MDS Europe - Groupe Francophone des Myélodysplasies

Groupe Francophone des Myélodysplasies

Groupe Francophone des Myélodysplasies (GFM)

The Groupe Francophone des Myélodysplasies (GFM) is a non-profit organization that includes most French haematology centres, several of them registered as centres of excellence of the International MDS Foundation. Amongst others, the group conducts and sponsors clinical trials and translational research, coordinates the online French registry of MDS since 2003 and updates diagnostic guidelines and therapeutic procedures. Institutes that are part of GFM and that are also involved in MDS-RIGHT are all specialist in pre-clinical, proteomics and genomics studies in the field of MDS.

Our team

Prof. Pierre Fenaux, MD, PhD

Pierre is a professor of Hematology and is head of one of the hematology sections of hôpital Saint Louis in Paris. He is involved in translational research in the field of MDS and acute myeloid leukemia. He is a founding member and chairman of the French MDS group (GFM). In MDS-RIGHT he is the leading investigator of Work Package 6 (dissemination, exploitation and communication), and also involved through the GFM in most other work packages.

Prof. Michaela Fontenay, MD, PhD

Michaela is a professor of Hematology at Université de Paris (ex-Paris Descartes University), the head of the laboratory of hematology in the Hospital Cochin in Paris and the co-director of the PhD School Hematology, Oncogenesis and Biotherapies (Université de Paris, ex-Paris Descartes and Paris Diderot University). Her research focuses on genetic, epigenetic, transcriptomic and proteomic aspects in lower risk myelodysplastic syndromes and erythroid cell biology. Her involvement in MDS-RIGHT concerns laboratory diagnosis and bioinformatics in Work Package 2.

Prof. Olivier Kosmider, PharmD, PhD

Olivier is a professor of Hematology at Université de Paris (ex-Paris Descartes University), responsible for the molecular biology department at Cochin Hospital. His research focuses on the clonal architecture and evolution of lower risk MDS by next generation sequencing and single cell genotyping. He is involved in Work Package 2 (laboratory diagnosis and bioinformatics).

Prof. Claude Preudhomme, MD

Claude is head of the lab of haematology in Lille. His lab performs state of the art molecular analysis of MDS with Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) methods.

Prof. Eric Solary, MD

Eric is an MD, full-Professor in Haematology at Paris-Sud University, Scientific Director of Gustave Roussy Comprehensive Cancer Center, and director of team 4 in Inserm Unit 1170 (Normal and pathological haematopoiesis). He teaches clinical and biological haematology as well as cell biology at Paris-Sud Faculty of Medicine. He is the former Scientific Director of the Canceropole Ile de France and the current President of the Scientific Committee of the Foundation ARC, a charity dedicated to cancer research funding. Eric’s research has been dedicated initially to leukemic cell resistance to cytotoxic drugs, then cell death mechanisms and the link between cell death and differentiation in the hematopoietic system. His current research is focused on monocyte response to cytokines and chronic myeloid malignancies, especially chronic myelomonocytic leukemia.

Dr. Raphael Itzykson

Raphael is an Assistant Professor in the Hematology Department of the Saint-Louis Hospital. He is involved in the field of translational research in acute myeloid leukemias and myelodysplastic syndromes. In MDS-RIGHT, he will contribute to Work Package 1 (health care interventions).

Fatiha Chermat

Fatiha is Director of GFM at Saint Louis Hospital in Paris. She has experience in implementing major projects in clinical research of MDS and acute myeloid leukemia. She also has extensive experience as clinical research coordinator. In MDS-RIGHT, she will contribute to management of Regulatory Affairs activities with the Competent Authorities (French Health Authorities and Ethics Committees) in France for any relevant documents of this project.

Lynda H Attalah, PhD

Lynda is a clinical trial engineer at GFM. She has experience in clinical research of MDS and in clinical trials coordination. She also has extensive experience as researcher in molecular biology.

Patrick Festy

Patrick is the chairman of CCM, the French patient support group Connaitre et Combattre les Myélodysplasies, with the objective to disseminate the best information on disease and treatments and provide medical doctors feedback on patients’ living conditions. In MDS-RIGHT, he will make the voice of patients audible and will contribute to the diffusion of information to patients and their families.

Robert Schaefer

Robert is an independent international healthcare communications and strategy consultant who has worked for more than 20 years for international agencies, professional societies, research institutions, patient organisations, industry and multi-stakeholder consortia. His previous clients include the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Vital Options International, Myeloma Euronet (now Myeloma Patients Europe), the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and Rare Cancers Europe, to name but a few. For the MDS-RIGHT project, Robert provides assistance with the implementation of Work Package 6 (dissemination, exploitation and communication).

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