Mario E. Zernotti is professor of ENT at Catholic University of Córdoba and National University of Villa Maria, and also professor of Clinics of Hearing at National University of Córdoba. He has more than 30 years of experience in the field of ear surgery in Sanatorium Allende. He was the pioneer in electro acoustic stimulation (EAS) and hearing preservation in all America, doing the first cases of EAS cochlear implants in the continent.  Besides, his team was the first to did Active Middle Ear Implants and bone conductive prosthesis in the region. This group is working specially in atresia/microtia patients, very common malformation in South-America, and northwest of Argentina, doing a comprehensive approach to the problem. Member of Hearring, Past president of GCIAN (Global Cochlear Implant Access Network) and President of the 8^th World Congress on CI in Emerging Nations (2024).

Stephen O’Leary holds the William Gibson Chair of Otolaryngology at the University of Melbourne and is a Senior Otolaryngologist at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.

He obtained his PhD in 1994 under Prof Graeme Clark and has undertaken post-doctoral research at Oxford and the University of Utrecht.

Prof O’Leary’s clinical and research interests are in cochlear implantation, drug delivery to the ear and otology. His group specializes in clinical translation of experimental research and CI-related clinical research.

Prof O’Leary’s special interest has been in the preservation of inner ear function during surgery on the cochlea.