<p>He graduated at the Medical School of the University of Bari and completed his training in Oto-Rhino-Laryngology at the University of Parma in 2000. Since the 31st December 2004 he is Associate Professor of Otolaryngology at the University of Bari and since 2019 Full professor.</p> <p>Head of the Otolaryngology Unit of the University Hospital "Policlinico" of Bari and Director of the Integrate Clinical Department "Neuroscience, Sensory Organs and Locomotor Apparate" of the University Hospital of Bari.</p> <p>He is author of more than 220 papers on peer reviewed international journals.</p>

<p>Robert Jan Pauw (1978) is a consultant ENT surgeon specializing in otology and lateral skull base surgery at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, where he leads the otology department. He trained in otorhinolaryngology at Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen and completed a fellowship in otology with Professor Offeciers at the European Institute for ORL-HNS in Antwerp.</p> <p>In 2007, he earned his PhD with a thesis on hereditary hearing impairment, focusing on the clinical and genetic aspects of DFNA9, DFNA15, OTSC5, and OTSC7. He has since been actively involved in cholesteatoma research, co-supervising multiple PhD projects.</p> <p>Dr. Pauw is a former chair of the Otology Section of the Dutch ENT Society and has played a key role in developing national treatment guidelines. Passionate about education, he trains ENT residents and medical students and teaches at international ear surgery courses in the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium.</p> <p>He is the current congress chairman of the 12th International Conference on Cholesteatoma and Ear Surgery (CHOLE2027) that will take place from 6-9 June 2027 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. www.chole2027.com</p>

<p>Daniele BERNARDESCHI, MD, PhD</p> <p>Born 5 July 1974 - Rome – Italy</p> <p>Married, 4 children</p> <p>Hospital:</p> <p>ENT Department– Hôpital Pitié Salpétrière - 47-83, boulevard de l'Hôpital - 75013 Paris- France</p> <p>Email: [email protected]</p> <p>1. Present position :</p> <p>· Surgeon at ENT Department, Unité Otology, Auditory Implant, Skull base surgery, Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris</p> <p>1. Titles :</p> <p>· MD (Università di Roma « La Sapienza »), (1999)</p> <p>· ENT Residency (Università di Roma « La Sapienza »), (2003)</p> <p>· PhD in Neurosurgery and (Università di Roma « La Sapienza »), (2009)</p> <p>1. Cursus :</p> <p>· ENT Italian residency (1999-2003)</p> <p>· ENT French residency (2003-2006)</p> <p>· PhD in Rome (2006-2009)</p> <p>· ENT and skull base surgeon at Beaujon Hospital – Paris - France (2008-2013)</p> <p>1991)</p> <p>· ENT and skull base surgeon at Pitié-Salpetriere Hospital – Paris - France (2013- )</p> <p>1. Member of :</p> <p>· Société Française d'Oto-Rhino-Laryngologie et de Pathologie de la face et du cou (2005-)</p> <p>· Società italiana di otorinolaringoiatria e chirurgia cervico-facciale) (2003-2012)</p> <p>· European Academy of Otology and Neuro-Otology (2003-)</p> <p>· Politzer Society (2012-)</p> <p>1. Publications: 86 articles indexed in PUBMED</p>

<p>Sébastien Schmerber, MD, PhD, is a leading otologic surgeon and researcher at the University Hospital Grenoble Alpes (France), where he has served as Chair of the Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology & Head and Neck Surgery since 2018. Renowned for his pioneering work in hearing implants and auditory neuroscience, he was appointed Full Professor in 2005.</p> <p>Professor Schmerber’s expertise is anchored in high-level international collaboration. From 2002 to 2003, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Tokyo (Tōdai) Graduate School of Medicine. During this period, he trained under the supervision of Professor Kimitaka Kaga, a world-renowned authority in auditory neuroscience and cochlear implantation. A trailblazer in middle-ear and bone-conduction technology, Professor Schmerber performed France’s first Bonebridge implantation in 2014 and possesses nearly three decades of experience with Vibrant Soundbridge systems. He continues to push the boundaries of surgical precision through robotics: In December 2024, his department performed France’s first cochlear implantation using the OTODRIVE robot (MED-EL, Innsbruck, Austria). He maintains a close collaboration with Zentact Robotics (Grenoble, France) to develop a next-generation robot specifically designed for oto-endoscopic ear surgery. His research spans surgical innovation to advanced neuro-monitoring. A key achievement is the development of "Cochlear-Print," a patented sampling tool designed to study perilymph in partnership with industry leaders. This technology paves the way for future robotic fluid collection during implantation procedures. For over 25 years, Clinical Vestibular Research has been a core pillar of his department. Notably, the faculty pioneered a novel objective tool for multi-frequency vestibular assessment, utilizing skull vibrations to provide more accurate diagnostic data.</p>