Prof. Mashudu Tshifularo is a South African ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) surgeon known for his groundbreaking work in 3D-printed middle ear bones. He gained significant attention in 2019 when he successfully performed the world's first middle ear transplant using 3D-printed bones at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa. This surgical procedure was a major advancement in the field of ENT surgery and offered hope to many patients with hearing loss due to middle ear damage or defects. Prof. Tshifularo's work has been widely recognized for its innovation and potential to revolutionize treatment options for hearing-impaired individuals.

As a lay pastor, he has also published several books.

As a head and neck surgeon at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey at University Hospital, Dr Eloy is committed to research, education and excellence in patient care. His clinical/surgical interests include medical and surgical management of refractory rhinosinusitis, endoscopic management of sinonasal neoplasia, cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea, ventral skull base lesions, endoscopic revision sinus surgery, and computer-aided sinus surgery. He serves also as Vice Chair and Professor of Otolaryngology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

In 2016, he became the youngest recipient of the prestigious Edward J. Ill Physician’s Award, a lifetime achievement award presented annually to one New Jersey physician who merits recognition for distinguished service as a leader in the medical profession and in the community.

His contributions to the fields of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and Neurological Surgery include over 320 peer-reviewed journal articles and numerous book chapters in the subfield of Rhinology, Endoscopic Sinus and Skull Base Surgery, over 300 scientific presentations at regional, national, and international otolaryngologic and neurological surgery meetings, as well as over 200 invited lectures and oral presentations.

Dr Eloy is a member of the American Rhinological Society, The Triological Society, American Academy of Facial Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery, American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, and the North American Skull Base Society. He is also the Vice President of the New Jersey Academy of Otolaryngology/New Jersey Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery.

Dr. Gregory Basura received a B.S. in zoology and a B.A. in psychology from the College of Idaho. He completed his Ph.S. in anatomy and cell biology from the Wayne State University School of Medicine (2000) and his M.D. at the University of Washington (2005). He completed his residency in otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill (2010) and a fellowship in neurotology-skull base surgery at the University of Michigan (2012). Today Dr. Basura is a clinician-scientist appointed with a 50% appointment in clinical otolaryngology and a 50% appointment at the Kresge Hearing Research Institute.

Dr. Basura's research interests include auditory cortex plasticity following hearing loss,;central auditory neuroanatomy and neurophysiology; and the clinical spectrum of neurotology, including cochlear implantation, hearing restoration and skull base tumors, including cutaneous peri-auricular malignancy.

Making a Difference Clinical Awards for Patient Care, University of Michigan Health System, May and Nov 2013

Neil D. Gross, M.D., FACS, is a surgeon-scientist with a very active clinical practice solely devoted to treating head and neck cancer patients. He currently serves as the Director of Clinical Research in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center with a focus on surgery-related clinical trials. He has a strong clinical and research interest in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) including oropharynx cancer. He has managed a range of observational and therapeutic clinical trials for patients with head and neck cancer. Dr. Gross’s research efforts continue to focus on the epidemiology of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers of the head and neck, development and validation of improved prognostic tools for head and neck cancer patients, the study of the molecular basis of carcinogenesis in humans and the application of novel molecular therapeutics in cutaneous SCCHN and transoral robotic surgery (TORS).

Dr LM Hofmeyr (Louis Murray Hofmeyr) qualified as a medical doctor (MBChB) at the University of Pretoria (UP) in 1993. He has managed more than 550 patients with vestibular schwannomas (acoustic neuromas), one of the largest case collections in Africa. He has performed more than 300 cochlear implants, including all three devices currently on the South African market. He also described and managed the first patient in South Africa with a superior canal dehiscence syndrome (SCDS) in 2006 and has since treated and operated on more than 150 patients with SCDS.

He is a member of the South African Society of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (SA ENT society) and The South African Cochlear Implant Group (SACIG). He is a founder member and director of Cape Hearing Implants (CHi), a non-profit company specialising in implantable hearing devices.

His other interests include vertigo, dizziness and disequilibrium, tinnitus, ear disease, hearing loss, Bell’s palsy and the rare condition sclerosteosis. Dr Hofmeyr has a particular interest in all types of inner ear surgery. He is currently the only surgeon in South Africa who performs middle cranial fossa temporal bone surgery.

In 2021 Dr Hofmeyr was awarded the SA ENT Society Annual Merit Award for his academic and teaching contribution to the field of neuro-otology in South Africa.

Teaching and training ENT doctors and audiologists have always been his passion, and he has set up and hosted numerous teaching courses in South Africa. Since qualifying as a specialist, he has been involved with research at the University of Pretoria and lately as a Research Associate at the Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology at UP. Despite being mainly in private practice, he has published in numerous international peer-reviewed scientific journals. He has also contributed chapters to books. Dr Hofmeyr is an editorial board member of the journal Frontiers in Neuro-otology.

Dr Hofmeyr is currently the only ENT specialist practising exclusively in otology and neurotology in Sub Saharan Africa.

Dr. Adrian James is a Professor and Head of the Division of Otology & Neuro-otology in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Toronto, Canada. He works at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto where he has a practice specialising in surgery for chronic middle ear disease. He is a member of the board of the International Working Group in Endoscopic Ear Surgery and Secretary of the International Otology Outcome Group working to deliver higher quality evidence to guide otologic practice.

Stephen Y. Lai, M.D., Ph.D., is a Professor of Head and Neck Surgery at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and board-certified head and neck cancer surgeon. He serves as the Quality Officer for the Department of Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Lai received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and his medical and doctorate degrees from The University of California, San Francisco. He performed his residency at The University of Pennsylvania and completed his fellowship in oncologic head and neck/cranial base surgery at The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. His clinical expertise is in head and neck cancers with a special emphasis on oral cavity cancer, thyroid and parathyroid disease, salivary gland neoplasms, conservation laryngeal surgery and stereotactic radiosurgery. Dr. Lai takes a multidisciplinary approach to the management of head and neck cancer patients with active participation in cutting-edge treatment protocols.

Dr. Lai’s research focuses on both clinical and basic science, including identifying novel targeted therapies for anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, monitoring functional treatment response and normal tissue toxicity with functional MRI, developing a multi-institutional prospective trial to evaluate sentinel lymph node biopsy for early-stage oral cavity cancer, and defining the role of microRNA in the progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Dr. Lai has received research awards and funding from the National Institutes of Health, American College of Surgeons, American Head and Neck Society, American Academy of Otolaryngology, The Thyroid Head and Neck Cancer (THANC) Foundation and the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas.

Darlene Lubbe is an Associate Professor and Head of Unit in the Division of Otolaryngology at Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town.

Her main interests are endoscopic sinus, skull base and transorbital surgery, with more than 16 years postgraduate tertiary level clinical experience in endoscopic sinus surgery. Prof Lubbe now focuses mainly on patients with complex sinus, skull base and orbital pathology.

She is part of the interdisciplinary anterior skull base team that pioneered endoscopic anterior skull base surgery/pituitary surgery and, more recently, transorbital surgery in South Africa. She also currently runs the Karl Storz training programme in endoscopic sinus and skull base surgery for sub-Saharan Africa.

She has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and authored multiple book chapters on endoscopic sinus surgery and transorbital surgery. She has also been a keynote speaker at various international conferences.

On the innovation front, Prof Lubbe was a consultant to Karl Storz in the development of what is now known as the Lubbe Surgical set, and to Disa Medinotec/Disa Vascular for the Trachealator/Lamprey dissector.

She is an ENT, Skullbase & Transorbital Surgeon in private practice based at Cape Town Mediclinic in Oranjezicht.

Prof Waleed Moneir is an Ass. Prof. Of Otology Neurology and lateral skull base surgery, Mansoura University, Egypt. General Secretary of the Pan African Endoscopic Ear Surgery Federation (PAEESF) and one of the main founders of it.

- General Secretary of the Egyptian Working Group of Endoscopic Ear Surgery (EWGEES) and one of the main founders of it.
- Member of the International Working Group of Endoscopic Ear Surgery.
- Member of the Egyptian ORL Sosciety.

He has 21 publications and moderated many workshops and conferences in Egypt. He was as a guest speaker in many national and international conferences in Egypt and abroad.

Prof Prepageran Narayanan, is a prominent figure in the field of otolaryngology, particularly specializing in ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgery. He is known for his expertise in various ENT procedures, including endoscopic sinus surgery and cochlear implantation.

Prof Prepageran Narayanan has contributed significantly to research in his field and has published numerous articles in reputable medical journals. He has also been actively involved in teaching and training medical students, residents, and fellow ENT surgeons.

Prof Prepageran Narayanan is affiliated with the University of Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he holds the position of Professor and Head of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

Head & Neck Surgeon, Otolaryngologist, Rhinologist, Smelling Disorders Specialist
Director of Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at the Stanford University, California,USA

Dr. Zara M. Patel is Director of Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery and a Professor of Otolaryngology and, by courtesy, of Neurosurgery at Stanford. She was born and raised in St. Louis, completed her MD at the Oregon Health and Sciences University in Portland, Oregon and completed her residency training in otolaryngology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, NY. After pursuing fellowship training in rhinology and endoscopic skull base surgery at Stanford University, she was recruited to join the Emory University faculty in Atlanta in 2011. After four years, the rhinology division recruited her back to the West coast to rejoin the department here at Stanford University in 2015.

Dr. Patel is an expert in advanced endoscopic sinus and skull base surgery. She treats patients with a wide variety of rhinologic complaints, including chronic sinus infection or inflammation, sinus disease that has failed medical therapy, sinus disease that has failed prior surgical therapy, cerebrospinal fluid leaks, benign and and malignant sinus and skull base tumors, as well as olfactory disorders.

She has served as Chair of the Education Committee and Member of the Board of Directors for the American Rhinologic Society, is current Chair of the Rhinology and Allergy Education Committee for the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery and has developed a multitude of educational materials for both physicians and patients to help them better understand rhinologic disorders. She is passionate about educating patients to allow them to make the best decisions about their own care, leading to better outcomes.

Dr. Patel has published widely in topics such as avoiding complications in endoscopic sinus surgery, chronic rhinosinusitis in the immunosuppressed patient population, new devices and techniques for endoscopic skull base surgery, and olfactory dysfunction. She continues to perform research in these areas and is currently collaborating with neuroscientists and engineers to develop technology that she hopes will eventually help cure patients with smell loss, and potentially even help those with neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Prof Strupp is a world-renowned neurologist. His particular area of interest is the diagnosis and therapy of vestibular, ocular motor and cerebellar disorders.

He is currently a Professor of Neurology at the Department of Neurology and German Centre for Vertigo and Balance Disorders at the Ludwig Maximilians University Hospital in Munich, Germany. He travels all over the world, teaching and presenting on courses. Some of his previous lectures can be viewed here www.youtube.com.

Prof Strupp is an honorary member of the South African ear-nose-and-throat (SA ENT) society and holds a travelling Professorship from the University of Pretoria. He visits South Africa annually. During these visits, he teaches and lectures, usually in partnership with South African ENT Specialist Dr Louis Hofmeyr, on vertigo, dizziness, and disequilibrium. He has a gift for teaching and focuses on the practical aspects of his speciality. He is also very pragmatic regarding history taking and physical examination. He can explain tricky elements in neurology and neuro-otology in a very simplistic way. He also rightly emphasises that repetition is the key to mastering complex concepts.

Prof Strupp has participated in numerous vestibular courses in South Africa, including all the Updates in the management of patients with vestibular disorders and, recently, the masterclasses. In May 2022 he hosted teaching courses for registrars in ENT and Neurology, Audiologists, neurologists and ENT surgeons in Gauteng. He has also presented at the annual South African neurology congress.

Prof Strupp supports numerous charities and typically donates all his teaching honoraria towards local charities.

He has authored 440 Pubmed listed papers (h-index: 85) and five books. This is a highly notable achievement in academic medicine.

Some of his significant achievements include:
• The demonstration of the effectiveness of vestibular exercises in acute vestibular neuritis in a controlled clinical trial.
• the demonstration of the benefit of steroids in acute vestibular neuritis, a placebo-controlled, four-arm trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine
• The introduction of three new therapeutic principles, namely aminopyridines, as potassium channel blockers, for the treatment of downbeat, upbeat and central positioning nystagmus and episodic ataxia type 2; and acetyl-DL-leucine for the treatment of ataxias and Niemann-Pick Type C.
• The development of new light and practical examination glasses for nystagmus: the “M glasses” and the “positional vertigo App”.

He has been the principal investigator of eleven clinical trials. He is also engaged in the “International Classification of Vestibular Disorders”.

Prof Strupp is Joint Chief Editor of the Journal of Neurology and Editor of Frontiers in Neuro-otology. He has received many clinical and scientific awards, including the Hallpike-Nylen Award 2016, an Investigator Award by the European Academy of Neurology 2019, the Galenus-von-Pergamon Award 2020, and was awarded ‘Best Teacher’ by the German Neurological Society.

He loves South Africa and is especially fond of Scarborough in the Western Cape and going on safari. A great lover of the outdoors, he enjoys sports, cycles to work, and is a great skier and horse rider; but he also enjoys quieter times playing the piano.

Dr. Elizabeth Toh, MD is an Otolaryngology (ear, nose & throat) Specialist in Burlington, MA and has 33 years' experience. They graduated from Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School in 1991 and completed a residency at Mt Sinai School of Med, Otolaryngology Mt Sinai School of Med, General Surgery. They currently practice at Practice and are affiliated with Lahey Hospital and Medical Center.

Dr. Toh has experience treating conditions like Cervical Vertigo, Cholesteatoma and Dizziness among other conditions at varying frequencies. At present, Dr. Toh received an average rating of 4.0/5 from patients and has been reviewed 16 times. Their office accepts new patients.

Dr. Toh also speaks Mandarin. Dr. Toh is board certified in Neurotology and accepts multiple insurance plans.

Dr Peter Webber is an Otolaryngologist & Professor of Otolaryngology at the Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine.

He specialises in cochlear implants and other implantable hearing devices, hearing loss disorders, acoustic neuroma, cholestearoma, otoscelerosis, facial nerve disorders, chronic ear infections, tinnitus, vertigo, dizziness, glomus and other shull base tumors.