Dr. Elisa Giovannetti (associate Professor and PI at the Dept. Lab. Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC) has been elected Chair of the “Pharmacology and Molecular Mechanisms” (PAMM) group of the European Organization for Research and treatment of Cancer (EORTC). 

Starting June 2021, she is taking over the position of Prof. Eric Raymond (Groupe Hospitalier Paris Saint-Joseph), being the third Chair of the PAMM group from Amsterdam UMC, after Prof. GJ Peters and Prof. HM Pinedo (one of the founders of the group), during the 60 years of EORTC history. 

With over 930 universities or affiliated hospitals in 27 countries, more than 5500 collaborators, and a database of about 198,000 patients, EORTC is the largest pan-European non-profit clinical cancer research organization. The EORTC's mission is to increase people's survival and quality of life by testing new therapeutic strategies based on existing drugs, surgery, and radiotherapy. Together with the NCI and the AACR, the EORTC organizes the annual New Drug Development meeting, alternating between Europe and the USA, in which the PAMM group plays an important role in the scientific organization. 

In particular, the PAMM group is an integral part of EORTC’s Translational Research Division, delivering information for projects with other disease-oriented groups, particularly in early-stage developments. One of the main aims of the EORTC is indeed to help the development of new drugs and approaches in partnership with the pharmaceutical industry, small biotech companies, academic drug developers, and in patients’ best interests.

At the annual meeting, the PAMM group also organizes educational sessions for PhD students and early postdoctoral researchers.