The core group of the European Laboratory Initiative (ELI) functions as an independent technical support group for WHO and its partners. It is hosted by the WHO Regional Office for Europe.

Following a call for applications, members of the core group are selected on the basis of their technical expertise, work experience, constituency background and geographical location. The selection process is led by a committee comprising representatives of the Global TB/HIV and Viral Hepatitis Programmes at WHO headquarters and the WHO TB, HIV and Viral Hepatitis Programme of the WHO Regional Office for Europe. The following members (listed in alphabetical order) have been selected for the period of 2022-2024.

Emmi ANDERSSON, MD PhD 
Analyst and senior consultant
Department of Microbiology
Public Health Agency of Sweden
Stockholm, Sweden

Daniela Maria CIRILLO, MD, PhD 
Head of Emerging Bacterial Pathogens Unit
WHO Collaborating Center
TB Supranational Reference Laboratory
San Raffaele Scientific Institute
Milano, Italy

Tülin DEMIR, MD, Associate Prof. 
Medical Microbiology Specialist
Ministry of Health, General Directorate of Public Health
Microbiology Reference Laboratories
National HIV-AIDS and Viral Hepatitis Reference Laboratories
Refik Saydam Campus, F Block 1 st floor, Adnan Saygun Cad.No:55
Ankara, Turkey

Irina FELKER, MD, PhD 
Executive director of NTRI- WHO Collaborative Centre (CC)
Novosibirsk TB Research Institute (NTRI) - WHO CC
Novosibirsk, Russian Federation

Tamara HOVSEPYAN, Dr. Prof. 
Head of Laboratory
National Center for AIDS Prevention
Yerevan, Armenia

Tatiana KUTULUTSKAYA, Dr. Prof 
Head of the Bacteriological laboratory
Regional Center of Phthisiopulmonology
Health Department of Karaganda region
Kazakhstan, Atbasar

Claudio U. KÖSER, MA, PhD (Cantab) 
Visiting Scientist, Lecturer in Natural Sciences Tripos
Part II Genetics, Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge
Research Associate, Wolfson College, University of Cambridge
Cambridge, United Kingdom

Liudmila LEGKOSTUP, MSc 
Chief Specialist on HIV Diagnosis
and Treatment Programs Coordination
Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine
Kyiv, Ukraine

Orna MOR, PhD, MBA 
Director, National HIV and Viral Hepatitis Reference Laboratory
Head, Clinical Virology Laboratory
Central Virology Laboratory
Public Health Services, Israel Ministry of Health
Chaim Sheba Medical Center
Tel-Aviv, Israel

Stefan NIEMANN, Dipl. Biol., Dr. rer. nat. 
Head Molecular and Experimental Mycobacteriology Group
Research Center Borstel, Leibniz Lung Center
Borstel, Germany

Natalia SHUBLADZE, MSc, PhD 
Consultant, National Center of Tuberculosis
and lung diseases and the National Reference
Mycobacteriology Laboratory
Tbilisi, Georgia

Daniel SIMÕES, MSc 
PhD Fellow, EPI Unit
Instituto de Saúde Pública
Universidade do Porto
Porto, Portugal

Andrii SLYZKYI, MSc 
Laboratory Diagnostics Specialists
Laboratory Consultant
KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation
Den Haag, the Netherlands

Maja STANOJEVIC, MD, PhD 
Head, HIV/AIDS National Reference Laboratory
University of Belgrade Medical Faculty
Belgrade, Serbia

Laziz TURAEV, Dr 
Head of the National TB Reference Laboratory
Republican Specialized Scientific Practical Medical  Center
Phthisiology and Pulmonology
Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Silva TAFAJ, MD, PhD 
Head of the National TB Reference Laboratory
Microbiology Department
National TB Reference Laboratory
University Hospital "Shefqet Ndroqi"
Tirana, Albania