international organizations. He is a member of the Person and Family-Centred Advisory Council (PFCAC) of ISQua and serves on the taskforce of the Global Alliance of Partners for Pain Advocacy (GAPPA). An accomplished speaker, Hussain has addressed international conferences on patient safety, caregiving, person-centred healthcare, and advocacy. He has published widely in peer-reviewed journals and holds a PhD from the University of Leeds, UK, with research focused on the prevention of genetic disorders. He also served as Director General of the Punjab Thalassemia & Other Genetic Disorders Prevention & Research Institute.

Andrew Spiegel has nearly two decades of experience in the patient advocacy arena. Spiegel co-founded the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, now the leading US based national patient advocacy organization dedicated to colon cancer. Mr. Spiegel, an attorney, besides being a co-founder of the organization and longtime board member of the Alliance became CEO in January of 2008 and he ran the CCA for nearly 5 years, before undertaking his next venture, the Global Colon Cancer Association (GCCA). Currently, Spiegel is co-founder and executive director of the GCCA, an international patient advocacy organization. This organization is an international community of nearly 50 colon cancer patient advocacy organizations and stakeholders dedicated to end the worldwide suffering of the 3rd leading cause of cancer deaths. In addition to his work in the colon cancer community, Spiegelis an active advocate for health care policies both in the US and now worldwide. He is a co-founder and currently serves on the steering committee of the Alliance for Safe Biologic Medicines (ASBM). He is on the Board of Directors, and in December 2014 was elected to Chair, of the Digestive Disease National Coalition (DDNC),a founding member of the Coalition to Increase Clinical Trial Participation. In addition to his work in the colon cancer community, Spiegelis an active advocate for health care policies both in the US and now worldwide. He is a co-founder and currently serves on the steering committee of the Alliance for Safe Biologic Medicines (ASBM). He is on the Board of Directors, and in December 2014 was elected to Chair, of the Digestive Disease National Coalition (DDNC),a founding member of the Coalition to Increase Clinical Trial Participation. Spiegel is a 1986 graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with minors in English and Philosophy. He is a 1989 graduate of the Widener University School of Law. After working for a Philadelphia litigation firm, Spiegel opened his own law firm in 1995.

Kagan Cavusoglu, PhD, is an organizational psychologist, patient-rights activist, and founding Secretary-General of Red Ribbon Istanbul in Türkiye. With experience across the private sector and civil society, he blends strategic consultancy with hands-on advocacy on chronic infections such as HIV, hepatitis, and TB. He supports civil society organizations in strengthening capacity and governance, and serves on the World Patients Alliance Advisory Board. His research explores how Generation Z perceives leadership and quality of work life. He also conducts international academic studies and health-related research, connecting evidence, advocacy, and community voice to advance public health.