Conference committee
Marius I. Ungureanu, MD, PhD
Conference co-president
Marius-Ionuț Ungureanu is a medical doctor and public health scholar working at the intersection of health workforce policy, health systems development, and evidence-informed decision-making. He serves as Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Public Health at the School of Political, Administrative and Communication Sciences, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. He also holds an appointment as Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. He has held senior roles in government, including Advisor to the Minister of Health, Chief of Staff to the Minister, and Deputy Minister of Health in the Romanian Ministry of Health. Dr. Ungureanu’s work focuses on strengthening the health workforce, advancing leadership and governance in health systems, improving primary and community care, and applying rigorous research approaches to policy design and implementation. He currently serves on the Board of the European Health Management Association, represents BBU in the Governing Board of the European Public Health Association, and is President of EUPHA’s Health and Care Workforce Section.
Monica G. Brînzac, PhD
Conference co-president
Monica Georgiana Brînzac is an assistant professor at the Department of Public Health, Babeș-Bolyai University, and director of the Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy. Her work focuses on health workforce governance, medical deserts, primary and community care, mental, youth and digital health, with a strong interest in health systems strengthening in Romania and the WHO European Region. She completed her PhD in Administration and Public Policy at Babeș-Bolyai University in 2024. She has been involved in several international and national projects, UNICEF- and WHO-supported work on maternal and child health and community health workers. At European level, she serves as EUPHA network coordinator and is a member of the Executive Council of the European Public Health Association and the Executive Board of the European Public Health Conference Foundation. Her research has been published in journals such as the International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Human Resources for Health, the European Journal of Public Health, the Journal of Global Health and SAGE Open.
Matthias Wismar, PhD
Conference co-president
Dr. Matthias Wismar is the Programme Manager at the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, where he oversees the development and management of studies, as well as the organisation of face-to-face dissemination and knowledge-brokering events. He also oversees the Observatory’s webinar series. Dr. Wismar manages a diverse portfolio of topics, including governance, co-benefits and the Sustainable Development Goals, European integration in health and health systems and the health workforce. He earned his doctorate in political science from Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany. His academic journey also includes time as an exchange student at the University of Southampton (UK) and as a visiting student at Nuffield College, Oxford (UK). Before joining the Observatory, Dr. Wismar led a health policy research unit at the Medical School Hanover in Germany, where he focused on advancing research and policy development in the healthcare sector.
Mara Bumbu, MHE(c)
Conference co-manager
Mara Bumbu is a Research Technician at the Department of Public Health, Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health and is currently finishing her Master’s degree in Health Economics. Her academic and professional interests focus on health policy, healthcare workforce, healthcare management, vaccination and statistics. Mara is actively involved in two major European projects that support the advancement of healthcare systems across Europe. As part of the BeWell project (Blueprint Alliance for a Future Health Workforce Strategy on Digital and Green Skills), she contributes to the development of training materials and courses aimed at strengthening the digital skills and resilience of healthcare professionals. Additionally, her work in the THCS (Transforming Health and Care Systems) project focuses on advancing research and innovation to strengthen the use of evidence in health policymaking.
Denisa B. Barabasa, MND(c)
Logistics and operations
Barabasa Denisa is a registered dietitian and a first-year Master of Public Health student, currently in the second year of her Master’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. Her academic and professional interests focus on public health nutrition, primary care, health promotion, and disease prevention, with a particular emphasis on mental health and social isolation as emerging public health challenges. She has actively participated in community nutrition projects, contributing to initiatives aimed at improving dietary behaviors, nutritional literacy, and population health outcomes. As part of her professional development, Denisa is currently completing a fellowship at the Department of Public Health, Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, where she supports various project activities related to primary care and mental health.
Ellen Kuhlmann, PhD
Scientific committee
Ellen Kuhlmann is a sociologist and senior health policy researcher specializing in health systems, workforce governance, and gender- and intersectionality-sensitive healthcare policy. She holds a PhD in Sociology and a Master of Public Health, and brings a strong practice-based perspective through her background as a specialized intensive care and anesthesiology nurse. Dr. Kuhlmann has held academic positions at leading institutions including Goethe University Frankfurt and Hannover Medical School, and has served as a policy consultant for major international organizations such as the World Health Organization and the European Parliament. She was also the President of the European Public Health Association Health Workforce Research Section. Her research focuses on health workforce sustainability, organizational governance, management reform, and gender-sensitive health policy, with a strong emphasis on comparative European health systems.
Ștefan Lazăr, BA, M.Adv.
Marketing and communication
Ștefan Augustin Lazăr is a public health professional with a Master's degree in Advertising and a Bachelor's degree in Public Health. His diverse experience combines health communication expertise with research support. He currently serves as a Communication Expert at the Cluj Association of Family Doctors and as a Research Technician in the Department of Public Health at Babeș-Bolyai University. Ștefan was formerly Local Coordinator and Co-designer in the OurCluj project, where he contributed to community-based public health initiatives. He is also a student ambassador for the This Is Public Health initiative, promoting public health careers and awareness among students and young professionals. With a strong foundation in both health and communication, Ștefan is dedicated to transforming public health information into meaningful, actionable changes.
Tiago Correia, PhD
Scientific committee
Tiago Correia is Associate Professor of Global Public Health at the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, and a researcher in Global Health and Tropical Medicine. He also serves as Editor-in-Chief of the European Journal of Public Health, the scientific journal of the European Public Health Association. He holds a PhD in Sociology from ISCTE – Lisbon University Institute and completed post-doctoral fellowships in Public Health at the University of Montreal and McGill University, with academic training and expertise focused on health policies, public health systems, and global health development. In addition to his academic role, Tiago Correia holds several international leadership positions, including Vice-President of the Thematic Committee on Public Health Workforce Development at the International Association of National Public Health Institutes, Head of the WHO Collaborating Centre on Health Workforce Policy and Planning and Member of the Board of Directors of the European Health Management Association.
Michelle Falkenbach, PhD
Scientific committee
Michelle Falkenbach is a Technical Officer at the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies in Brussels, where she focuses on health policy, health politics, governance, the health workforce, intersectoral action, and the Sustainable Development Goals. She supports the Observatory’s analytical pillar on governance and contributes to knowledge brokering through a range of activities, including reports, policy briefs, webinars, and other dissemination initiatives aimed at bridging research and policy. Dr. Falkenbach is also an Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Management and Policy at the University of Michigan, where she continues her academic engagement in public health and health policy. She is actively involved in the European Public Health Association, serving as Vice President of the Health and Care Workforce Section, where she helps guide activities on health workforce research, policy, and practice across Europe.