Participating Organizations
Partners across Greece, Turkey, Spain, Germany, and Denmark
bring together all the essential elements of the landscape and innovation chain to drive our project goals forward.
The Danish Committee for Health Education (DCHE) is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation, which was founded in 1964, with the aim of boosting the national health literacy and support well-Being. In present day, DCHE works to support and improve the empowerment and skills of Danish and European citizens.
​
DCHE has close working relations with public authorities like the Ministry of Health, the National Board of Health and private organisations in the health field. The membership organisations are primarily health professional associations, but also include the Danish associations of municipalities and regions. DCHE has also branched out to work with international partners, trying to support empowerment from cradle to grave in a European perspective, mainly through Erasmus+ and Horizon projects, where DCHE both have been acting as partner and coordinator. This includes ensuring proper care for patients and people living with diseases, as well as proper support for caregivers, healthcare professionals, and relatives.
Team members
Maria Kofoed
Maria has obtained her Master’s Degree in English from University of Copenhagen in June 2022. She has been employed at the Danish Committee for Health Education since January 2023 where she has worked and continues to work on the Erasmus+ projects that DCHE either coordinates or participates in as a project partner. Current EU projects include: Genes4All, I-ACT and WinWin4Worklife (Horizon project). Previous Erasmus+ projects include E-Health4Cancer, WELL@SME, Art4Me, RECADE and InfoCARE.
Andreas Jaspersen
Andreas has worked with international cooperation for several years, focusing on supporting vulnerable populations, both in terms of Physical and Mental Health. He has a background in international relations and refugee studies and has worked with several different international organisations. Andreas now focuses his energy on supporting the Danish Committee for Health Education on their mission to ensure that vulnerable populations are supporting in their mental and physical health from cradle to grave.
Greek Association of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (Alzheimer Hellas) is a non-profit organization founded in 1995 and funded by the Ministry of Health and the European Union.
More than 60 psychologists, doctors, social workers, nurses, physical therapists, etc. provide a wide range of services to people with dementia and their families. Services include one palliative care centre, two day-care centers for people with dementia, family support groups, a home-care unit, a 24 hour help-line, the delivery of both pharmacological therapies and non-pharmacological interventions to maintain the person with dementia’s quality of life and that of their family carer. Alzheimer Hellas has more than 6.000 members.
​
Team members
Professor Magdalini Tsolaki
Magdalini Tsolaki was born in Thessaloniki, Greece and studied Medicine and Theology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh). Afterwards, she initiated her collaboration with AUTh in 1982 as a scientific collaborator and a year later received her specialty as a Neuropsychiatrist and her PhD.
She has been a Professor of Neurology since 2010, and currently she was the Head of the 1st University Department of Neurology (2017-2020) She has founded the Greek Alzheimer Association in 1995 and the Greek Federation of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) in 2007, in which she is up to today the Chair, while also being the scientific director of two Public Dementia Units (founded by her in 2007 and 2009) for outpatients with Neurodegenerative diseases and their caregivers.
Since September 2022 she has been also scientific director of a Public Unit of palliative care of patients with severe stages of dementia. The last seven years she was invited to join as a member the Greek National Observatory for Dementia. She has given more than 656 lectures throughout Greece. She has participated in more than 60 funded research programs and 31 funded clinical trials. In total, she has received 73 awards. Dr. Magda Tsolaki has been the main author of many Books (60), many abstracts in Greek (531) and International (489) Conferences, she is the first author or co-author in many Papers in Greek (285) and International Journals (655 – 546 in PubMed), (h-index: 109, IF=31019,884 and more than 56217 Citations in Google Scholar-12.10.2024).
She has participated as invited speaker in more than 115 meetings-conferences in English and 256 in Greek Language. Furthermore, she has been a reviewer for Conferences and Journals (430) and has organized 27 national and 5 international conferences on AD. Finally, she was one of the three or seven advisory members for 35 doctoral theses-completed and 40 postgraduate theses. Pr. Tsolaki is married with four children and ten grandchildren.
Marina Makri
Mrs. Marina Makri has a BSc and MSc in Biological Science from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), Faculty of Sciences, School of Biology. She also has an MA in Counselling Psychology and Psychotherapy.
She is a PhD candidate in the School of Medicine, AUTh in the field of Genetic Counselling. She has been awarded for her PhD by the A. G. Leventis Foundation’s Educational Grants Scheme for Doctoral students and she also held a scholarship of Excellence of AUTh. She works at the Greek Association of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders as a coordinator and responsible for many Erasmus+ European projects, since 2015 and she also worked in the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens.
She is the Greek Coordinator of the project “Greek families with autosomal dominant Alzheimer“ coordinated by the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN) of School of Medicine-Washington University, USA. She is a senior researcher on issues of genetics, bioethics, genetic counselling, neurodegenerative disorders and supporting family caregivers, and she has taken part in many European meetings and Training Courses for Patient Advocates.
The last few years, she has been a member of the Hellenic Society for Neurosciences and Federation of European Neuroscience Societies (fens), an Associate Member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors (Chicago, Illinois, USA), and a Member of the Transnational Alliance for Genetic Counselling (School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, USA). She has been selected and taken part in the 5th European Health Parliament and she was also the Ambassador of PhD students of AUTh in EPICUR Network (European Universities).
As part of her advocacy work, she is one of the five board members of the Greek Carers Network and the main representative of the Alzheimer Hellas in all the events organized by Eurocarers. She has authored and co-authored peer-reviewed articles in international journals and book chapters. She has attended various National, European and International Conferences and Meetings and she has taken part in more than 70 presentations.
Dokuz Eylul University (DEU), founded in 1982, has a long history of serving as a hub for research and education, notably in the Aegean region, and it aspires to have a substantial impact on the growth of the universities. With more than 69,644 students from all over Türkiye and 4,616 international students from 108 different countries, DEU is one of the biggest institutions in the country. Faculty of Medicine was established on March 1, 1978. It ensures continuous improvement in the fields of education, research and service at high standards, considering social obligations, and maintains its leading role at the national level. The Medical Education Program was first accredited by the National Medical Education Accreditation Board in 2011 and received the European Union Diploma Label in 2013.
Dokuz Eylul University Genetic Diseases Evaluation Center has been providing services since 2006 with the awareness of the importance of hereditary diseases for family and community health. Our primary goal is to facilitate early diagnosis and implement preventive medicine practices. Our mission is to conduct diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up procedures for individuals of all age groups, and provide genetic counselling services to inform the individual and their family. This, in turn, contributes to improving public health concerning genetic diseases with financial and moral implications. Our vision is to apply the latest scientific developments in our laboratory, produce results that comply with quality standards, are reliable and reproducible, conduct scientific research based on ethical principles and patient rights, and become a leading and preferred reference center in the field of genetics. Our center is run by the Department of Medical Genetics in Dokuz Eylul University. The Department began accepting residency students in October 2008 to meet the country’s need for qualified human resources. Currently, our department consists of seven faculty members (3 Professors, 2 Associate Professors, 1 Assistant Professor), 7 residents, 1 specialist, 2 biologists, 3 technicians, 2 secretaries, and 1 staff member. In our laboratory, various genetic tests can be applied from the prenatal period to adulthood. Approximately 5,000 patients receive outpatient services annually in our center. With our experienced team of biologists and technicians, our expert physicians carefully conclude around 3,500 genetic tests each year. Our participation in this project will facilitate the genetic counselling process for many patients with neurodegenerative diseases, serve to disseminate knowledge in our region and contribute to supporting educational opportunities with the latest technology.
Team members
Assistant Prof. Dr. Mehmet Kocabey
Mehmet is a clinical geneticist with a special interest in rare diseases. He graduated from Ankara University Faculty of Medicine in 2015. After obtaining his residency degree in medical genetics from Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine, he played a role in running genetic outpatient clinics in various cities across Turkey. He has diagnosed many patients and provided pre- and post-test genetic counselling. Additionally, he was involved in laboratory setup processes. He has advanced experience in both cytogenetic techniques (chromosome analysis, FISH, etc.) and molecular genetic techniques (Next Generation Sequencing, Sanger sequencing, PCR-based methods, deletion and duplication analyses, etc.). He has been working in the field of clinical and laboratory genetics for the last 8 years, and he has publications and conference presentations on rare diseases. For the last year, he has participated as an academic lecturer in undergraduate and postgraduate education at Dokuz Eylül University.
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Okay ÇaÄŸlayan
Okay is a Professor of Medical Genetics in Turkey and clinical geneticist with specific interest in neurodevelopmental disorders. He has extensive experience in next-generation and high-throughput molecular genetics, with a special focus on the use of homozygosity mapping, linkage analysis, and whole-exome sequencing in recessive forms of structural and functional abnormalities of the brain.
He has successfully detected rare and somatic genetic variant identification in diverse range of diseases using high-throughput and next-generation genomics approaches at Yale. In the last fifteen years, he has published papers in Cell, Science, Nature, Nature Genetics, and Neuron, including one of the first successful applications of exome sequencing in the identification of the genetic basis of recessive forms of structural and functional abnormalities of the brain.
He has served as a member of editorial boards and a reviewer in top-tier journals and conferences and was invited to serve as a program committee member for international workshops and conferences as well. He established Medical Genetics Department, gave undergraduate and postgraduate students lectures, assisted and graded in seminar groups or laboratories.
Dr. Melike Canan GüneÅŸ
Melike graduated from Pamukkale University School of Medicine in 2021 and worked as a general practitioner in Eastern Turkey for 2.5 years. She has recently started residency training at Dokuz Eylül University Department of Medical Genetics. Being able to do research and taking part in an international project and knowing that this will accelerate the dissemination of genetic knowledge in patients with neurodegenerative disorders reinforced her desire to participate in this project. She also has an interest in writing. She won a short story prize in a national competition with the theme “Strong nations are born from strong women.” She intends to pursue a career in scientific research and believes this project will greatly contribute to her journey.
Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona is an innovative entity and a benchmark in Spain. Founded in 1995, its mission is to meet the growing demand for the diagnosis and treatment of people with cognitive impairment and dementia, especially Alzheimer's. It offers personalized care and comprehensive support to patients and their families with an integrated care model that guarantees care and support for all people with Alzheimer's and their families.
​
Each year, over 8.000 people are visited in its Diagnostic Unit, of which more than 4,000 suffer from dementia (3,000 of them Alzheimer's). Diagnosis in mild phases of dementia is a priority for Ace, and for this reason it promotes free memory check-ups, also online through FACEmemory®. Ace is considered one of the international benchmarks in clinical, neuropsychological, social and basic research. Among other activities, Ace participates in numerous globally-enrolled clinical trials targeting all stages of the disease. For this reason, they led two research projects awarded by the European Union on Alzheimer's genetics (ADAPTED) and on models of active participation of patients (MOPEAD)
Team members
Victoria Fernández
Dr. Victoria Fernandez, an experienced postdoctoral researcher, brings a robust academic and professional background to the Genes4All project.
She has proven expertise in bioinformatics, life sciences, and genetics, with a substantial track record in higher education. She is currently Head of the Genomics Unit at the Ace Alzheimer Center, where her work is advancing genomics research in genomics related to Alzheimer’s disease.
​
Dr. Victoria Fernandez received her PhD in Philosophy from the University of Girona, achieving the distinction of Cum Laude. She also holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Marine Environmental Protection from Bangor University and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of Barcelona. Her extensive training and experience position her as a vital contributor to the Genes4All initiative, as she leverages her specialized knowledge to support the project's goals in genetic education and decision-making in neurodegenerative disorders.
Andrea Miguel Romero
Andrea Miguel holds a degree in Biomedicine from the University of Barcelona, a Master in Embryology and Assisted Reproduction from Pompeu Fabra University, and a recent Master’s in Editorial Translation at the International University of Valencia. Through this last program, developed in collaboration with Grupo Editorial Planeta, she gained specialized skills in scientific and literary translation, with a focus on scientific essays and popular science.
Her experience includes an extended research internship at Corachan Clinic, where she built her foundational expertise. At Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, she has contributed to multiple projects, including the GECONEU initiative (“Genetic counselling in European universities: The case of neurodegenerative diseases”). As Project Manager at Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona, she is currently coordinating the team efforts for the Genes4All project, ensuring efficient progress and alignment of project objectives.
Challedu - inclusion | games | education is a non-profit organization that pioneers new models of learning, inclusion and engagement. CHALLEDU is one of the leading R&D experts in game-solutions for education and inclusion. Our team designs and implements playful experiences, games, formal and non-formal educational programs, tools, platforms and applications based on cross-sectoral, interdisciplinary approaches. We focus on 2 main sectors:
Social Inclusion
The projects in this sector focus on inclusion and empowerment of marginalized groups, such as people with disabilities, people with health problems (i.e. dementia), older people, NEETs. The aims are: social inclusion, improved employability, development of skills and competencies, advocacy. The emphasis is given to create environments where people with different abilities, cultural backgrounds and skills, and different generations can interact with each other. The approaches in this sector involve non-formal and informal education, living labs, open co-creative workshops, game-based tools, and cross-sectoral approaches.
Education and Innovation
We see education as a driver for positive societal, environmental, and innovative change. The projects developed in this sector focus on the promotion of entrepreneurship, STE(A)M education, civic and active citizenship, environmental challenges and agriculture, culture, and sustainable development. Our target groups include young people, adults, students, trainers and educators, professionals and institutions. Our approach encompasses forms of non-formal and informal education, game-based methodologies, role-model methodology, open-learning and digital tools, gamification, as well as cross-sectoral approaches.
Team members
Maria Mouka
Maria Mouka is an EU projects member. She has studied Occupational Therapy at theTechnological Educational Institute of Athens. She also holds an MA in “Technologies of Learning and Communication” from European University Cyprus. She has interest in youth empowerment, adult education, disabilities, Assistive and Educational Technology, and game-based learning. Her experience is related to services provided to vulnerable groups of citizens, research and projects implementation.
Foivos Mastroleon
Foivos Mastroleon holds the role of Junior Project Manager at Challedu. He has a Sociology degree from Panteion University and he is pursuing a Master's thesis in Clinical Applied Sociology and Art. During his work at Challedu, he has participated in European programs relevant to dementia and inclusion, elderly care as well as entrepreneurship and environmental awareness.
University Hospital Heidelberg is a university hospital in Heidelberg, Germany, and with 1,991 beds, it is one of the largest medical centers in the country. It is closely linked to the Heidelberg University Medical School (Heidelberg University Faculty of Medicine), which was founded in 1388 and is the oldest in the Federal Republic of Germany.
The hospital and faculty employ over 13,000 people and have over 4,000 students on the Medical Campus alone.
Over 1 million patients are treated annually at University Hospital Heidelberg. Close ties exist between the hospital, the university, and various research institutions in Heidelberg, such as the German Cancer Research Center, the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory. The Institute for Human Genetics covers both the clinical aspects of human genetics, including diagnosis, testing, and treatment, as well as the research side through several specialized laboratories and research working groups. Several academic positions are held by staff members of the Institute. The Institute employs 30 clinical and over 100 non-clinical staff members.
Spain
Germany
Turkey
Greece
Greece
Denmark
