Executive Council

You can find the tabulatory overview of all councils since 2016 in the archive.

Linn Woelber

Prof. Linn Woelber is a board certified gynecologic oncologist. Since 2012 she has been working as a consultant at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf and is head of one of the biggest certified colposcopy unit in Germany. Her research fields are HPV-related diseases with a focus on prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines; her particular interest is however vulvar (pre)cancer where she could add profoundly to the current clinical and basic knowledge with her work. As a member of national and international guideline groups Prof. Woelber has also developed recent guidelines on the management of vulvar cancer.

Jasmine Abdulcadir

Jasmine Abdulcadir is an obstetrician-gynecologist specialized in sexual medicine and vulvar disease and surgery.

A staff physician and assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology of Geneva University Hospitals, she is responsible for the Gyneco-Obstetric Emergency Unit and for the care of victims of sexual assault. In 2010, she founded the first and only clinic in Switzerland dedicated to women and girls who have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM/C). This clinic provides comprehensive support, combining information, prevention, clinical care, psychosexual support, and surgical procedures—such as clitoral reconstruction—within a culturally sensitive and trauma-informed approach. Prof. Jasmine Abdulcadir conducts research on the consequences of FGM/C, violence against women, and the anatomy and physiology of the clitoris. She teaches at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva and has served as a consultant for organizations such as Médecins Sans Frontières and the World Health Organization (WHO). She is a member of the WHO guideline development group on FGM/C and a consultant for the Swiss Network against Female Genital Cutting as well as the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration.

Of Italian and Somali origin, her commitment to improving the health of women and girls with FGM/C earned her the title of Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2018. In 2025, she was featured among the ambassadors of the United Nations exhibition celebrating its 80th anniversary.

Niccolo Gallio

Dr. Niccolò Gallio is a gynaecologist and obstetrician based in Turin, Italy. He trained in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Turin, where he is affiliated with the Division of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the Sant’Anna Hospital. His clinical and research interests focus on vulvo-vaginal and cervical pathology, particularly HPV-related diseases and premalignant conditions of the lower genital tract.

Alongside his hospital role, he is a fellow of the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease (ISSVD), and a member of the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) Prevention Committee, actively participating in initiatives aimed at improving diagnosis, prevention, and management of vulvar, vaginal and cervical diseases. He recently joined the Executive Council of the ECSVD.

Etienne Beaufils

Dr Etienne Beaufils is a French gynecologist and obstetrician.

After completing medical training he spent 10 years at university hospital in Lyon, where he developed strong expertise in women’s intimate health, and preventive care. Now working in a clinic, he is specialized in HPV-related diseases, perineology, and vulvar pathology, particularly Genito-Urinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM)

He teaches at several university diplomas (vaginal surgery, colposcopy, vulvar pathology)

He recently joined the ECSVD executive council

Svritgaile Grinceviciene

Dr. Svitrigaile Grincevičienė is a Lithuanian obstetrician and gynecologist with extensive experience in women’s health. After completing her medical training, she spent ten years working in private practice in Vilnius and in outpatient clinics across rural Lithuania, where she developed strong expertise in vulvovaginal and infectious diseases, sexual health, and preventive gynecological care.

Currently, she practices in a clinical setting with a specialization in HPV-related diseases, vulvodynia and other vulvar pathologies, the genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), and chronic vaginitis. She is actively involved in medical education, contributing to several university diploma programs and postgraduate courses in sexual medicine and vaginal microbiota.

Dr. Grincevičienė also serves as a researcher at the Vilnius University Life Sciences Center. Her scientific interests include the female microbiome and precancerous cervical lesions.

In addition to her clinical and academic roles, she is a Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease (ISSVD) and a member of the International Society for Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISIDOG). She participates in international initiatives aimed at improving the diagnosis, prevention, and management of vulvar, vaginal, and cervical diseases. Most recently, she joined the Executive Council of the ECSVD.

Hans Verstraelen

Hans Verstraelen is a vulvar disease physician affiliated with the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Ghent University Hospital, Belgium.

At the beginning of his career, Hans joined a research group that pioneered in the molecular study of the vaginal microbiome, motivated by the challenge of preterm birth. Over time, his focus evolved toward the microbiology of bacterial vaginosis and, more broadly, disorders of the vagina and vulva—a field that has since become central to his work. He obtained his PhD on the subject of the vaginal microbiome in 2009. For his early research work, he received the Prof. Dr. José Daels Award for Obstetrics and Gynaecology from the Royal Academy of Medicine in 2007. For his PhD he was awarded the Andreas De Leenheer Award by the International Club of Flanders in 2010. Hans was appointed associate professor at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University in 2012, and full professor at the same university in 2023. He is actively involved in teaching at undergraduate and graduate levels of medical education (Bachelor and Master of Medicine), as well as in the Master after Master specialization in Obstetrics & Gynaecology. He is also the director of the lifelong learning program of his Faculty.

Hans established the multidisciplinary vulvovaginal disease clinic at Ghent University Hospital in 2008, of which he has been in charge since. In his home country, he is best known for his expertise in vulvodynia and lichen sclerosus.

He is an executive board member of the European College for the Study of Vulval Disease (ECSVD) since 2023, and an active member of the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease (ISSVD) and a member of the ISSVD Microbiome and Vaginitis Committee.

Manon van Seters

Manon works as a Consultant Gynaecologist in Worcester (UK) since 2016. She completed her training in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, followed by a subspecialty training in Gynaecological Oncology in the University Medical Centre Groningen.

Manon has special interest in gynae-oncology and premalignant cervical and vulvar disease. In 2008 she completed a thesis on Vulvar Intraepithelial Neoplasia (VIN). She published several papers in renowned medical journals, including a randomized controlled trial on treatment of VIN with topical Imiquimod, published in the NEJM in 2008. She is secretary of the Executive Council of the ECSVD.

Fiona Lewis

Fiona Lewis trained in Dermatology at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield and completed her MD thesis on clinical and immunological aspects of lichen sclerosus there. She became a Consultant Dermatologist in 1996 and now runs the Vulval Clinic at St John’s Institute of Dermatology which is a busy tertiary service for complex vulval conditions. She is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at King’s College, London and is programme director for the MSc in Clinical Dermatology.

She teaches on all aspects of vulval disease at a local, national and international level, and has authored various textbooks on vulval disease, as well as being active in clinical research. She is the current President of the European College for the Study of Vulval Disease.

Annelinde Terlou

Annelinde Terlou is a dermatologist with specialized expertise in vulvar and vaginal disorders. She completed her medical training in dermatology at the VU Medical Center in 2016.

In 2011 she completed her thesis titled "Immune Regulation and Premalignant Vulvar and Vaginal Disorders", focused on the immunological aspects of these conditions.

Since 2020, Dr. Terlou has collaborated with gynecologists at the Amsterdam UMC to establish a multidisciplinary vulvar clinic, providing care for both pediatric and adult patients with vulvar conditions. In addition to her clinical work, she serves as the primary educator for dermatology training at the Amsterdam UMC.

Her work combines clinical care, education, and research, with a focus on advancing the understanding and treatment of vulvar and vaginal dermatological conditions.

She recently joined the executive council of the ECSVD.

Maaike Bleeker

My name is Maaike Bleeker, and I have been a pathologist at Amsterdam UMC since 2009. In addition to my specialization in gynecopathology, I am an expert in both vulvar pathology and HPV-related anogenital pathology.

In addition to my work at Amsterdam UMC, I am active regionally and internationally. Nationally, I am a board member of the Dutch Working Group on Gynecological Pathology (NWGP), the Dutch Gynecological Oncology Group (DGOG), and the Working Group on Cervical Pathology (WCU). I also contribute to several multidisciplinary guidelines for (pre)cancer, including VIN, vulvar carcinoma, and cervical cancer. Internationally, I am involved in the upcoming edition of the WHO Blue Book, to be published in 2026, and I am a member of the ISGYP Vulval Cancer Project. I recently became a member of the ECSVD council.

Since 1999, I have been actively engaged in research on HPV-related genital (pre)cancers (www.hpvstudies.nl). I completed my PhD on "HPV infections in sexual partners" in 2005, graduating summa cum laude. My current research projects focus on identifying new disease markers (biomarkers) to better detect precursor lesions of vulvar cancer. By combining my clinical work with research, I aim to improve the care and treatment of women with vulvar abnormalities through the insights and knowledge gained.

Ulrika Heddini

Ulrika Heddini, MD, PhD is a senior Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Danderyds Hospital, Stockhom, Sweden, where she has been specializing in Vulvo-vaginal diseases andcolposcopy at a regional and national competence center since 2008.

She wrote her PhD-thesis on pain genetics and co-morbidity of Provoked Vestibulodynia in 2014 and her research has continued to focus on the etiology and treatment of PVD.

She has been working in London, UK and is at the moment sharing her time between Sweden andSwitzerland.

Dr Heddini is currently President of the Swedish Vulvar Society and was previously secretary of the ECSVD before becoming a council member.

Paivi Tommola

  • Living and working in the Helsinki region, Finland.Medical doctor 1985, PhD 2017 University of Helsinki, Finland
  • PhD title “Etiopathogenesis and Treatment of Localized Provoked Vulvodynia”
  • Private practioner, several clinics, general gynecological patients with emphasis on vulvovaginal complaints, especially vulvodynia and vulvovaginitis patients
  • Previously, post doc researcher in the University of Helsinki in the fields of vulvodynia and vaginal microbiome
  • President of ECSVD 2020 – 2023
  • Member of ECSVD since 2006
  • Fellow of the International Society for Vulvovaginal Disease ISSVD since 2011
  • Member of the Editorial Board of Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease