Dr. Mariano Votta is responsible for EU Affairs at the Italian NGO Cittadinanzattiva and Director of its EU branch “Active Citizenship Network”. Passionate about health & consumer issues, Mariano has 25 years of experience in advocacy, stakeholder engagement, communication, European Public Affairs & EU funded-projects. Mariano holds a Degree in Political Science and two post-graduate master's degrees in European Public Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility. He is also a journalist with more than 50 publications in international peer-reviewed journals. He led the political initiative to launch in 2015 at the EU Parliament the Interest Group "EU Patients' Rights & Cross-Border Healthcare," – now at its third mandate - endorsed by more than 100 organisations across Europe and dozens of Members of the European Parliament. In 2016 Mariano won the Efhre International University Excellence Awards on patients’ rights.

Dr. Monika Derecque-Pois has over 35 years of experience in the healthcare sector. After earning her Master’s degree from the University of Economics in Vienna, she began her career at IQVIA Austria as a client account and marketing manager. She later moved to Brussels, where she worked in healthcare policy and European affairs consulting. Monika served for 22 years as Director General of GIRP, the European Healthcare Distribution Association, before returning to consultancy, advising various boards in the healthcare industry. In autumn 2024, she co-founded the Healthcare Chain Institute (HCI) alongside three colleagues, serving as a key driver of this international non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the healthcare value chain through digitalization, sustainability, and stakeholder collaboration.

Prof. Dr. Ljudmila Stojanovich, MD, PhD, FRCP, is a prominent specialist in autoimmune rheumatic diseases, focusing on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS), and vaccination in autoimmune patients. She earned her Ph.D. in 1999 with a thesis on neuropsychiatric manifestations in SLE. Prof. Stojanovich has published over 250 scientific papers and three monographs, contributing extensively to autoimmune disease research. She serves on the editorial boards of leading journals, including Lupus (London) and The Journal of Rheumatology, and is Associate Editor for Frontiers in Medicine and Frontiers in Immunology. She is involved in international research collaborations, such as EULAR initiatives on vaccination and APS management. Prof. Stojanovich has been a speaker, chair, and organizer at numerous international conferences, including the 12th European Forum on Antiphospholipid Antibodies. Her work has earned her an h-index of 36 and over 5,000 citations, reflecting her global impact in rheumatology.

Senior Health Policy Advisor with over 40 years of experience in health and medicine policy across developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. My work spans access to health technologies, infectious diseases (including COVID-19, HIV/AIDS, mpox, Ebola), UHC and MCH, health financing and delivery, non-communicable diseases, and gender equity. I currently serve as Policy Lead at the People’s Medicine Alliance, key advisor to NGO board members of UNITAID, board member at Health Action International, and a member of WHO’s COVID-19 Ethics & Governance Expert Group. From 2021 to early 2025, I was a senior consultant for UNAIDS. I have collaborated with WHO, UNAIDS, Global Fund, UNITAID, MPP, World Bank, governments, and pharmaceutical companies. I have authored publications on equitable access to medicines, vaccines, and healthcare, and produced Arabic podcasts to counter COVID-19 misinformation. My work integrates human rights, civil society engagement, and global health governance, including on the Pandemic Accord.

Prof. Márcia C. A. Fantini is Full Professor of Physics at University of Sao Paulo (USP) in Brazil. She received her MsSc from University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in 1980, her PhD degree from the same university in 1985 and, she was a pos-doc at UNICAMP from 1985 to 1987. From 1987 to 1989 she was a pos-doc fellow at the Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, USA. In 1989 she was hired at USP and became part of the Crystallography Laboratory at the Physics Institute (IFUSP). She was promoted to Associate Professor in 1995 and since 2008 she is full professor at USP. Since 1995 she coordinates the Crystallography Laboratory of IFUSP. She supervised 13 post-doctoral researchers, 10 PhD thesis, 10 MsSc degrees and 27 undergraduate students. She published 158 research papers in indexed journals (h-index of 28) and 4 book chapters. She was the Head of the Applied Physics Department (2010-2012 and 2015-2017). She participated in the organizing committee of 13 scientific meetings. She is member of the Brazilian Crystallographic Association (ABCr) and since 1992 she assumed the positions of treasurer, secretary of teaching, first secretary and president of ABCr (2015-2018). She assumed the interim-presidency of the Latin American Crystallographic Association (LACA) from 2014 to 2016. She is 1B CNPq-Brazil fellow, invited speaker in conferences in Brazil and abroad and reviewer of technical journals related to her research subjects as ordered mesoporous systems, silicon based amorphous films, metal and metal oxide thin films and zirconia based nanostructured materials. She received in 2004 and 2010 the Mercosul Prize of Science and Technology, category “Integration” and the 2011 the Prof. Eric Roger Wroclawski Prize, 2nd place, category “Clinical Medicine”, due to the developed pioneer research about adjuvant for oral vaccines, in collaboration with Butantan Institute in Brazil.

Dr. Oneka Scott serves as the Director of Adolescent Health at the Ministry of Health in Guyana, where she also holds key roles in Maternal and Child Health and Immunisation Management. A dedicated public health professional, Dr. Scott has led national efforts to strengthen adolescent healthcare, improve vaccine uptake—including HPV immunisation—and enhance access for vulnerable populations. She has been instrumental in designing outreach initiatives for special-needs groups and advancing maternal health services through strategic partnerships with organizations such as PAHO/WHO and Global Affairs Canada. Her leadership has contributed to significant improvements in vaccine equity, cold-chain infrastructure, and cross-border health collaborations, including joint campaigns with Brazil. Dr. Scott also represents Guyana in international capacity-building programs, furthering her commitment to health equity and youth empowerment. With a strong focus on systemic improvements and community engagement, she continues to champion inclusive, sustainable healthcare across the country.