Network & Partnerships Unit
This Unit serves as the primary touch point for all INNODIA Members and those desiring to join the Network. From managing the profiling process of all Members to scouting for exciting partnership opportunities, this Unit is at the forefront.

Elena Bruno, Network & Partnerships Manager
based in Milano, Italy
After graduating as Interpreter and with a career spanning almost 34 years, Elena joined INNODIA with a rich background, first working in a multinational pharmaceutical company and later in the largest Italian charity funding research on rare genetic diseases.
Now, Elena brings her wealth of knowledge in academic research to the service of our Members. Her unique blend of experience from both corporate and non-profit spheres positions her as the best reference point for the Network.
Elena gathers a comprehensive understanding of the diverse resources, expertise, and talents within the Network. By doing so, she ensures that INNODIA promotes the Members’ unique capabilities for the benefit of people living with Type 1 Diabetes.
Elena will also nurture the INNODIA community by organizing engaging and networking activities.
Feel free to reach out to her for any assistance, ideas, or to share your expertise.
Clinical Trial Sites (CTS) Network Unit
This Unit is at the forefront of accrediting, managing, and coordinating all INNODIA Members participating as Clinical Trial Sites. A dedicated team ensures that each INNODIA site is fully equipped to run intervention clinical trials contributing to the development of a network of excellent clinical trial sites expediting clinical development for the benefit of people living with type 1 diabetes.

Abby Dalman, CTS Network Manager
Based in Antwerp, Belgium (Origin: USA)
Access to qualified Clinical Trial Sites
Abby, a Doctorate of Pharmacy graduate from Ferris State University, worked at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, MI. She served as the lead Investigational Drug Service Pharmacist, overseeing approximately 150 investigational product intervention trials in both pediatrics and adults. These trials included Phase 1-3 studies, gene therapy, FDA emergency use authorizations, and single patient INDs. Abby has now relocated to Europe.
As the manager of CTS activities and engagement, Abby plays a pivotal role in orchestrating the seamless participation of INNODIA clinical sites in our collaborative initiatives. Her objective is to build and create mechanisms that support each site according to its unique needs.
Abby's primary focus is on bridging the gap between INNODIA's commitments to medicine developers and the active participation of CTS. She works tirelessly to establish frameworks that optimize the engagement of sites, fostering an environment where clinical trials can unfold smoothly and efficiently.

Nicolas Bovy, CTS Network Coordinator
Based in Liège, Belgium
Nicolas is a biochemist by training with 15 years of experience in both basic research and the industry. During his career he has worked in various aspects of R&D from discovery to pre-clinical and then clinical development. For the past five years, Nicolas has focused on T1D, leading the development program for an investigational disease-modifying treatment. This comprehensive experience gives him a broad understanding of drug development and the biopharmaceutical landscape.

Diane Picton, Screening Program Manager
Based in Cambridge, United Kingdom
Diane is an experience Clinical trial Coordinator with over 15 yrs. in Clinical trial management with University of Cambridge, Department of Paediatrics. Her focus has been on Type 1 diabetes, and she was actively involved in the original IMI INNODIA project, managing the UK network.
Diane will be the project manager for the INNODIA Friend and Family Early-stage T1D detection program. She will be responsible for setting up a network of sites across the EU to facilitate autoantibody testing to identify people at risk of, and with pre-symptomatic Type 1 diabetes.
INPACT Unit
This Unit works to ensure the ongoing development of INPACT - the INNODIA People living with Type 1 Diabetes Community - which is a major asset for INNODIA and the achievement of its mission. This Unit is focused on building and nurturing an expert and dynamic community, active in its role of providing adequate support to medicine developers in the design of patient-centric products.

Ana Alvarez Pagola, INPACT Coordinator
Based in Madrid, Spain
As a person living with type 1 diabetes and broad experience in advocacy and peer support, a background in translation and education, and extensive experience in oversight and coordination of projects in various fields, Ana brings both personal and informed perspective to the team.

Giorgia Schena, INPACT & Training Manager
Based in Basel, Switzerland
Dr. Giorgia Schena is an accomplished scientist and communications expert with a Ph.D. in Applied Biology and extensive experience in academia, non-profits, and scientific writing. As INPACT Manager at INNODIA, she leverages her unique expertise to strengthen patient engagement, empower the Type 1 diabetes community, and foster collaboration between researchers, clinicians, and industry partners.
Dr. Schena's career has been marked by versatility, creativity, and grit. During her postdoctoral training at Yale University's School of Medicine, she conducted bench research on a renal disease called Polycystic Kidney Disease while learning to work in a complex environment made of multiple stakeholders, including people affected by the disease and clinicians. She later expanded her project management and science communication capabilities as a Scientific Writer at The Jackson Laboratory, where she successfully managed the preparation and submission of large multi-center proposals to governmental US agencies, such as the National Institute of Health and the Department of Defense. Her role demanded effective cross-functional coordination and the ability to tailor scientific content to diverse audiences.
At INNODIA, Dr. Schena applies these skills to develop patient-centric programs, train INPACT members, and integrate patient insights into therapeutic development. Her passion for improving patient health and her strategic mindset allow her to build strong relationships with the INPACT community and medicine developers, aligning their goals with INNODIA's mission to accelerate Type 1 diabetes research and therapy development.
Data & Digitalization Unit
The role of this unit is to offer privileged access to data and samples collected on people with type 1 diabetes, at all stages of the disease, to the most advanced research and innovation labs, as well as to medicine developers. Collected at multiple time points, these elements can be the subject of a deep profiling to better understand the disease and promote the development of new therapies.

Juan Fernandez Tajes, Data & Digitalization Manager
Based in Muros, Spain
Juan is a highly experienced bioinformatician with a PhD in Genetics. With over 10 years of experience, his expertise lies in analyzing “OMIC”, clinical, and genetic data to uncover biological mechanisms related to disease development and prediction. He is skilled in data management, including Federated Databases, and applying machine learning models to clinical data for stratifying clinical phenotypes.
Juan plays a crucial role in providing comprehensive answers and technical and scientific support to all requests relating to data, its use and analysis. Juan oversees the data digitalization processes, ensuring accuracy and completeness. He uses advanced statistical techniques to generate summary statistics, reports and interactive dashboards that provide valuable information to all INNODIA stakeholders. Juan ensures that data is used to its full potential, to the benefit of all stakeholders.
Administrative & Support Unit
This unit serves as your primary point of contact with INNODIA.org for administrative matters, ranging from membership applications to financial management. It plays a central role in ensuring the smooth operation of INNODIA by managing the budget, overseeing expenditures, and ensuring compliance with the organization's protocols and procedures.

Vanessa Smets, Office Manager
Based in Leuven, Belgium
Holding a Degree in Economics, Vanessa has the opportunity to spend 20 years managing her own company in the logistics industry. She has now transitioned to a new role as the Office Manager at INNODIA.org
Vanessa is a privileged contact for all INNODIA Network Members and makes herself entirely available to provide them with the answers they need in her various areas of expertise. Vanessa is responsible for management of various administrative critical tasks: such as issuing invoices and making payments on time, planning Board and General Assembly meetings.
Managing Director

Manuela Battaglia, Managing Director
Based in Milano, Italy
Manuela is an immunologist by training, and she spent 20+ years in academic research, mainly focused on understanding the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes. When she was Vice-Director of the San Raffaele Diabetes Research Institute in Milano (Italy), she decided to enter into a different path to reach a higher impact on patients and society. She then spent the following 4 years in leading managerial positions in international organizations focused on reducing the waste of talent, research, and funds in the biomedical field for the benefit of patients. She is now capitalizing on her scientific and managerial competencies, leading the Managing Team in INNODIA.
Manuela ensures the smooth, efficient, and positive functioning of the Managing Team. She serves as the liaison between the team and the INNODIA Board of Directors. Manuela plays a key role as a facilitator, driving all the activities necessary for the development of INNODIA. She makes herself readily available to each of its stakeholders, dedicated to serving INNODIA's vision: a world without type 1 diabetes. Feel free to contact her!