Francesco Bussu, MD, PhD, is Full Professor of Otorhinolaryngology at the University of Sassari, Italy, where he also serves as Director of the ENT Department and Head of the Residency Training Program. He is a senior consultant head and neck surgeon with extensive expertise in laryngeal and upper aerodigestive tract oncology.

Prof. Bussu’s clinical and scientific activity is primarily focused on the multidisciplinary management of head and neck cancers, with particular emphasis on laryngeal cancer, functional organ-preservation strategies, and surgical decision-making balancing oncological radicality and quality of life. He has long-standing experience in total laryngectomy, open partial laryngectomies, and complex salvage surgery, as well as in post-laryngectomy voice rehabilitation, including tracheoesophageal puncture and voice prosthesis management.

He is internationally recognized for his work on rare and site-specific head and neck malignancies, brachytherapy and interventional radiotherapy in head and neck cancer, and advanced diagnostic pathways integrating imaging, ultrasound-guided sampling, and multidisciplinary tumor boards. Prof. Bussu has authored and co-authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications in international journals and has contributed to several multicenter studies and consensus papers in head and neck oncology.

Prof. Bussu is actively involved in international scientific societies and regularly serves as invited speaker, panelist, and moderator at major international conferences. He collaborates with several European reference centers and research networks and is involved in national and EU-funded research projects focusing on precision oncology, functional outcomes, and innovation in head and neck cancer care.

His academic and clinical philosophy is centered on individualized treatment planning, aiming to optimize oncological outcomes while preserving function whenever safely possible, and on the dissemination of advanced surgical and multidisciplinary approaches through teaching, mentorship, and international collaboration.

Degree in Medicine &Surgery (1979), with Specialization in ORL &Cervico-Facial Pathology (1982) and Audiology (1985)

Former Head of the Surgical Specialities Department and ORL Unit - University Hospital, Udine (Italy) (1997-2020). Previously on duty in the same Unit from 1981 to 1997

Medical Officer (1st Captain) (res.) in the Italian Army Medical Service and former Consultant in Otorhinolaryngology at Udine Military Hospital/Medico-Legal Military Center (1989-2000)

Contract Professor in ORL at University of Udine Medical School (2016-2021) and in ORL/Phoniatrics at University of Trieste - Faculty of Logopedy (2018-2020)

President Emeritus of the Italian College of Surgeons (CIC)

Past President of the Italian Society of ORL & Cervico-Facial Surgery (SIOeChC-F)

Past President of the Italian Society of Rhinology (SIR)

Past President of the Italian Association of Hospital Otorhinolaryngologists (AOOI)

General Secretary of the International Academy ORL - Head &Neck Surgery (IAO-HNS)

Former Editor-in-chief of “Acta Otorhinolaryngologica Italica”, Official Journal of the Italian ORL Society

Delegate of the Italian ORL Society at the Italian T.N.M. Committee (OMS/UICC)

Member of the International Scientific Board of Societas Otorhinolaryngologica Latina since 2012

Main clinical and research interests are in head and neck cancer, thyroid and parathyroid pathology,         otomicrosurgery, clinical and surgical rhinology, functional pathology of the upper aerodigestive ways,      Medical Management and Health Technology Assessment

Luca Tagliaferri graduated in Medicine in 2004 at the School of Medicine of the “Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore” of Rome and completed his residency programme in radiation oncology in 2008, followed by PhD in brachytherapy in 2016.  Dr Tagliaferri currently works at the Gemelli ART (Advanced Radiation Therapy) Center of the Gemelli University Hospital of Rome, addressing his clinical and research interests especially on interventional and metabolic radiotherapy. In his hospital, he is the referent of radiotherapy working team for head and neck, skin, thyroid and urologic cancer. Medical software development in the fields of research, teaching and patient’s care represent additional areas of scientific activity.  He is currently head of radiation oncology ward unit (UOC).

Dr Tagliaferri is involved in multiple European SocieTy for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) Congresses and activities and became Chair of the Head & Neck and Skin GEC-ESTRO Working Group in 2018. He is member of GEC-ESTRO committee and ESTRO guidelines committee moreover He is Core Expert of the Head & Neck ESTRO Focus Group and deputy leader of the Head and Neck ESTRO Guidelines subgroup. He was leader of Ocular Melanoma GEC-ESTRO Task-Force (2017 - 2018)

He coordinated activities of the Italian Radiation Oncology Study Group for Metabolic Radiotherapy (2015-2016) and the Brachytherapy, Interventional Radiotherapy and Intraoperative Radiotherapy Working Group of the Italian Association of Radiation Oncology (AIRO) (2018-2019). He was member of AIRO executive board (2022-2024). He has been invited as a speaker or moderator at more than 100 national or international congresses

His research and clinical activity have led to more than 300 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals and book chapters.

He is on editorial board of the “Brachytherapy Journal” and “Journal of Contemporary Brachytherapy”.

He obtained in 2018 the associate professor qualification and in 2021 the full professor qualification (ASN - National Scientific qualification in the Italian higher education system)