Dr. Yilai Shu is a physician-scientist in the department of otolaryngology at Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University. He obtained both an M.D. and Ph.D. degree in otolaryngology. From 2010 to 2014, he studied as a PhD student in the joint training program and continued his research as a postdoctoral fellow at Massachusetts Eye and Ear-Harvard Medical School. Now, he serves as the vice president of Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University and Director of the Diagnosis and Treatment Center for Hereditary Deafness. His clinical interests are Otology and Neurotology. He is an expert in gene therapy and translational medicine of hereditary deafness based on gene replacement or CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, hair cell regeneration in the inner ear, and hearing protection. He has developed a gene therapy candidate drug—AAV-hOTOF—for the treatment of hearing loss caused by genetic defects and successfully spearheaded the world’s first clinical trial in this groundbreaking field. He was awarded the 2025 ARO Award for Clinical Innovation and the XPLORER PRIZE for his commitment to advancing gene therapy treatments for hearing restoration.

Jerome R. Lechien is head and professor of general surgery at the University of Mons. He is otolaryngologist with fellowship in laryngology and robotic head and neck surgery.