Stella Blackburn appointed president of the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology

The European Medicines Agency congratulates Dr Stella Blackburn, the Agency's Risk Management Development and Scientific Lead, for her appointment as president of the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE).

The European Medicines Agency congratulates Dr Stella Blackburn, the Agency's Risk Management Development and Scientific Lead, for her appointment as president of the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology (ISPE).

Dr Blackburn is the first full-time regulator to take up the Society's presidency. She will be carrying out her new role on a voluntary basis for one year in addition to continuing her work at the Agency.

ISPE is a non-profit international professional membership organisation dedicated to advancing the health of the public. It does this by providing a forum for the open exchange of scientific information and for the development of policy, education and advocacy for the field of pharmacoepidemiology, the science that applies epidemiologic approaches to studying the use, effectiveness, value and safety of pharmaceuticals.

Dr Blackburn has worked at the Agency since 1997 in a range of positions. She specialises in risk management, being heavily involved in the implementation of the new pharmacovigilance legislation and playing a key role in the coordination of the Pharmacoepidemiological Research on Outcomes of Therapeutics by a European Consortium (PROTECT). She also provides advice on pharmacoepidemiology to the Agency's staff and committees.

"I feel very honoured to have been asked to take on this role," she said. "During my presidency, I will continue to promote the European Union viewpoint and the key role of the Agency in protecting the health of Europeans.

"I want to maintain the Society's open, friendly atmosphere and its cutting-edge science. I also want to continue to support its global expansion, providing training for the next generation of pharmacoepidemiologists and developing pharmacoepidemiology expertise around the world."