Prof. Artur Lorens, Ph.D. is head of the Department of Implants and Auditory Perception at the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing.  He graduated in 1992 from the Faculty of Electronics, Warsaw University of Technology, with a degree in Medical and Nuclear Electronics, specialization: Electronic Instrumentation. He obtained his PhD in Technical Sciences on April 29, 2003, at the Faculty of Electronics, Telecommunications and Informatics, Gdańsk University of Technology. The title of his doctoral dissertation was “A Method for Assessing the Effectiveness of Cochlear Implant Systems.” He received his habilitation degree (DSc) in Health Sciences on April 23, 2013, from the Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw. The scientific achievement was entitled “Electro-Acoustic Stimulation of the Auditory Receptor after Cochlear Implantation.”. He has led or participated in numerous EU- and nationally funded projects, including HearingTreat (PI, EU Marie Curie ToK), HEARD (main researcher, FP7 IEF), and InnoTech (researcher, NCBiR), focusing on innovative cochlear implant fitting, auditory diagnostics, and implantable hearing devices. Prof. Lorens has authored 100+ publications, (H-index: 26, 2,023 citations)

Ellen Andries (PhD, MSc AUD) is a postdoc researcher, currently working at the department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck surgery, at the Antwerp University Hospital (UZA). Ellen's research focuses on the impact of Cochlear Implantation on (Health-Related) Quality of Life.

Medhat Yousef, MD, Ph.D.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2102-6704

Dr. Medhat Yousef is a professor and consultant in Audio-Vestibular Medicine at the King Abdullah Ear Specialist Center, King Saud University, Riyadh, KSA. With extensive experience in audiology in Egypt, the UK, and Canada, Dr. Yousef is involved in both clinical practice and academic teaching for undergraduate and postgraduate students. He earned his Doctorate in Audio-Vestibular Medicine from Menoufiya University, Egypt, in 2008. He is also a Certified Clinical Audiologist by Speech-Language & Audiology Canada (SAC) and is registered with the Alberta College of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists.

Dr. Yassin Abdelsamad is the Head of the Research Department at MED-EL in the Middle East. He is a dedicated researcher in hearing implants, holding both an MSc and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Abdelsamad has co-authored over 65 publications on hearing implant technology and clinical outcomes. His work focuses on developing innovative solutions for auditory implants and bridging research with clinical practice.

She is the Head of Audiology at the Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group and the State-Wide Audiology Services in WA as well as faculty member at the University of Western Australia and Curtin University.

Education

Degree in Pharmacy. PhD in Biomedicine. Diploma of Specialization in Audiology

 Professional experience

2013-currently: Be involved in all the studies from the Hearring group that take place at La Paz Hospital in Madrid, Spain. Focus on quality of life, musical skills and cognition.

 Scientific activity

<u>Research projects</u>

Involvement in 35 projects regional, national and private sector funded.

<u>Publications in journals and books</u>

Published over 50 articles in indexed international journals and books.