Instructors
Dionne Usher
Associate Director, Office of the EU QPPV, Merck Sharp & Dohme Limited, United Kingdom
Dionne is based in the UK and works in MSD's Office of the Global Qualified Person for Pharmacovigilance (GQPPV). Dionne is MSD's PSMF Owner and supports various key Global/EU and UK QPPV projects and tasks, such as EudraVigilance access, audits and inspections support and general project management, as needed. As a member of various PSMF industry groups, they share a keen interest in all things PSMF and the various approaches that companies take towards ensuring an efficient and compliant approach to PSMF management for the EEA, UK and globally.
Willemijn van der Spuij, MSC
Executive Director Europe | International - Patient Safety, Bristol Myers Squibb, Switzerland
Willemijn is the Executive Director Europe in the WorldWide Patient Safety Organisation in Bristol Myers Squibb. She is responsible for Patient Safety in the European region, including the Balkans, Baltics and distributor markets. Prior to this role she was responsible for the European markets, PV Intelligence & International Operations including the PSMF as well as Training and Outsourcing activities. Willemijn holds a Nursing Degree from the Netherlands, a BA (Hons) in Sociology from Goldsmiths college, University of London, UK and an MSc in Pharmacovigilance from the University of Hertfordshire, UK. Willemijn is co-chair of the EFPIA Pharmacovigilance Expert Working Group and Chair of the EFPIA International Pharmacovigilance Group.
Maria Wishart
Medical Director, Global Patient Safety, Astrazeneca, United Kingdom
Maria qualified in Medicine from Cambridge University and became an Anaesthetist, working in the UK National Health Service. Her early industry career included roles in phase I clinical trials and in PET imaging as part of the GlaxoSmithKline Translational Medicine team. In 2004 joined the Global Clinical Safety & PV department, working in the neurosciences area and managing a team providing clinical safety for a portfolio of investigational & marketed products. In 2012, she became Deputy EU QPPV and in 2016 she joined AstraZeneca as Deputy EU QPPV. In 2019 Maria moved roles into therapy area-aligned clinical safety. She is now responsible for clinical-strategic leadership for assigned products in the oncology area.