Andreea Irina Acasandrei – Romanian Translator

Andreea Irina Acasandrei is a translator with more than 22 years of experience, working across a wide range of projects — from book translations and visual novels to manhwa, subtitling, and creative media. Deeply passionate about the way language shapes stories, emotions, and cultural identity, she finds joy in helping those stories travel across borders and connect with readers everywhere. 

Alongside her literary and multimedia work, Andreea has also translated medical content, including patient education materials, medical reports and case studies, public health campaigns, and conference abstracts. She believes that medical translation carries a special kind of responsibility: it’s not only about accuracy but also about empathy. Making complex information clear and accessible, she says, can make a real difference in someone’s life. 

Ombretta Metelli – Italian Translator

Ombretta Metelli is an English-to-Italian medical translator (MITI-certified) with 25 years of experience in clinical research, pharmaceutical translation, and linguistic validation. In 2019 she was awarded the John Hayes Prize for Excellence in Translation by the UK Institute of Translation and Interpreting.

She specializes in translating IFUs, informed consent forms, patient information leaflets, clinical protocols, and patient-reported outcome measures for CROs, LSPs, and medical device companies. Her linguistic validation work ensures that PROs and COAs maintain conceptual equivalence and cultural appropriateness across languages.

Ombretta brings both expertise and curiosity to every project, believing that how we talk about illness can shape how we experience it — and that the right words can make a real difference. 

Afia Maqsood Ul Haq – Urdu Reviewer 

Afia Maqsood Ul Haq is a translator and language specialist in German, Urdu, and English, focusing on healthcare, nutrition, and marketing. She brings clarity, cultural insight, and precision to her translations and edits, helping content travel across languages while remaining engaging and accessible. 

With a degree in Translation from London Metropolitan University, Afia combines professional expertise with a passion for meaningful communication. Outside of her work, she enjoys spending time in nature with a cup of tea in hand and capturing moments through photography. Afia is always excited to contribute to projects that inspire learning, creativity, and connection. 

Ana Sofia Correia – European Portuguese Reviewer

Ana Sofia Correia is an English-to-Portuguese medical translator and writer based in Portugal, with 18 years of experience in the field. She collaborates with life sciences companies, contract research organizations, language service providers, and medical communication agencies.

After 12 years as an in-house translator at the Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra and the Nursing School of Coimbra, Ana Sofia transitioned to full-time freelancing in 2019. Her current roles include serving as Marketing Manager for the Women in Localization Portugal Chapter and Vice-President of the Portuguese Medical Writers Association (APMW).

She is also an active member of ITI MedNet, APTRAD, MET, TREMÉDICA, and EMWA. Within EMWA, she leads the MedComms SIG Translation Enthusiasts subgroup and edits the “Gained in Translation” section of the Medical Writing journal.

In addition to offering translation, writing, and linguistic validation services, Ana Sofia authors the Perspectives on Medical Translation & Writing newsletter and co-authors the blog Med & Mark. Since 2023, she has led Medical Translation Mentoring, a programme dedicated to supporting translators who specialize in medical and life sciences content.
Ana-Sofia is also very active on LinkedIn and shares her knowledge with us.

Pavla Dohnalova – Czech Translator 

Pavla’s translation career did not begin in 2010, when she had passed the Diploma in Translation, but much earlier – she has always had a love of reading and languages. After completing her Master’s degree in Czech language and literature she worked as a teacher, and in 2004 she came to the UK to improve her English. In 2011 she went freelance full-time, becoming a member of the Chartered Institute of
Linguists, the Institute of Translation and Interpreting and the ITI MedNet; she is also a Chartered Linguist and was awarded the ITI ISO Qualified 17100:2015 status.

She specialises in medical and healthcare translation, mainly regulatory affairs, clinical trials documentation, general patient-facing texts, PROs, IFUs and medical marketing articles. As her contribution to the profession and society, she has worked on several pro bono projects, for example, the joint Wikipedia and Translators Without
Borders program (translation of medical articles) or the translation of five books from the Books Beyond Words series on the subject of sexual abuse and depression in people with learning disabilities. She also published an article Prescriptive work (on translating regulatory affairs and clinical trials texts) in The Linguist magazine and for six years served on the Chartered Institute of Linguists Translating Division committee. She regularly completes various courses and other CPD activities to stay on top of the game.

Pavla enjoys translating medical texts for both healthcare professionals and the general public and patients, making them suitable for the target audience in all aspects – this is where she can utilise her formal linguistic education and intuitive understanding of languages. She feels honoured to be able to participate in the How To Speak Cancer project as a translator and thus make important information available in her native language to cancer patients and their families and carers.

You can visit Pavla's homepage here. Or use the link below to get to her LinkedIn profile. 

Anneke van der Weerd – Dutch Translator/Reviewer

Anneke van der Weerd is a freelance English-Dutch medical translator with more than 15 years of experience. She started her career as an all-round in-house translator at two translation agencies and, since launching her freelance business in 2019, has specialised in
medical translation. She works on a wide range of documents, including informed consent forms, patient information leaflets, clinical protocols, and summaries of product characteristics.

Anneke is also involved in translating healthcare terms and creating B1-level descriptions for SNOMED CT, a comprehensive multilingual healthcare terminology database used to standardise medical language. From November 2025 to February 2026, she will be taking the
Linguistic Validation Specialisation Course offered by Art of Diversity to further broaden her expertise.

Anneke places great importance on producing clear and accessible translations, enabling all patients to understand their health information and make well-informed decisions about their care — a principle that also drives her commitment to the How to Speak Cancer
project.
 

Muhammad Habib – Urdu Translator

Muhammad Habib is an English-to-Urdu medical translator with nine years of professional experience, bringing precision, compassion, and scientific depth to every project he handles. With a background that bridges translation studies, information management, and the life sciences, he has translated and edited more than three million
words across medical, healthcare, life-science, humanitarian, and non-profit domains. His work covers a wide range of critical materials, including clinical trial documentation, patient data, informed consent forms, research reports, and medical communication
designed for vulnerable populations.

What sets Habib apart is his ability to turn highly technical medical content into clear, culturally resonant Urdu – language that patients, caregivers, and communities can truly understand. His academic foundation in biology and chemistry, combined with five years
of hands-on experience in pharmaceutical laboratories and medicine distribution, makes him uniquely equipped to grasp the scientific, ethical, and human dimensions of medical communication. 

This blend of scientific literacy and linguistic expertise enables him to
produce translations that are not only accurate but also empathetic and accessible. Habib’s postgraduate specialization in translation studies further refines his approach, allowing him to balance terminology precision with the sensitivity required when
working with health-related content. Whether translating regulatory documents or patient-facing materials, he brings the same commitment: to ensure clarity, correctness, and dignity for every reader who depends on reliable medical information.

Hylke Willems – Dutch Translator and Reviewer

After studying Portuguese and French and obtaining her degree in Translation in 2001, Hylke Willems moved to the UK to begin her translation career with a renowned printer brand. In 2003, she seized
the opportunity to become an in-house English-Dutch translator for the Dutch office of a UK-based translation company.

Initially, she primarily translated technical documents and software, but later became involved in the translation and review of user manuals and software for medical devices. One of the highlights of her
role was performing on-site linguistic validation for various medical systems where she could see and operate the actual device. From that point onward, she developed a strong interest in expanding her
expertise in the medical field.

When she established her own translation business in 2008, she continued to broaden her experience, and after several years began to focus increasingly on the translation of patient-facing materials for clinical trials, such as patient brochures, study guides, questionnaires, and consent forms.

Through personal experience, she understands the importance of clear communication between patient and doctor. Not only does the choice of words matter, but even more so the tone of voice.

The way a diagnosis is communicated impacts the patient's perception of their situation and, consequently, how the patient will cope with their diagnosis and approach their treatment pathway.

The choice of words and tone of voice are such powerful tools in patient care; they can build bridges or create barriers in the relationship between patient and doctor.

This conviction is why she immediately accepted the offer to become involved in the How to Speak Cancer project. Patients around the world deserve to understand their diagnosis – and what the
future may hold – in a clear, accessible and empathetic way.

Marianne Rust – Norwegian Translator 

Marianne is a Norwegian medical translator with six years of experience, and a Master’s degree in Health Sciences. With a background in patient-facing healthcare work, she brings both professional insight and human understanding to every project.

Much of Marianne’s work centers on clinical research, healthcare communication, and medical terminology, but the heart of the work has always been the people behind the words. This includes patients trying to understand their diagnosis, families searching for clarity, and healthcare professionals who rely on accurate communication to provide safe care.

With a deep commitment to making complex medical language more accessible and less overwhelming, Marianne is contributing to the book HOW SPEAK CANCER, a project dedicated to supporting patients and their loved ones through clearer, kinder communication