Arabela Acălinei is President of Neuro Move CMT Association in Romania, a national organization dedicated to people suffering with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and other neuromuscular conditions.
Arabela is a Romanian-English teacher, a translator, as well as an adults’ trainer. She has a degree in Project management, but also in Career Counselling for people with disabilities.
As being a patient with CMT herself and having 12 persons in her family with the same disease, her two sons included, she dedicated her life in becoming an experienced patient advocate and started working with several relevant stakeholders, both at national and international level.
In 2019 she graduated Eurordis Winter School on Scientific Innovation and Translational Research and in 2022 she graduated Eurordis Summer School on Medicines Research & Development. She became EUPATI fellow in 2021, after five months of intensive training at The European Patients’ Academy on Therapeutic Innovation (EUPATI).
Since June 2020, Arabela has been elected Board member of the European Charcot-Marie-Tooth Federation and Eastern Europe Ambasador for ECMTF. Raising awareness about Charcot-Marie-Tooth, especially in those countries where the disease is less known and patients lack support, is one of Arabela’s ambitions!
Becoming EAMDA President in October 2021, was not only a significant achievement for Arabela Acălinei, but also an opportunity to bring her expertise and support to the large European NMD community, that EAMDA serves.