Our mission
c4c-S’s mission is to facilitate the development of new drugs and therapies for the entire paediatric population by providing a sustainable, integrated support for the efficient and swift delivery of high-quality clinical trials. We provide a sustainable infrastructure that optimises the delivery of clinical trials in children through:
- a single point of contact for all sponsors, sites and investigators
- efficient implementation of trials
- collaboration with specialists, networks, participants, and families
- high quality input into study design and preparation, through rigorous strategic
and operational feasibility assessment - the promotion of innovative trial design and quantitative scientific methods.
Our vision
c4c-S’s vision is to become a benchmark in the European clinical research environment by creating a unified and collaborative network that transforms paediatric drug development. We envision a future where all paediatric patients have timely access to safe and effective treatments, and where we are recognised as a leader in innovative clinical trial design and execution.
By continuously refining our approaches and methods based on best practices and expert advice, we aim to set new standards for paediatric clinical research and ensure that the needs of the paediatric population are met with the highest quality of care and scientific rigor.
Our history
The conect4children (c4c) initiative began as a collaborative project under the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 (IMI2). The primary goal of the c4c project was to facilitate the development of new drugs and therapies for the entire paediatric population. This pioneering effort brought together 36 academic and 10 industry partners, along with approximately 500 affiliated partners, to build capacity for the implementation of multinational paediatric clinical trials. The project combined these diverse experts to create knowledge and resources that form the strong foundation for c4c-S.
Based in the Netherlands, c4c-S continues the mission of the original project by providing a sustainable, integrated platform for the efficient and swift delivery of high-quality clinical trials in children and young people across all conditions and phases of the drug development process. The organisation promotes innovation in the design of paediatric clinical trials and quantitative methods to foster the development of new medicines for rare paediatric diseases and areas of high medical need.
Overall, the transition from the c4c project to the c4c-S non-profit organisation has allowed for the continuation and expansion of efforts to improve paediatric drug development and ensure that well-studied drugs are accessible to paediatric patients across Europe.
2018
2023
2024
2025
The near future
conect4children IMI2 project kicks off
c4c-s nonprofit legal entity founded in the Netherlands
10th country signs cooperation agreement
End of conect4children project and full transition to c4c-s. 15th country signs the cooperation agreement
Governance
Our team
Our Management and Service Teams are responsible for the day-to-day operations and implementation of the network’s activities. They coordinate with various stakeholders to ensure efficient trial conduct and high-quality outcomes.
Mark Turner
Chief Executive Officer
Mark has more than 30 years’ experience in clinical practice and research and is Professor Emeritus of Neonatology and Research Delivery at the University of Liverpool. He has a passion for improving the medicines that are given to babies and children. As a CI or PI in multicentred studies of 14 medicines and 3 excipients, he has examined methods to evaluate drug safety, medicines administration and the costs of off-label medicines. This experience has led him to work with regulators, pharmaceutical and research networks in the UK, Europe and globally to improve the way we do research that involves children. He has contributed to four paediatric investigation plans. Mark drove the setup of the 20-country pan-European paediatric Clinical Trials Network funded by IMI2, conect4children (c4c) and is CEO of the Dutch non-profit that was spun out of the c4c project.
Mark chaired the European Network of Paediatric Research at the European Medicines Agency for six years and has contributed to the development of three European research infrastructures and one in the USA. He is the European Co-Director of the International Neonatal Consortium, hosted by the Critical Path Institute. He was senior co-Editor of the landmark textbook “Essentials of Translational Pediatric Drug Development” (2024, Elsevier) and was President of the European Society for Developmental, Perinatal and Paediatric Pharmacology (2019 – 2022).
Ricardo Fernandes
Chief Medical Officer
Ricardo is an academic consultant paediatrician, an associate professor in clinical pharmacology, and a clinical researcher. He joined the conect4children (c4c) IMI project consortium since its inception, where he served as a work package lead, national hub lead, and national hub forum chair. He then became a founding board member of the conect4children Stichting and has been serving as Chief Medical Officer since its incorporation. Ricardo’s research background includes clinical epidemiology, clinical trial methodology, clinimetrics, and synthesis research. He has conducted research in the Netherlands and Canada as part of a Gulbenkian/Champalimaud Foundation Advanced Medical Education MD-PhD Program. His research interests have centred around paediatric clinical pharmacology and methodology, encompassing paediatric clinical trial design, analysis, and reporting, data monitoring committees, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis. Additionally, he has been involved in research in paediatric respiratory and allergic diseases and emergency care. He became increasingly interested in clinical research networks and their role in fostering, improving, and facilitating high-quality paediatric research to address evidence gaps and needs in a child and family-centred way. Ricardo has collaborated on the inception of paediatric research collaborations like the StaR Child Health initiative and the Pediatric Emergency Research Networks, as well as other organizations such as the European Respiratory Society and the Cochrane Child Health Field.
Luigi Comacchio
Chief Financial Officer
Luigi has over ten years of experience in the financial management of non-profit organizations, with a particular emphasis on child health research. As Chief Financial Officer, he oversees the financial health of c4c-S, ensuring sound fiscal governance and strategic resource allocation to support the organization’s mission.
Sabah Attar
Network Director, Chief Transformational Officer
Sabah is an accomplished leader in organisational development and strategic management with over a decade of experience in overseeing complex, multi-national projects across the UK and Europe. With a strong foundation in engineering and a PhD from the University of Sheffield, she has successfully led diverse, remote teams in the health research sector, particularly in paediatric clinical research. As the Network Director and Chief Transformation Officer for the IMI2 conect4children Clinical Research Network, Sabah spearheaded the development and implementation of innovative services across 21 European countries, driving the operationalisation of clinical trials in collaboration with leading academic and commercial institutions. Their expertise in organisational development is demonstrated by their ability to harmonise management practices across geographically dispersed teams, ensuring consistent delivery and high performance.
Pia Rautiainen
Trial Service Lead
Pia has more than 27 years of experience with the pharmaceutical industry. She is an accomplished clinical development operations professional with a comprehensive understanding of pharmaceuticals and medical device development. Pia has a proven track record of successful cross-functional, global virtual teamwork and has led several successful clinical development projects from phase II through to marketing authorization. In her role as Trial Service Lead, she is responsible for c4c-S Trial Service planning, conduct, and delivery.
Cintia Spira
Expert Advice Service Lead
Cintia is a physician and clinical research professional with over 15 years of international experience in health research, clinical trial coordination, and stakeholder engagement. She has led and supported studies across academic, non-profit, and industry settings in Europe, Africa, and Latin America. As Expert Advice Service Lead at c4c-S, she manages scientific advice activities and ensures the delivery of high-quality outputs. Her background in implementation research and project management strengthens internal operations and stakeholder collaboration. She also supports the strategic positioning and visibility of c4c-S services in the paediatric drug development landscape.
Henriëtte Burgers
Senior Office Administrator
Henriëtte studied Analytical Chemistry at the Hogeschool Arnhem Nijmegen (HAN) in the Netherlands from 1985-1990. After obtaining her diploma she worked in several laboratories in different companies/industries. In 2005 Henriette started as executive secretary at the Dental Department at Radboudumc and from June 2019 she was the senior project secretary within the conect4children WP4 Advisory Group Secretariat. Since May 2024, she is the Senior Office Administrator at the conect4children Stichting and as such supports the management team and service teams in their day-to-day operations.
Inês Amaral
Trial Service Coordinator
Inês is a clinical research professional with a strong commitment to improving paediatric trials through collaborative, cross-border approaches. Since 2022, she has supported trial implementation at national sites and contributed to the capacitation of European research networks. With a background in biomedical sciences and advanced training in clinical research, she later joined the c4c central coordination team, where she played a key role in aligning trial service delivery across countries. In her role as c4c-S Trial Service Coordinator, Inês works closely with international stakeholders to ensure high-quality, consistent services that support better clinical research outcomes for children.
Karin Lubbers-Geuijen
Lead of Operations
Karin has 20 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry and was leading an Analytical Development department for the past 5 years. She has a strong affinity for operational excellence and operational efficiency, combined with strategic leadership and experience in change management. During her time as department head, she has also taken on short term project management tasks, such as leading the relocation of the entire laboratory and operations to a new building. In this role, she managed a diverse team in designing new laboratories and planning for actual relocation. As Lead of Operations, Karin will support shaping the future of c4c-S by working on streamlining business operations.
Supervisory board
The Supervisory Board provides oversight and guidance to the Management Board and Management Team. It ensures that the network adheres to its governance principles and regulatory requirements.
Joseph Scheeren
Chairman of the board of trustees
Jospeh is an accomplished board director and C-suite leader with 35+ years of global experience driving transformational growth in biotech, pharmaceuticals, and regulatory science. He combines deep industry expertise (Bayer) with governance leadership across NASDAQ-listed, nonprofit, and advisory boards. He has a proven ability to foster public-private partnerships (C-Path), manage regulatory risk, and scale mission-driven global organisations
Claire Levy-Marchal
Member of the board of trustees
Claire has a long-standing experience in academic clinical research, first as an investigator in the pediatric diabetes field, then as the leader of the clinical research department at Inserm in France. As such she has supported the development of academic disease-oriented networks in France (FCRIN https://www.fcrin.org/). She has followed the c4c project from the beginning being a member of the External Advisory Board and then being appointed at the c4c-S Supervisory Board. She currently holds a position as Scientific Integrity Officer at the Paris Brain Institute.
Adam Cohen
Member of the board of trustees
Adam has worked in early drug development both in industry and academia and founded CHDR, an academic CRO in Leiden the Netherlands. He is emeritus Professor of Clinical Pharmacology in the Leiden University Medical Centre. He has an ongoing clinical attachment in the department of nephrology, involved in education. He is an advisor to several startup drug and device development companies and stongly involved in educational projects about medicines both to students, professionals and the general public. He publishes regularly in media and scientific journals and is a member of a medical ethics committee in the Netherlands. He is currently active as a GP for Ukranian refugees and a performing amateur clarinettist.
Siobhan Crowley
Member of the board of trustees
Siobhan is a highly accomplished global public health expert with 29+ years of post-graduate experience in clinical practice, program development, global health leadership, and using research to shape policy. She is renowned for implementing large-scale health programs in collaboration with national governments, the UN, philanthropic organizations, and NGOs. She is an expert in sexual and reproductive health/HIV, and maternal/newborn/child health, with a proven track record in designing evidence-based interventions, leveraging research and data-driven insights, to optimize health outcomes. Siobhan is a UK-qualified specialist Physician with a master’s in Health Education (Distinction). She is skilled in performance improvement, capacity building, and health systems strengthening, with deep cross-cultural experience across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the UK. She is adept at governance, risk management, and aligning programs and operations with strategic goals, and is fluent in English with proficiency in French, Hindi, and Nepali. Siobhan is a mother to three boys, a keen cyclist and theatre goer.
Strategic members
c4c-S partners with pharmaceutical companies and associations as strategic members of the organisation.
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