Nausheen Jamal, MD, MBA, is a Professor and the Harry Carothers Wiess Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. She then completed her residency in Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, followed by a fellowship in Laryngology at the University of California, Los Angeles. A fellowship-trained laryngologist, Dr. Jamal specializes in voice, airway, and swallowing disorders, providing expert care to patients with complex laryngeal conditions. In addition to her clinical expertise, she has been deeply involved in graduate medical education (GME), having served in multiple leadership roles, including residency program director, Associate Dean for GME, and Designated Institutional Official (DIO) to the ACGME and NRMP. She is passionate about mentoring learners and fostering professional development, particularly through her work with the Women in Otolaryngology (WIO) Leadership Development & Mentorship Committee. Dr. Jamal is also a prominent voice in national otolaryngology forums, frequently contributing to discussions on leadership, psychological safety in healthcare, and medical education.

Elif Ayanoğlu Aksoy, MD, FEBORL-HNS, is a Professor of Otorhinolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery based in Istanbul, Türkiye, with more than 20 years of clinical and academic experience. She is an internationally trained ENT specialist with recognised expertise in laryngology, voice disorders, and swallowing disorders in both adult and paediatric populations.

Dr Aksoy graduated from Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine and completed her specialist training in Otorhinolaryngology at Marmara University. She has been practicing as an ENT specialist since 2003 and has held senior academic positions up to full professorship at Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar University, where she continues to contribute to undergraduate medical education. Her clinical practice spans tertiary-care hospital environments and specialised outpatient clinics, with a strong emphasis on multidisciplinary and evidence-based patient care.

She received advanced training in Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) and FEES with Sensory Testing (FEESST) at Columbia University, New York, under the mentorship of Prof. Jonathan E. Aviv and Prof. Thomas Murry. She has further enhanced her expertise through international academic visits and observerships with leading figures in contemporary laryngology and dysphagia, including Prof. Peter C. Belafsky and Mr Yakubu Karagama.

Dr Aksoy is widely recognised as one of the early adopters and key educators of FEES-based swallowing assessment in Türkiye. She is a frequent invited speaker and faculty member at national and international congresses, courses, and workshops, and has contributed to the field through peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. She is an active member of several international professional societies, including the European Laryngological Society and the European Society for Swallowing Disorders, and holds full registration with the UK General Medical Council.

At IFOS 2026, Dr Aksoy participates as a speaker in the session on Salivary Control Disorders, contributing a clinically grounded and evidence-based perspective to the scientific programme.