<p>Professor C. René Leemans, MD, PhD is chair of the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at the Amsterdam University Medical Centres, VUmc, Amsterdam. He is Director of the Advanced Fellowship Program in Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology at the VU University Medical Centre Amsterdam. His special interests include head and neck oncology, reconstructive and microvascular surgery, and basic research. Currently he champions the development and application of Transoral Robotic Surgery in The Netherlands and byond.</p> <p>René Leemans has made a sustained and internationally recognised contribution to cancer care and research in the field of head and neck oncology over the past decades. His scientific standing has been recognised by election as President of the Netherlands Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and the Dutch and European Head and Neck Societies. He also serves on the Leadership of the American Head and Neck Society (AHNS).</p> <p>He (co-)authored more than 500 papers and book chapters on head and neck oncology and is regularly invited to speak at international conferences and tutor at courses. He was a travelling faculty member of 2010 Global CME program “Current Concepts in Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology” of the IFHNOS. In 2022 he was awarded the Eugene N. Myers, MD International Lecture on Head and Neck Cancer at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Meeting in Philadelphia. He leads the impactful Make Sense Awareness Campaign and was chair of the European Conference on Head and Neck Oncology held in Amsterdam in 2025.</p>

<p>Dr. Magnuson is board certified in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery and a pioneer in the field of robotic surgery for the head and neck. He is the founding partner of AdventHealth Medical Group Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery at Celebration, Medical Director of Head and Neck Surgery, AdventHealth Florida and Chief Medical Officer of the AdventHealth Nicholson Center.</p> <p>A specialist in treating patients with tumors or cancer of the head and neck, he is dedicated to ongoing research, clinical trials and the training of other surgeons in this field. Together with his medical team, he provides unsurpassed expertise in head and neck reconstruction following cancer surgery.</p> <p>Dr. Magnuson has published numerous articles on Trans Oral Robotic Surgery (TORS) and is a current professor of otolaryngology – head and neck surgery at the University of South Florida College of Medicine. He previously served as an associate professor and residency program director of otolaryngology – head and neck surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he completed both his internship in general surgery and his residency in otolaryngology while earning multiple awards for excellence in teaching and research.</p> <p>Dr. Magnuson received his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School in Houston and is a Fellow of both the American College of Surgeons and the Triological Society (also known as the American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society).</p>