About EMHA
The European Migraine & Headache Alliance is a non-profit umbrella organization, that includes over 30 patient associations for Migraine, Cluster Headache, Trigeminal Neuralgia and other headache diseases, across Europe.
The Alliance was launched in 2006 and since then, being the development of European umbrella organizations a natural progression with more relevance for European nations. Our aim is to speak on behalf of and to advocate for the rights and needs of the 138 million people in Europe living with headache disorders.
EMHA is an active member of the European Federation of Neurological Alliances [EFNA], the International Association of Patient Organizations [IAPO], the European Patients Forum [EPF] and also works closely with organizations such as the European Headache Federation [EHF], European Brain Council [EBC] and others.

Organization chart
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Patrick Little
President
President of EMHA since 2018
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Elena
Ruiz de la TorreExecutive Director, Company Secretary and Immediate Past President
2016–Present: Executive Director, Company Secretary and Immediate Past President,, European Migraine & Headache Alliance (EMHA), Belgium
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Kalina Tyminski
Board Member
Board Officer & Cluster Headache Delegate
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Isabel Colomina
Board Member
Member of the Board, Co-opted Officer

Patrick Little
President
Patrick Little has been a Board member and Treasurer of EMHA since 2016, very recently he has become President of the EMHA. He is CEO of the Migraine Association of Ireland (MAI) since 2008. During this time he has been involved in discussions with the health authorities in Ireland in drafting a Care Pathway for Headache as part of a Neurology Clinical Programme. He has played an active part in the discussions which led to development of The Governance Code for the Community, Voluntary and Charitable Sector in Ireland.
Patrick is also a Board member of the Neurological Alliance of Ireland, a member of the National Council of the Disability Federation of Ireland, and an active member of IPPOSI- the Irish Platform for Patients’ Organisations, Science & Industry which houses the EUPATI project.
Prior to working with MAI he lived in Scotland for 30 years where he worked in the NGO mental health sector. During that time he:
- Represented the United Kingdom on two Pan-European projects on young people’s mental health. He was also the Scottish representative on a European project looking at Social Exclusion and Mental Health.
- Was part of a group which helped the European Commission examine its relationship with the World Health Organisation in relation to mental health.
- Carried out a Baseline Study for a Young People’s Mental Health Project in Vanuatu, South Pacific.
- Was a member of the Scottish Needs Assessment Programme (SNAP) Core Working Group which completed a two-year review of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Scotland.
- Was a core member of a Planning Group which produced a Framework for the Prevention and Reduction of Suicide in Scotland.
- Was a member of Scottish Government’s Planning Group for tackling Social Exclusion of people with mental health problems.
- Was an active member of local Drug and Alcohol Action Teams.
- Chaired and led the Scottish Self-Harm Forum for several years.

Elena
Ruiz de la Torre
Executive Director, Company Secretary and Immediate Past President
Advocacy Work Experience
2016–Present: Executive Director, Company Secretary and Immediate Past President, European Migraine & Headache Alliance (EMHA), Belgium
About EMHA
The European Migraine & Headache Alliance (EMHA) is a non-profit, patient umbrella group which was launched in 2006. Since then, the Alliance has grown to represent patient groups from across the continent. At this moment, EMHA includes 30 Organizations from different Countries. Each year, on September 12th, the European Migraine & Headache Alliance organizes European Migraine Day of Action as well as an awareness Day on Cluster Headache at the European Parliament.
Together with their partner organisations, EMHA voices the views and concerns of headache patients across Europe. Their aim is to promote awareness and understanding of migraine and other primary headache disorders and seek improved access to appropriate diagnosis and treatment for all.
2015-Present : Board Member of the Spanish Platform of Chronic Diseases
2005–2016 : President, Asociación Española de Pacientes con Cefalea (AEPAC), Spain
2014–2015 : Vice President, European Headache Alliance (EMHA), Belgium
2007-2012 : Treasurer, European Headache Alliance (EMHA), Belgium

Kalina Tyminski
Board Member
Kalina was diagnosed with Cluster Headache (CH) in 2008 after 2 years of attending different clinicians seeking treatment for her severe headache symptoms. In 2016 she became President of AFVAC (Association Française Contre l’Algie Vasculaire de la Face), a patient association for patients working in partnership with healthcare professionals, founded on 2005 for the advocacy of Cluster Headache patients. Since June 2017 she has been one of the leaders of the Cluster Headache Special Interest group of the European Migraine and Headache Alliance (EMHA), an umbrella European patient organization. The Special Interest Group was created to raise awareness about CH and reinforce CH patients’ advocacy at a European level. At the same time she became a board
member of EMHA.
Since September 2018 Kalina has been a member of the International Headache Society’s Global Patient Advocacy Coalition and the same year she was rewarded by the European Federation of Neurological Associations for her contribution and dedication to the cause of Migraine and Headaches.

Isabel Colomina
Board Member
2016 – Present: President. Asociación Española de Migraña y Cefalea (AEMICE), Spain.
2014-2016 – Member of the Board: Asociación Española de Migraña y Cefalea (AEMICE), Spain.
2016- Member of the Board of EMHA