Prof Wojciech Golusinski
The Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznan, Poland
President, European Head and Neck Society
Chair of the Department of Head and Neck Surgery of the Poznań University of Medical Sciences at the Greater Poland Cancer Centre.
President of the European Head and Neck Society (term 2018-23).
He is the initiator and founder of the Polish Head and Neck Tumor Society – an interdisciplinary scientific society. For the past 2 years he has been President of the European Head and Neck Society – the largest European scientific society (over 2900 members), bringing together representatives of all specialties that carry out diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of patients with head and neck cancer.
Co-author of European recommendations on diagnosis and treatment of head and neck cancer, prepared by members of three societies: EHNS, ESTRO and ESMO. Author of over 300 papers, reports and lectures published in Polish and foreign journals. They focus primarily on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of head and neck cancer. His special interests are expressed in publications on the role of HPV virus in cancers of the oropharynx as well as genetic and molecular studies evaluating the biology of head and neck cancer.
His other research activities include head and neck surgery with special emphasis on reconstructive capabilities after extensive surgery, endoscopic surgery and robotic surgery. Prof. Wojciech Golusiński is the initiator, author and organizer of the National Head and Neck Cancer Prevention Program. In 2016 he was appointed to the position of Expert in Head and Neck Cancers by the Polish Ministry of Health. For many years now he has been the most recognizable Polish ENT surgeon dealing with head and neck cancer treatment in Europe
Prof. Şefik Hoşal
Atılım University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
General Secretary, European Head and Neck Society
Professor Sefik Hosal (M.D.) received his medical degree from Hacettepe University Medical Faculty, Ankara, Turkey. He completed his training in Otorhinolaryngology at the same University. He became a Professor in 2003 at the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery in Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine.
Dr. Sefik Hosal did his postgraduate training as a research fellow at Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada. He did his clinical fellowship as a visiting instructor at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, USA.
He has more than 100 national and international publications. He is the pioneer of “Multidisciplinary Team Work in head & neck cancer” in Turkey. He is the founder and General secretary of “Head and Neck Cancer Society of Turkey”. He is an Executive Council Member of International Federation of Head and Neck Oncologic Societies (IFHNOS) and Asia-Pacific Society of Thyroid Surgery (APTS). Prof. Hosal is currently General Secretary of European Head & Neck Society (EHNS).
Dr Michiel van den Brekel
Netherlands National Cancer Institute, Netherlands
Professor Michiel WM van den Brekel, MD PhD, graduated “cum laude” from the Medical Faculty of the University of Leuven (Belgium) in 1987.
After completing his military training (captain) he did his PH.D. research at the Free University and wrote a thesis under Prof. GB Snow and Prof J Valk on “Imaging and Histophathology of Neck Node Metastases”. He was the first to study the value of ultrasound guided aspiration cytology in neck nodes.
He completed his Otolaryngology-residency at the Academic Hospital of the Free University (VUmc) in Amsterdam under Professor Snow and Dr. Tiwari in December 1994 and his Head and Neck Fellowship (sponsored by the Dutch Cancer Society) at the Netherlands Cancer Institute – Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital in Amsterdam as well as at the University of Toronto, Mount Sinai Hospital in December 1996. From 1997 until 2000 he worked as a head and neck surgeon at the Free University (VUmc) in Amsterdam.
Since 2000 he is head and neck surgeon at the Netherlands Cancer Institute – Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital in Amsterdam as well as the Academic Medical Center of the University of Amsterdam. Since 2009 he is the chairman of this department. In 2011 he was appointed as Professor at the University of Amsterdam (Institute of Phonetic Sciences) for ‘Oncology related voice and speech disorders’. His clinical research focuses on rehabilitation as well as imaging of head and neck cancer patients. He is also active in translational research. He is a member of various international/national head and neck societies and presented basic and clinical research papers at many international meetings. He (co-)authored over 290 peer-reviewed papers and various book chapters. He is honorary member of the Indian, Israeli and German Head and Neck Society.
Dr Bhuvanesh Singh
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA
Bhuvanesh Singh, MD, PhD is Professor and Attending Head and Neck Surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
He is Co-director of the Advanced Skin Cancer Management and Prevention Program and Director of The Laboratory of Epithelial Cancer Biology. Dr. Singh is an active clinician that has performed over 7500 head and oncological resections and reconstructions during his over 25 years at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He is also actively involved in education, clinical and basic research activities.
Dr Singh has authored over 250 peer reviewed research papers, 30 book chapters and 3 textbooks. Dr. Singh has developed innovative approaches to surgery, instituted measures that improve psychosocial outcomes, as well as participated in numerous clinical trials that have advanced outcomes in patients with head and cancer. In the laboratory,
Dr. Singh’s focus is to develop novel approaches to treat patients with cancer. His research team cloned a novel gene (SCCRO/DCUN1D1/DCN1) and defined its biochemical, cellular, and oncogenic activities. In a true bench to bedside effort, the work from his group had formed the basis for drug-discovery resulting in the development of a first-in-class compound that effectively inhibits SCCRO activity in vivo. The compound, developed by Dr. Singh and his collaborators, had proven to be highly effective in the treatment of a broad range of cancers in mice. It is currently being optimized for use in clinical trials in humans.
Dr Nitin Pagedar
University of Iowa, Iowa, USA
I am the Director of the Division of Head and Neck Oncology in the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Iowa, where I have worked since 2008.
I completed otolaryngology residency at Case Western Reserve University and fellowship in head and neck oncology and microvascular reconstruction at University of Toronto with Drs Patrick Gullane, Jeremy Freeman, and Ralph Gilbert.
I direct the annual Iowa Head and Neck Course, whose 55th installment will occur this summer. I am also Editor-in-Chief of Annals of Otology, Rhinology, and Laryngology. I am interested in health services research related to head and neck cancer survivorship and related topics. I am married with two children.
Professor Jo Patterson
Speech and Language Therapy, University of Liverpool, UK
I am Professor of Speech & Language Therapy at the University of Liverpool, and continue to balance my time between clinical and academic activities.
I lead the Improving patient outcomes in Head and Neck Cancer theme as part of the Liverpool Head and Neck Cancer Centre. My research interests relate to voice, speech and swallowing function, patient outcomes and intervention development.
My responsibilities include increasing research capacity and capability amongst nurses and allied healthcare professionals.
Previously, I held a substantive NHS post for 29 years, leading a SLT service in head and neck cancer, delivering evidence-based prehabilitation, rehabilitation and supportive care across the patient pathway. I am a Fellow and Professional Advisor for the Royal College of SLTs; chair the NIHR ENT national specialty group, providing strategic direction for AHP research in ENT practice and am a member of the NIHR Academy.