ADIPSO’s President
I created ADIPSO - Associazione per la difesa degli Psoriasici – a no-profit organisation back in 1989 as I myself suffer from severe Psoriatic Arthritis.I am President of A.DI.PSO. and was also Vicepresident of EUROPSO (European Psoriasis Associations) from 2001 to 2004. I began my experience with the association informing and sensitizing the public through radio and TV programmes, articles on newspapers, magazines and journals explaining the specific issues related to psoriasis. I promoted initiatives, meetings and congresses to make psoriasis patients and psoriasis become known and accepted.
I am a current member of the Committee of chronic diseases of the Italian Ministry of Health; here I worked hard to have Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis recognised as a social and invalidating disease (see Law 226).
As President of the Association I have played an active role in the research programme of the Rheumatology Institute of the University of Rome "La Sapienza " on the methods to assess the severity and functional deficit of people suffering from psoriatic arthritis. Another important collaboration was with the Genetics Group of the University of Rome "Tor Vergata" in their study on the family segregation of the gene of psoriasis.
As President of ADIPSO I have promoted important International Congresses in 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 on the topic of "Psoriasis: interaction between patients, doctors and politicians", obtaining – according to experts – prestigious results.
In 2002, I promoted together with Europso the project of the survey on the quality of life of psoriatic patients by distributing a questionnaire to psoriatic patients. The questionnaire was anonymous; the data were then processed by a credited Agency and presented to the public in Prague during the E.A.D.V. Congress of October 2002, and in the IX New York Symposium held in June 2003.
The data coming from the questionnaires distributed in Italy – about 5000 cases - were presented in June 2003 during the S.I.D.E.V. Congress held in Rome.
Publisher of ADIPSO News, the quarterly official journal of A.DI.PSO.
I have taken care personally of all editorials since the very first number in 1993.
I have also been working as representative of psoriatic patients in Europe in EPF’s board (European Patients’ Forum) since March 2004.
Member of AIFA’s "Psocare" Project – representing patients – to evaluate the long-term outcome of drugs.
Appointed as honorary member of the Italian Dermatology Societies SIDeMaST and ADOI.
Winner of "Premio in rosa" La Maiella, an award given by the Ministry of Equal Opportunities, Barbara Pollastrini, for my continuous work in the social and health sector.
Appointed once again in December 2008 by the new Director of AIFA, Guido Rasi, to represent patients in the "Psocare" project, made together with the Italian Dermatology Societies SIDeMaST and ADOI
Official Member of GRAPPA (Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis) since January 2010. The Group works on scientific, educational projects, sharing data achieved by creating networks between different medical sectors and patients.
Member of EULAR’s Task Force (European League Against Rheumatism) since January 2010. EULAR, together with the American College of Rheumatology, is the most important scientific society in the field of rheumatic diseases at worldwide level.
Winner of the award of the Roman Dermatology Academy for my contribution to dermatology in Rome in September 2011.
