Melissa Castillo Bustamante is a physician and surgeon from the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (Colombia) and an otolaryngologist from the Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina (Argentina). She completed a fellowship in otopathology at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary – Harvard Medical School. Dr. Castillo Bustamante has specialized training in otoneurology and balance disorders in both Argentina and the United States.

She currently serves as an assistant professor at Clínica Universitaria Bolivariana and a faculty lecturer at Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, where she is also an active researcher and leads the otolaryngology research division. With over 80 publications in her research career, she has 24 indexed in PubMed.

Dr. Castillo Bustamante is also a reviewer for international journals such as PLOS ONE, The Laryngoscope, Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology, and Frontiers in Neurology. She is the editor of Acta de Otorrinolaringología, the official journal of the Colombian Association of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, where she also serves on the board of directors. Additionally, she is a fellow of the Aspen Institute Colombia.

As an international speaker, she has participated in congresses and courses in the United States, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Belgium, and Hungary.

Dr. Castillo Bustamante is the first Colombian member of the Bárány Society, the American Neurotology Society, the Schuknecht Society, and the Association for Research in Otolaryngology.

Henrique Furlan Pauna, MD, MBA, PhD, is a physician, otorhinolaryngologist, and university professor with expertise in otology, neurotology, and auditory rehabilitation. He holds a PhD in Medicine and is actively involved in clinical practice, medical education, and scientific research.

Dr. Pauna’s academic work focuses on hearing disorders, including sudden sensorineural hearing loss, Ménière’s disease, intratympanic therapies, and auditory rehabilitation. He has experience in clinical research methodology, systematic reviews, and evidence-based medicine, contributing to national and international scientific publications.

In addition to his research activities, he teaches undergraduate medical students and participates in postgraduate training, emphasizing clinical reasoning and practical medical education. He is also engaged in collaborative research initiatives and funding projects related to hearing loss and otologic diseases.