Assistant Professor, Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Hospital das Clínicas, University of São Paulo School of Medicine

Dr. Mark Zafereo is a Professor of Head and Neck Surgery at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas where he is Section Chief of Head and Neck Endocrine Surgery and Associate Medical Director of the Head & Neck Center. Dr. Zafereo serves as Treasurer of the American Thyroid Association, and on the American Head & Neck Society Research and Education Foundation Board of Trustees. He has previously served on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and the International Thyroid Oncology Group. Dr. Zafereo leads several national multicenter clinical trials on neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery for advanced differentiated, medullary, and anaplastic thyroid cancers. He has published significantly on Thyroid and other Head & Neck cancers, speaking nationally and internationally. His clinical practice focuses on patients afflicted with thyroid cancer and parathyroid neoplasms.

Alirio Mijares Briñez, MD, is a Venezuelan physician and surgeon specializing in Head and Neck Surgery and Oncologic Surgery, with extensive clinical and surgical experience in the management of complex tumors of the head and neck. He practices at Centro Médico Docente La Trinidad and Instituto Médico La Floresta in Caracas, Venezuela, where he also serves as Director of the Academic Program in Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery. His clinical work focuses on the treatment of laryngeal cancer, oral cavity tumors, and other complex head and neck malignancies, combining advanced surgical techniques, multidisciplinary oncologic care, and innovative therapeutic approaches, including minimally invasive and emerging technologies such as robotic surgery.

Dr. Mijares has actively participated in numerous international academic activities, scientific collaborations, and medical congresses, contributing to the advancement of head and neck oncology and surgical education. He frequently serves as an international speaker, sharing his experience in oncologic surgery and complex head and neck pathologies with physicians and surgeons across different countries. His work also includes collaboration with international academic and clinical initiatives aimed at improving evidence-based cancer care globally, including participation in projects related to the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines for Head and Neck Cancers.

In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Mijares is actively involved in medical education, research, and professional leadership. He has served as a Visiting Professor at universities in Bolivia and continues to contribute to the training of surgeons and physicians throughout Latin America. He is a member of several national and international professional societies, including the American Head and Neck Society, the Brazilian Head and Neck Society, the Venezuelan Society of Otorhinolaryngology, and the Venezuelan Society of General Surgery, among others. He has also served as Former Secretary of the South American Head and Neck Society, Former Board Member of the Venezuelan Society of Oncology, and Former President of the La Trinidad Medical Center Medical Society. Through his clinical, academic, and scientific work, Dr. Mijares remains committed to advancing innovation, surgical excellence, and international collaboration in the field of head and neck oncology.

Professor of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Director Head and Neck Program. Hospital Ignacio Pirovano. Buenos Aires University. Argentina.