Jacob Bornstein, MD, MPA, Chairman of the Israeli Society for the Study of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, is a Full Professor and Emeritus Vice Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Bar-Ilan University, Israel, a Gynecologist and a Colposcopist, and Head of the Gynecological Pain Research Laboratory, Board Member of the National Israeli Academy of Science in Medicine, and chair of the Colposcopy Nomenclature Committee of the IFCPC.

Prof. Bornstein has authored 300 peer-reviewed publications, and a textbook: Vulvar Disease – Breaking the Myths, chaired the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Galilee Medical Center, was a President of the ISSVD and chaired its Terminology Committees. He served as Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease, President of The Israeli Society of Colposcopy and a member of the IFCPC Board.

Awards: Honorary professorship of the University of Buenos Aires School of Medicine, Argentina, the Distinguished Scientific Award from the ASCCP, and honorary memberships from the ISSVD Presidents, the Israeli Society of Colposcopy, the Israeli Association of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Hellenic Society of Lower Genital Tract Disease (EKGE), the Hellenic Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (HSCCP) and the Latin American Society of Vulvar Pathology (SOLAPAV).

Piergiacomo Calzavara-Pinton, MD, is Full Professor and Chair of the Department of Dermatology and School of Specialization of Dermatology at the University and ASST-Spedali Civili of Brescia, Italy. His clinical and research interests focus on photo-dermatology, non invasive diagnostic techniques, inflammatory diseases and skin oncology. He is the head of a team working on the development of new drugs for the treatment of skin tumors and inflammatory disorders, new photoprotective and photosensitizing molecules and innovative non-invasive diagnostic techniques. He has a teaching role in the PhD program of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine of the University of Brescia that is trying to shape new perspectives in teaching and care in Medicine.

Author and co Author of 502 papers cited on Scopus. H-index 59.

President of the European Society of Photodermatology. Past Board Member of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology. Past President of the Italian Society of Dermatology and STDs. Honorary Member Italian, Austrian, French and Swiss National Societies of Dermatology.

Dr. Martin Chio is a Senior Consultant Dermatologist at the National Skin Centre Singapore and former Head of the DSC clinic. His clinical interests are STIs, HIV & genital dermatology, qualitative research and skin cancers. He completed his advanced speciality training in Dermato-venereology at the National Skin Centre. He was awarded a National Medical Research Council medical research fellowship as part of the Ministry of Health Manpower Development Plan to pursue a Master of Science at University College London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine; he was awarded the 2007 best dissertation prize. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (London) and the Academy of Medicine Singapore - he was the Chair of the Chapter of Dermatologists (2015 – 2019). He is an avid clinician educator and has been appointed Adj. Associate Professor with the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, Duke-NUS Medical School & the NTU Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Clinical Senior Lecturer with the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine - he was awarded the YLLSOM Dean’s award for Teaching Excellence twice. He is a visiting consultant with the SAF Medical Corps & Tan Tock Seng Hospital and also an associate mediator with the Singapore Mediation Centre. For his active volunteer work as a visiting dermatologist at both the Dover Park Hospice and Villa Francis home for the aged, he was awarded the Healthcare Humanity Award. In 2024, he was awarded the NHG Outstanding Citizenship award & the Red Ribbon award by Action for AIDS Singapore for advocacy work.

• Born in Milan
• Degree in Medicine – University of Milan
• Degree in Dermatology and Venereology University of Milan
• He worked at Institute of Dermatological Science Policlinic of Milan from 1986 to 2022
• Head of Sexually Transmitted Infection Centre from 1994 to 2022
• Head of the Cutaneous Biopsies Section Clinic of Dermatology from 2010 to 2022.
• Teacher at the School of Dermatology and School of Urology University of Milan.
• Past President of the Interdisciplinary Italian Society for Sexually Transmitted Infections (SIMAST)
• Member of the Board for Sexually Transmitted Infections of IUSTI Europe
• Member of the Council of IUSTI as Education Officer
• Member of the EADV (European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology) task force for HPV (human papilloma virus)
• Member of the EADV task force for STI (Sexually Transmitted Infections)
• Author or Co Author of more than 150 scientific papers mostly in the field of sexually transmitted infections and genital dermatology.

Henry de Vries (1967) is dermatologist-venereologist with expertise in skin infections, especially sexually transmitted infections. In 2010 he was appointed Professor of skin infections at the University of Amsterdam, and he is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London (FRCP). He is currently employed at the Public Health Service Amsterdam Centre for Sexual Health where he leads a research group including 15 PhD students in close cooperation with the public health laboratory and research department. He is also appointed as staff member at the Department of Dermatology at the Amsterdam University Medical Centres, the Netherlands. In 2021 he organised the STI & HIV World Congress as President of the International Society for STD research (ISSTDR). He was scientific chair for the International Union against STI 2018 World congress in Dublin, and the IUSTI Europe congress in Malta in 2023. He co-authored over 300 PubMed registered publications on various topics including mpox, Lymphogranuloma Venereum, Syphilis, Gonorrhoea, and Leishmaniasis. In 2020 and in 2022 he was awarded the Bio Art & Design Award in joint projects with artists.

Dr. Claire Dewsnap is a Consultant Physician in Genitourinary Medicine at Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in the United Kingdom. Claire has been a consultant in Genitourinary medicine for nearly 20 years, she has worked in the speciality in a variety of settings across the UK for 25 years.

Claire has worked in national leadership roles including BASHH conference organiser and BASHH president. Claire is the current BASHH Immediate Past President. Claire has represented the specialty at national and international events, lead to speciality’s UK response to the MPOX outbreak in 2022, represented and advocated for STI and HIV care to British Government Select committees and national action plans. Claire’s research interests are in bacterial STIs , implementation and more recently , access to sexual health services including expansion of online STI and HIV testing.

Professeur Nicolas DUPIN
Head of the Department of Dermatology, Hôpital Cochin, ApHp, Paris
Head of the STDs clinic, Hôtel Dieu, ApHp, Paris
Inserm U1060, Institut Cochin, cutaneous biology group, Université Paris
Degree in Medicine and Dermatology in 1994
1997-1999: Visiting fellow at Robin Weiss Lab at Institute of Cancer Research, London
2001: Professor of Dermatology, Université de Paris Cité
Past-president (sept-2016-sept-2018) of the college of the dermatology teachers in France (CEDEF)
2021 and 2022: President of the French society of dermatology (SFD)
Member of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology
Member of the European Society of Dermatological Research
Since 2006: Head of the French National Reference Center of Syphilis

Publications indexed in Pub Med: 486
Citations: 19219, index H: 67
Innovation et patents
Founder of SkinDermic, a start-up dedicated to the discovery of new drugs in dermatology and dermo-cosmetic (2018)
EP16305782-Hycantone derivatives and primaquine derivatives for use in the prevention and/or the treatment of disorders associated with gammaherpesvirus, 2016 EP-16305912-Meclozide derivatives and diclazuril derivatives for use in the prevention and/or the treatment of disorders associated to the inflammation induced by P. acnes, 2016
EP15305414-isolated peptides and fragment thereof from fibrinogen for use as drugs, particularly in skin inflammatory diseases, 2015 (PCT en 2016)

He is Professor of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and director of the MSc program of Infectious Diseases at the University of Athens. His main research contribution is immunomodulation in sepsis and in auto-inflammatory disorders. He has 563 publications in international peer-reviewed journals with more than 40,000 citations and h-index 93. He has contributed in the development of clarithromycin for immunomodulatory treatment of severe infections and in the recognition of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) as an auto-inflammatory disorder and in the licensing of adalimumab for HS treatment. He is the current chairman of the European Sepsis Alliance and the current President of the Hellenic Society of Chemotherapy. His main achievement is the approval of anakinra for COVID-19 pneumonia in adults by the European Medicines Agency and the Food and Drug Administration through the phase 2 and 3 trials SAVE and SAVE-MORE that he designed and conducted.

Rochelle Hamilton is a Clinical Nurse Consultant in Sexual and Reproductive Health in a large public hospital in Geelong, Australia. Rochelle works privately within a multidisciplinary team as a Clinical Sexologist in Geelong. This year is her 50th year in nursing, and her qualifications include Midwifery, Family Planning, and a Master's in Sexual Health. She is awaiting feedback on her recent thesis submission for her Doctor of Public Health. Rochelle is the nurse manager of the HIV/Sexual and Reproductive Health Clinic and the nurse-provider of the LARC clinic at Barwon University Hospital, Geelong. She has provided lectures for post-graduate doctors at Deakin University on sexual health, sexual dysfunction, and contraception. She continues to support ongoing education and supervision in these areas to medical students, including supervision to those completing their Diploma of O&G. Rochelle continues to present nationally and internationally across a variety of sexual and reproductive health topics, including STIs, contraception, termination, sexual dysfunction, and sexual pleasure, also providing presentations for ViiV and Gilead in the areas of women living with HIV, ageing and menopause, and the use of cabenuva injectable ART. She has four adult children, of whom she is very proud. She loves cooking and entertaining, and the opportunity to continue travelling.

Eija Hiltunen-Back is an associate professor of venereology in the University of Helsinki. She has 30 years of clinical experience as a consultant physician and the head of the STI clinic in the Department of dermato-venereology in Helsinki University Hospital. She is also a part time researcher in the National Institute for Health and Welfare. Her main research interests are epidemiology and diagnostics of STIs and genital dermatology. She is currently Chair of the Finnish Society against STIs, the national representative in the Council of IUSTI Europe since 2004 and the secretary general since 2018.

Prof. Andreas Katsambas received his MD and PhD from Athens University Medical School and completed his fellowships at St. John Hospital (London) .

He was full Professor of Dermatology and Head of the Dermatology Department at A. Syngros Hospital, Athens Medical School (1999-2011).

Professor Katsambas was the President of the Hellenic (Greek) Society of Dermatology and Venereology for 9 years and he organized, as Secretary General and President, important International Congresses:

• 2nd Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) in 1991
• 20th Conference of Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI Europe) in Mykonos in 2004
• 15th Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) in 2006
• 9th World Congress of Cosmetic Dermatology in 2013
• Professor Katsambas is visiting Professor of Dermatology at
• Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts-USA
• University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
• Wake forest, Winston-Salem, North Caroline-USA
• Sienna-Italy
• Belgrade University-Yugoslavia
• Professor Katsambas was:
• Secretary General (for 8 years) and President of European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) at 2008-2010,
• Board Member and Chairman of the Awards Committee of the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS) at 1997-2010,
• Member of the Committee of International Affairs of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) at 2014-2016,
• President of the European Academy of Cosmetic and Aesthetic Dermatology (ESCAD) at 2019 and he was also
• Honorary member of 22 International Societies and Academies
• Prof. Katsambas has published over 680 papers in peer reviewed medical Journals, and he is the author or co-author of 8 books (3 in English).
• Prof. Katsambas was the editor in chief of the Greek Journal of Dermatovenereology and is also consulting editor and member of the Advisory and Editorial board of 12 peer-reviewed journals.
• JAAD
• Archives of Dermatology
• JEADV
• Clinics in Dermatology
• Int.J. Dermatology
• Dermatology, etc.

His h-Index is 76 and the Citations are 18420.

Chris Kenyon is currently head of the STI Unit at the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp. In addition to his post here, he works as an Infectious Diseases Physician at the University Hospital Antwerp and at the University of Cape Town. He trained as an Infectious Diseases specialist at the University of Cape Town and has also trained in Public Health (LSHTM), politics, philosophy, economics (Oxford) and completed his PhD in Epidemiology (Uni Antwerp). His research interests include better understanding and preventing the emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through stewardship and novel antimicrobial-sparing strategies such as bacteriocins, bacteriophage therapy and use of antiseptics. His unit is currently mapping the patterning of AMR in commensal Neisseria, with the intention of using commensal Neisseria as early warning systems for excessive antimicrobial consumption. He has a number of projects using G. mellonella, mouse and human studies to investigate if low the doses of antimicrobials allowed in food are able to induce and select for AMR in a range of target bacterial species. He is currently PI of a number of clinical studies including: 1. GonoScreen Study (NCT04269434) which is an RCT assessing if screening MSM on PrEP for gonorrhoea/chlamydia is associated with a reduction in the cumulative incidence of these infections; 2. ResistAZM Study (NCT05027516), an RCT comparing the efficacy of ceftriaxone versus ceftriaxone plus azithromycin for the treatment of gonorrhoea, 3. MoNg Study – efficacy of chlorhexidine mouthwash to treat pharyngeal N. gonorrhoeae. 4. SafeDoxyPEP Study – what is the effect of doxycycline post exposure prophylaxis on antimicrobial resistance in a range of target bacterial species.

A graduate of the Military Medical Collegium, Faculty of Medicine at the Medical University of Łódź with the master’s degree in medicine.
After completing her internship in 2021, she began specializing in dermatology and venereology.
Since 2022, she has been a resident at the Fryderyk Chopin University Clinical Hospital in Rzeszów in the Departments of Dermatology and Venerology.
Co-author of several publications in Polish and international journals. Lecturer at national conferences on dermatology and venereology.
Primary interest and specialization in venereology and sexually transmitted diseases.

Dimitra Koumaki is a Dermatologist–Venereologist currently working in the Dermatology Department at the University Hospital of Heraklion in Heraklion, Greece. She studied Medicine at the Medical School of Athens, where she also completed a Master’s degree and a PhD. She received her specialty training in Dermatology–Venereology in Athens. Dr. Koumaki completed two Inter-University Diplomas in Dermatology in France—at the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and the University of Franche-Comté (UFC)—and undertook a fellowship at CHUV in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Following her training in Athens, she worked in several dermatology departments in the United Kingdom, including Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester, and the Royal Free Hospital, the Royal Marsden Hospital, and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London.

She has a special interest in HPV infection and squamous cell carcinoma and has published over one hundred papers in peer-reviewed journals.

Assoc. Prof. Vesta Kucinskiene
Dermatovenereologist
Department of Skin and Venereal Diseases, Medical Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU), Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kauno klinikos, Kaunas, Lithuania
IUSTI board member, EADV member, EHSF member

Dr. Carmen Lisboa is an Associate Professor at the Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Porto. She is a senior researcher at RISE–Health (Health Research and Innovation) at the same University. Her research/clinical interests are STIs and HIV, HPV (cancer,vaccination), syphilis, anogenital dermatosis and Hidradenitis suppurativa. She is a consultant dermato-venereologist at Hospital de São João, Porto. She is head of the STI Outpatient Clinic and of Genital Dermatosis/Hidradenitis suppurativa consultation at the same Hospital. She was member of the Advisory Board of the National Commission to Fight AIDS (2003 to 2006) and, in 2019-2021, she was member of the Sexually Transmitted Infections Task Force that aimed to define national strategies to reduce incidence and prevalence of sexually transmitted infections in Portugal. She is member of the Scientific Committee of Doctoral Program of School of Medicine, University of Porto. She has mentored several master's students in medical research and public health topics. She has supervised and co-supervised PhD candidates in Dermatology-Venereology and Medical Microbiology. She is an Associate Editor of the Sexually Transmitted Infections Journal and she is the national representative of International Union Against sexually Transmitted Infections-Europe.

I graduated from the School of Medicine at the University of Zagreb in 1996. After completing my internship, I worked as a team leader in the Emergency Medical Service in Nova Gradiška. In 2002, I passed the specialist exam in dermatology and venereology, after which I have been permanently employed at the University Hospital Centre Zagreb. I defended my master's thesis titled “Contact Sensitization in Patients with Seborrheic Dermatitis” in July 2003 at the School of Medicine, University of Zagreb. I defended my doctoral dissertation titled “The Significance of the Asymptomatic Male Partner of a Woman with Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia” in November 2005.

I am the author and co-author of over 200 scientific and professional articles, as well as teaching materials for undergraduate and postgraduate courses. I serve as a reviewer for numerous domestic and international journals. I participate in many national and international projects and am the principal investigator in several clinical studies (treatment of atopic dermatitis and urticaria). My primary areas of expertise include allergic and immunologically mediated dermatoses, genital diseases, and sexually transmitted infections.

Dr. Gemma Martin-Ezquerra (Orcid: 0000-0002-5106-7526) holds a degree in Medicine from the Universitat de Barcelona and a Ph.D. in Medicine from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. She is a specialist in Dermatology and has been in charge of the Sexually Transmitted Infections Unit at Hospital del Mar since 2007. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona. She leads a specialized consultation on Cutaneous Infections at Hospital del Mar, which includes the management of STIs, HIV patients, and Tropical Dermatology. She has published more than 60 articles in indexed journals. Since 2023, she is the Spain's representative at IUSTI-Europe.

Dr. Susana Muñoz-Gómez is a Family and Community Medicine specialist with over 15 years of clinical experience. She currently serves as the Clinical Coordinator of the STI Unit at Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol (HUGTiP) in Barcelona, where she focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) through a community-based, person-centred approach.

She leads a dedicated sexual health clinic that improves access to care for women, transgender people, and adolescents, ensuring inclusive and tailored services for these populations. As part of her role, she promotes the harmonization of clinical protocols and care strategies with other community and hospital services to ensure a coordinated and consistent response across diverse groups.

Dr. Muñoz-Gómez is a key member of the research team led by Dr. Oriol Mitjà, which focuses on neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and STIs, including the development of alternative treatments for syphilis. Additionally, she is an active collaborator in other research projects related to these fields.

Among her recent publications, she is co-author of a study published in The Lancet on the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of mpox in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

She is also strongly committed to teaching and mentoring, with extensive experience in medical education at both the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the University of Barcelona. She currently supervises medical residents at the Institut Català de la Salut.

In addition to her clinical and academic work, Dr. Muñoz-Gómez has contributed to humanitarian projects, particularly in Sahrawi refugee camps, where she has supported primary healthcare initiatives and the training of local healthcare professionals.

COLM O’MAHONY, MD.FRCP.BSc.Dip.Ven.
Professor University of Chester Medical school, current post.
Consultant in sexual health and HIV in Chester until 2022
Theme lead for Professionalism,
University of Liverpool 2018 – 21
President Liverpool Medical Institution 2017

Prof. Colm O’Mahony worked for 30 years as a consultant physician, at the Countess of Chester NHS Trust dealing with sexually transmitted infections, HIV / AIDS. He was also the Postgraduate Tutor, for 7 years.

He started out in a VD Clinic in Sir Patrick Dunn’s Hospital in Dublin, doing a session, and there – like St Paul on the road to Damascus, enlightenment. Here was just the job for your average repressed Irish Catholic. There was sex, shame, guilt, anxiety, confession, forgiveness and penance. He had found his niche!

He came to England in 1986 to explore the sexual diversity of Liverpool and finally to a consultant post in Chester in 1990. As Postgraduate Tutor he infuriated and delighted, exposing the farce of fund holding and ‘cynical’ governance. Mostly however, he showed that life without sex, love, passion and desire is no life - at all, at all.

He was elected as Chairman of the Association of GU Doctors in 2001 and to the British HIV Association executive committee in 2005.

He was the chairman of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) media group and became chair of the EADV media committee in 2009 He was the UK rep on the EADV. He was president of Chester and North Wales medical society 2013. He wrote a regular piece in the Journal of Sexually Transmitted Infections, entitled “Chester Chronicles”.

Appointed senior lecturer UOL September 2018, leading on professionalism. He was awarded Honorary Life Fellow of BASHH in 2019.

He is a staunch supporter of IUSTI, having attended and presented at many conferences.

Prof. Maciej Pastuszczak, MD, PhD, is a specialist in dermatology, venereology, and clinical immunology. He serves as the head of the Clinical Department of Dermatology at the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice. His scientific and clinical interests focus on the immune response in early syphilis and syphilis in pregnant patients. Prof. Pastuszczak is particularly involved in studying the immunological aspects of serofast status after treatment of early syphilis. He is the author of numerous high-impact scientific publications in this field. His key scientific achievements include demonstrating the involvement of the Th17 response in neurosyphilis and identifying the predominance of regulatory mechanisms and the induction of autoimmune phenomena in serofast status. For many years, he has been providing care and consultations for patients at an STI clinic.

Dr. Airi Põder, MD, FRCP-London

CURRENT POSITION:
Clinical Research Centre, Chief Physician, CEO, Sõbra 54, Tartu 50106

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE, MEMBERSHIP:

• International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infections, Member of the Executive Committee, 2003-2021
• European Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infections, Director of IUSTI-Europe, 2013-2021, Member of the Executive Committee, 2021-present
• Estonian Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infections, President of IUSTI-Estonia, 1999-2024, Member of the Board, 2024-present
• Society of Estonia Dermatovenerologists, Member of the Board, 2000-2010, Member, 2018-present
• Section of Dermatovenerology European Union of Medical Specialities, Estonian Representative, 2013-present
• European Academy of Dermato-Venerology, Member, 1993-present

Medical epidemiologist, Director of the National AIDS Center, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome. Head of two Italian sentinel STI Surveillance systems, responsible for the National HIV-AIDS Surveillance system.

Focal point for STI and HIV at WHO, UNAIDS, ECDC. Past President of the Italian Society for STI (SIMaST).

Dr. Andrei Tanasov, PhD candidate at Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, is focusing on the implementation of STI screening for vulnerable populations, with research interests including antimicrobial resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the psychosocial dimensions of STIs, and educational initiatives on sexual health. He is specializing in Dermatology and Venereology at Colentina Clinical Hospital, Bucharest, where he is actively engaged in international research projects on STI testing programs, diagnostic tools, and the burden of genital herpes. He is member of the IUSTI-Europe Communications Committee, member of the European Taskforce on STIs, and Junior Editor for the STI section of the International Journal of Dermatology.

Prof. Dr. George-Sorin Tiplica is a senior dermato-venereologist and Head of the Dermatology 2 Clinic in Colentina Clinical Hospital. He is professor of dermatology and venereology at “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy – Bucharest, Romania since 2009. He graduated the same School of Medicine in 1993 and was trained as dermato-venereologist in Romania.

He is interested in bacterial infections and parasitic infestations of the skin, being leading author of the European guidelines for the diagnostic and treatment of scabies, pediculosis pubis, molluscum contagiosum, and partner notification. He is Section-editor for STIs of the International Journal of Dermatology.

Since 2021 he is the Chair of the IUSTI-Europe Council, a professional association fighting against sexually transmitted infections and HIV infection. Together with Dr. Derek Freedman from Ireland he started the “Webinar series of IUSTI-Europe” – a monthly event where is presented and discussed the hottest topics in STIs and HIV.

Barbara Van Der Pol, Ph.D., MPH is an Infectious Diseases Professor of Medicine trained as a medical laboratory scientist with a Ph.D. in Health Behavior. She is the Director of the UAB Heersink School of Medicine ID STD Clinical Research Organization and ID STD Laboratory. She has consulted with the World Health organization on projects designed to set STI research priorities through 2030; updating the WHO Laboratory Diagnostic Manual; and developing Technical Specification Standards for diagnostic assays for HIV & STI. She also serves as the Chair of the Microbiology Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee in the Center for Devices and Radiological Health at the US Food and Drug Administration. Her research focuses on healthcare utilization behaviors including vaccine acceptability and implementation research related to adoption of highly sensitive point of care testing in clinical settings. She is working with several developers of STI diagnostic products intended for over-the-counter use in the home and the ramifications of the control and management-shift this will necessitate. She is a co-investigator or a mentor on several studies evaluating sexual healthcare and PrEP service provision to underserved and marginalized populations.

Michael Waugh born 1943, London trained at London University, Charing Cross Hospital Medical School, qualifying in 1966. He trained in dermatology at St John’s Hospital for Diseases of the Skin and Venereology at West London Hospital, Charing Cross Hospital Group. In 1975 he was appointed as consultant venereologist and senior lecturer to the United Leeds Teaching Hospitals and spent 29 years building the department to becoming a regional centre including HIV/AIDS. He became Secretary from 1981 and President (1989-1991) Medical Society for the Study of Venereal Diseases (MSSVD) and Secretary General 1984 and president IUVDT/IUSTI (1995-1999). He was seconded part time to AIDS Unit Department of Health UK 1992-3. He is a founder signatory of EADV 1987 and from 2006 to 2013 the Chair of its Ethics Committee. In 2023 he became the Historian for IUSTI Europe.

Dr. Winter was appointed Consultant in Sexual Health and HIV in Glasgow, UK in 1999 after completing a PhD in Infection at Birmingham University. His clinical interests are in HIV care and STI diagnostic testing. Dr Winter has long-standing involvement in digital health, leading developments of Scotland’s sexual health electronic patient record since 2008. He is an Executive Committee member of IUSTI World, a member of the European IUSTI Guidelines Group and is co-chair of the Scientific Committee for the 2026 IUSTI World/IUSTI Europe meeting in Prague.

Before Filippo Zimbile obtained a propaedeutic diploma in Industrial Engineering and Management at the University of Twente in 1989, he undertook a modest medical education during his military service, which, despite its limited scope, may still be relevant to mention here. Afterwards, he moved to Amsterdam to study Communication Science at the University of Amsterdam, completing this study in 1993. After various positions at research agencies and the Government Information Service (Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst), he started working at Aidsfonds - Soa Aids Nederland in 2003 as program manager for public communication. In that role, he was ultimately responsible for the national 'Safe Sex' campaigns. After these campaigns were discontinued in 2011 due to budget cuts, he became the program manager for youth. From 2016, he was assigned part-time from Aidsfonds – Soa Aids Nederland to the RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) to coordinate national eHealth activities for the 23 Sexual Health Clinics of the Municipal Health Centers and the national expertise centers active on sexual health in the Netherlands. Since 2021, Filippo has been an external PhD candidate at the Department of Health Promotion at Maastricht University. His research projects focus on eHealth and self-care within the field of public sexual health. He successfully defended his PhD thesis in April of this year.

Professor Kieron S. Leslie, MD is an internationally recognized dermatologist and Professor of Dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). His clinical and academic work is distinguished by a deep commitment to the care of patients with HIV-associated skin diseases and to advancing dermatologic care for underserved populations.

Trained in the United Kingdom, Dr. Leslie earned his MBBS from St Bartholomew’s and the Royal London School of Medicine. He completed residencies in internal medicine at the Royal Free Hospital and in dermatology at Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital, followed by a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Dr. Leslie directs the UCSF and San Francisco General Hospital HIV Dermatology Clinics and serves as Visiting Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. His research focuses on the dermatologic manifestations of HIV, including Kaposi’s sarcoma, mpox, and complex inflammatory dermatoses. He is a leader in care delivery to LGBTQ+ communities and those affected by health disparities.

Widely published, Dr. Leslie has authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, including contributions to the New England Journal of Medicine and Lancet HIV. He has received numerous honors, including the UCSF Medical Student Teaching Award and multiple NIH and industry-funded research grants.

Dr. Leslie is a frequent keynote speaker at international dermatology conferences and an active member of the American Academy of Dermatology, the British Association of Dermatologists, and the International Society of Dermatology.

As a passionate educator and mentor, Dr. Leslie is committed to training the next generation of dermatologists and advancing global equity in skin health through research, advocacy, and international collaboration.

Centre of Excellence for Health, Immunity and Infections (CHIP)

Caecilie B. Kahama, MSc is a project coordinator at CHIP at Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. In this role, she coordinates the EuroTEST Initiative, including the European Testing Week and the European Test Finder, and support the Western-Eastern European Partnership Initiative (WEEPI) on HIV, viral hepatitis, and TB.

With over 20 years of experience in international public health and advocacy, Cæcilie has a strong background in coordinating cross-border initiatives aimed at improving access to testing and care for key infectious diseases. Prior to joining CHIP, she served in several roles at the Danish AIDS Foundation, including as International Programme Consultant and Coordinator of Aidsnet, the Danish NGO Network on AIDS and Development.

Her work focuses on building partnerships across sectors and regions to promote earlier diagnosis and better health outcomes through evidence-based policies and community-driven action.

Claudia Estcourt is Professor of Sexual Health & HIV at Glasgow Caledonian University, Honorary Professor at University College London, Consultant Physician in NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde and Honorary Consultant Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, UK. Her research addresses three major public health priorities: 1). Self-managed, digital healthcare, focussing on development and evaluation of complex online clinical care pathways within sexual health & HIV medicine (sequencedigital.org.uk), aiming to develop the evidence base for the design and implementation of online care sexual health care for underserved groups 2). Preventing transmission of STIs and reducing undiagnosed HIV by increasing effectiveness of partner notification strategies by developing tailored interventions for those at highest risk (lustrum.org.uk), 3) HIV PrEP public health programmes, implementation, clinical service development, evaluation and monitoring, including developing and evaluating an online PrEP clinic for Scotland.

Kit was Director of Melbourne Sexual Health centre until February 2025. His research interests include the control of sexually transmitted infections at a population level.

Stichting Choices Support Center
European Testing Week Working Group member

For over 30 years, Jason Farrell has developed and managed healthcare and prevention services for drug users, sex workers, and people living with HIV, regardless of sexual orientation or gender. From 1993 to 2008, he was the founding director of Positive Health Project, the first low-threshold, multi-service needle exchange and medical clinic for drug users in the U.S. and pioneered integrated care by co-locating medical and dental services within a harm reduction program.

Jason also consulted for the CDC’s Diffusion of Evidence-Based Interventions (DEBI) team, revising behaviour change materials, training community organisations, and providing technical assistance to HIV prevention programs, with a focus on marginalized groups including MSM drug users and transgender individuals.

In Europe, he served as Project Officer for the EU HCV and Drug Use Initiative with the Correlation European Harm Reduction Network, and as an expert advisor to the ECDC and EUDA. He is currently a member of the European HIV/HCV Testing Week Working Group.

Now based in Amsterdam, Jason is the founder/director of Choices Support Center, which offers psychological support and risk reduction services to LGBTQ+ individuals, including asylum seekers facing stress, trauma, and insecurity during long asylum processes.

Georgian Harm Reduction Network, Georgia
European Testing Week Working Group member

Maka Gogia is a Programme Director of harm reduction program in Georgia. She has a higher medical education and Master’s degree in Public Health. Besides programme management, she is a technical advisor, trainer and consultant of HIV/HCV community organisations in Georgia. During the last 10 years, she has been engaged in advocating for better accessibility to HIV, HCV, TB and STI services for key affected populations. Maka is also a member of European AIDS Treatment Group and is involved in HIV/HCV ECAB groups, HIV policy working group and women working groups.

Born and lives in Moscow, Russia.
Graduated from Moscow University of Medicine in 1977.
Chief Researcher, Moscow Scientific and Practical Center of Dermatovenereology and Cosmetology.
Member of AAD and EADV. IUSTI-World Senior Counsellor, member of Editorial Board of IUSTI-Europe Guidelines. President of Guild of Specialists in STI «USTI-Ru». National representative from Russian Federation at IUSTI, Honorary Member of Hungarian STD Society.
Main areas of research: Epidemiology, Diagnosis and Treatment of STD, Viral Sexually Transmitted Infections, Clinical Trials in STD. Published around 300 papers, primarily in Russian journals.

Positive Voice, Greece

Giorgos Keratsas studied Psychology (BSc) in Panteion University of Athens and Social Influence - Social Psychology (MSc) in the University of Amsterdam. He has volunteered in outreach activities of the Greek Association of People Living with HIV - Positive Voice since 2019. In 2021, he shortly worked as sexual health counselor at the Prevention & Sexual Health Centre “Athens Checkpoint”. Since 2022, he has been working as communications officer of Positive Voice, building or participating in the development of campaigns for the promotion of HIV testing and safer sexual practices, as well as for raising awareness against HIV-related stigma. He has been designing the communications activities of Positive Voice and Athens/Thessaloniki Checkpoint for the European Testing Week for the last three years, some of which have been featured in a number of Greek media.

Genitourinary (GU) Clinic at Mater Dei Hospital in Malta

Dr Padovese is the leading clinician at the GU clinic in Malta. Her main clinical and research interest is skin and sexual health in migrants and other vulnerable groups. She took part in numerous EU funded projects addressing sexual health needs in hard-to-reach populations, and she collaborates with WHO on implementation and evaluation of STI POCTs. Dr Padovese is ILDS Special Advisor on migrants’ health, STIs and HIV, WHO Technical Advisor for Capacity Building on Health and Migration. She is Associated Editor of the British Journal of Dermatology for the Global health and Equity section, and Associate Editor of the BMC-STI journal. In 2023 Dr Padovese was the President of IUSTI Europe Congress in Malta.

She co-founded an international NGO, Bridges2Health&Rights, operating in the broad areas of health and rights and at the intersections of disciplines such as medicine, law and criminology.

Dr Raj Patel is Consultant Physicians in STI and HIV Medicine at the Hampshire Isle of White Trust and is based in Southampton. He is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton. He is a Past President of IUSTI World and Lead Author of the IUSTI Europe and BASHH Guidelines on the Management of Genital Herpes and a Contributing Author the the CDC Guideline on Genital Herpes. He has been Chief investigator on many studies principally related to developing new HSV related medications and determining the limits of therapies.

Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium
Co-Chair of European Testing Week Working Group

Tom Platteau is a sexologist and mental health scientist. He obtained a PhD on combination prevention for HIV. He works at the outpatient clinic of the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp (Belgium) as a clinician and researcher where he has been coordinating HIV/STI testing projects since 2009. These projects consist of outreach activities and online testing approaches. He is a member of EuroTEST Steering Committee since 2015 and Co-chair of European Testing Week Working Group.

HIV Outpatient Clinic at the University of Bonn, Germany
Co-Chair of EuroTEST Steering Committee

Dr. Jürgen Rockstroh is Professor of Medicine and Head of the HIV Outpatient Clinic at the University of Bonn. An active member of the HIV/AIDS treatment community, Dr Rockstroh was the Chair of the German Clinical AIDS Working Group (KAAD) from 1998 to 2007. From 2007 to 2011, he was president of the German AIDS Society. He sat on the executive committee of the European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS) from 2000, was panel member of the EACS' medical guidelines and created the hepatitis co-infection guidelines since 2008, Chair of EACS guidelines since 2023, and became president of EACS from 2019 to 2020. Between 2011 and 2020, he was a member of the governing council of the International AIDS Society. The Federal Cross of Merit was awarded to him by the Federal Republic of Germany in 2017. In addition to his clinical practice, he is involved in HIV research, including on HIV and hepatitis co-infection.

I am specialist in Dermatology and Venereology, and the head of the venereology clinic at the Dept. of Dermatology and Venereology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. My research has been focused on genital HPV infection, and I am since 2012 an Associate professor of the Karolinska Institute.

I am a board member of the Swedish Society of venereal diseases and treasurer of the Swedish Society of Dermatology and Venereology. I am also a member of the IUSTI Europe board and treasurer since 2023. In the EADV (European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology), I am vice chair of the HPV Task Force. I am also a member of the American STD Association (ASTDA) and the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

Apostolos I. Beloukas, PhD is Full Professor of Molecular Microbiology & Virology and elected Vice-President of the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of West Attica (UniWA), Athens. He directs the Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology and over the last 4-years has served as Scientific Lead of the National AIDS Reference Center for Southern Greece, both at the UniWA, where his team delivers advanced molecular diagnostics and surveillance for HIV, viral hepatitis and other sexually transmitted infections.

Raised in Piraeus, Dr Beloukas read Biology at the University of Athens (UoA), earned an MSc with distinction in Biomedical Sciences, and completed a PhD on HIV proviral quantification at the UoA Medical School. From 2013 to 2019 he worked at the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Infection & Global Health—first as post-doctoral fellow, then as permanent Research Associate—deepening his expertise in viral genomics, phylogenetics and evidence-synthesis methods.

His bench-to-bedside research explores the molecular epidemiology of HIV, HBV, SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging or sexually transmitted pathogens, point-of-care diagnostics and antimicrobial-resistance forecasting. He has led or collaborated in over 25 national and international projects and supervised numerous MSc and PhD candidates.

Prof. Beloukas has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers, including work in JAMA, The Lancet and Clinical Infectious Diseases, attracting over 10,000 citations. He serves as regular reviewer for 40-plus journals, he joined the Editorial Board of BMJ’s Sexually Transmitted Infections in 2021 and serves on national committees guiding curriculum reform and research strategy at UniWA.

Committed to knowledge translation, he has delivered upwards of 80 invited lectures across Europe, the UK and the Americas. At the 38th IUSTI-Europe 2025 he will present “STI POCT Today: Available Tests and What’s Next”, highlighting how rapid molecular platforms can close diagnostic gaps and advance equitable sexual health. Away from the lab, he enjoys swimming and sailing the Aegean and inspiring students to explore virology.

Dr. Maria-Angeliki Gkini qualified from the Medical School of Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece. She is an MSc holder in International Medicine-Health Crisis Management and she completed her PhD, focusing on the management of hair diseases. She completed her dermatology training at Barts Health NHS Trust in London, where she developed an interest in inflammatory skin diseases. She further pursued her clinical and research interests in Athens, Greece and in New York City, USA.  She was an IPC Fellow 2023 and she is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians.

Currently, she is a Consultant Dermatologist at Barts Health NHS Trust, London and an Honorary Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary University, London, UK. She is running the specialist psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and hidradenitis suppurativa clinics. Her special interests include inflammatory skin and hair diseases, advanced therapies (biologics and small molecules) and psychodermatology. Apart from her clinical work, Dr Gkini has an interest in clinical research and she has been a principal and sub-investigator in more than 50 multicenter studies.  She has significant teaching experience, including teaching at the Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Dermatology at Queen Mary University in London.

Dr Gkini is actively involved in several organisations and societies and their committees, such as the EADV, the ESDAP, the IPC and Alopecia UK. She has participated in numerous national and international congresses as a speaker/invited speaker and she has published her research in international peer-reviewed journals. Dr Gkini has also been awarded numerous prizes and grants by prestigious institutions and organisations, such as the EADV, the BAD and the Royal College of Physicians.

Arjan Harxhi, MD, PhD is Professor of Infectious Disease and chairman of Albanian Society of Infectious Diseases. He is former head of the Department of Infectious Disease at the Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Tirana, Albania and Head of the third clinic and Ambulatory HIV Clinic at Infectious Disease Service, University Hospital Center of Tirana “Mother Theresa”. He obtained his Medical Degree from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Tirana where he also received his specialty in Infectious Diseases. Prof. Harxhi completed his PhD at Faculty of Medicine, University of Tirana. He undertook a mini residency training program on HIV at the University California, San Diego Medical Center and also his MSc Diploma on STI and HIV at the University College London and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Prof. Harxhi is a member of the EACS, ESCMID, and ECEE network group. His main focus are clinical aspects, teaching and research in various areas of viral and bacterial infections, primarily HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections , viral hepatitis, antimicrobial resistance, hospital infection control etc. He is part of multidisciplinary national expert groups such as AMR national team, National Committee for Immunization, working group for the management of viral hepatitis and is an active member of the HIV/AIDS Country Coordinating Mechanism. He is co-author of National Strategy for control and prevention of HIV/AIDS in Albania, National guidelines for HIV treatment in Albania, National guidelines for management of syphilis, etc. He has published over 100 papers in national and international journals and actively participates at the national and international scientific meetings.

Infection Preparedness; Bacteria, Parasites, and Fungi, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark

Dr Jensen is a consultant physician at SSI heading the Research Unit for Reproductive Microbiology.
For more than 30 years, he has been working with mycoplasmas, in particular Mycoplasma genitalium. His current focus is on M. genitalium antimicrobial susceptibility, aiming to improve treatment and on studies of the vaginal microbiota in relation to assisted reproduction and pregnancy. He has been part of the European STI Guidelines Project Editorial Board since 2006 and is the lead author on the M. genitalium guideline.

Dr. Sandra Jerkovic Gulin, MD, MSc, PhD
Consultant Dermatologist in Sweden | Associate Professor | STI & LSc Researcher

Dr. Sandra Jerkovic Gulin is a specialist in Dermatology and Venereology currently based in Jönköping, Sweden. She serves as a Consultant Dermatologist at County Hospital Ryhov and is Adjunct Associate Professor and International Academic Coordinator at Linköping University. She holds medical licenses to practice dermatology in Sweden, Croatia, Kenya and Norway.

She completed her medical degree and PhD at the University of Zagreb, with doctoral research focused on cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Her MSc addressed challenges in diagnosis and treatment lymphogranuloma venereum. Dr. Jerkovic Gulin completed part of her dermatology training at leading European centers, including the Melanoma Unit, Uni Clinic Barcelona and AKH Vienna.

Her clinical and research interests include genital dermatoses, sexually transmitted infections, inflammatory skin diseases, and lichen sclerosus. She leads and collaborates on multiple national and international studies, including work on microbiome, virome and genome-wide association in genital lichen sclerosus, and COVID-19 impacts on STIs and skin infections.

She is an active member of national dermatology education committees and serves as a consultant in digital dermatology and telemedicine platforms. She is co-host of the SkinScope Dermatology Podcast and has authored over 25 peer-reviewed publications.

At IUSTI 2025, she will present on genital manifestations of Crohn’s disease, highlighting diagnostic approaches and clinical management.

Dr. Irene Stefanaki is an Assistant Professor of Dermatology–Venereology at the 1st Department of Venereal and Skin Diseases, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), based at “Andreas Syggros” Hospital. She is Head of the Familial Melanoma Clinic, recognized as a Center of Expertise, and a core member of the Psoriasis Clinic with extensive experience in clinical care and clinical trials.

Her research focuses on skin cancer—particularly genetic predisposition to melanoma—and psoriasis. She supervises the Molecular Biology Laboratory at “Andreas Syggros” Hospital, which houses a melanoma biobank and participates in international research consortia including the US National Cancer Institute’s Melanostrum Consortium and M-SKIP.

Dr. Stefanaki is actively involved in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education and dermatology residency training. She has authored 58 publications in international journals, along with multiple book chapters. From 2016 to 2018, she served as an elected member of the Membership Committee of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV).

I am a molecular microbiologist with a PhD in Infectious Diseases from the University of Amsterdam, specializing in the molecular epidemiology and diagnostics of Treponema pallidum. Currently, I work as a Post-doctoral Research Manager at the Pharmaceutical Biology Chair within the Biology department of the Friedrich-Alexander-University (FAU) in Erlangen-Nürnberg. Until recently, April 2025, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Public Health Laboratory of Amsterdam, where focused on national surveillance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) within the Dutch National Reference centre for Ng. Here I also conducted genomic research in collaboration with the Dutch National Institute for Public Health (RIVM). In parallel, I worked as a project manager, improving research documentation, coordinating public tenders, optimizing diagnostic workflows, and organizing scientific symposia. Since 2023, I also curated the Treponema pallidum genome sequence database (BIGSdb) of PubMLST.

Dr. Sasha Fahme is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and Research Faculty Affiliate at the American University of Beirut. Informed by her clinical work, Dr. Fahme’s research examines the impact of armed conflict and protracted forced displacement on women’s sexual health. She was the Principal Investigator of the first community-based study of Syrian refugee women's sexual health, which demonstrated that the sexual health of this population is closely linked to a syndemic of violence, war trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, and food insecurity. She recently concluded a longitudinal study of reproductive tract infections among Syrian refugee women, which found a significant burden of incident and recurrent bacterial vaginosis in this population. She is currently leading an implementation science study which seeks to systematically adapt, pilot-test, and evaluate an evidence-based, refugee-led sexual health intervention in a single-group feasibility study of Syrian refugee women displaced in Lebanon. Dr. Fahme serves on the research committee of the Syrian American Medical Society and is an invited steering committee member of the NIH-Fogarty International Center Global Forum on Humanitarian Health Research. She is also on the leadership committee of the Weill Cornell Women in Global Health Research Initiative, where she serves as Co-Director of the Women’s Infectious Diseases Global Scholars Program, a peer mentorship program for early-career investigators conducting women’s health and infectious diseases research in low- and middle-income countries. Dr. Fahme holds an M.D. degree from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

I am an academic staff member in the Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine at Ege University in Turkiye, and the director of the Ege University HIV/AIDS Research and Practice Center. I have been providing healthcare for people living with HIV since 1996 and currently lead an HIV cohort of around 700 patients.

I am the founding member and general secretary of the AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections Society in Turkiye, a board member of the International Union for Sexually Transmitted Infections Europe, representing Turkiye, a governing board member of the European AIDS Clinical Society and a core member of the Euroguidelines in Central and Eastern Europe (ECEE) Network Group.

My major areas of interest are sexual behavior, prevention and clinical management of HIV/AIDS, and sexually transmitted infections. I have co-authored many publications on HIV/AIDS and focused specifically on Central and Eastern Europe recently. I have authored more than a hundred publications in national and international journals. I made more than 200 presentations at national and international meetings. I continue to organize and participate in numerous projects, research, meetings, and training programs focusing on sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS.

Usha Hartgill is a UK educated doctor and specialist in Sexual Health and HIV. After moving to Norway in 2006, she worked as a consultant at The Olafia Clinic, one of the largest clinics for sexually transmitted infections in the Nordic countries. After completing specialist training in dermatology at the department of dermatology at Oslo university hospital in 2019, she became leader at The Olafia Clinic in 2019 until she returned to the dermatology department in 2023.

Usha has been the Norwegian representative on the IUSTI-Europe board since 2018 and is currently assistant secretary on the IUSTI-World EXCO committee. She has been a member of the Nordic Dermatology association board since 2019 and recently taken a roll in the Norwegian Association for dermato-venerology.

Special research and clinical interests have included Mycoplasma genitalium infection and genital dermatoses.

Dr. Evdoxia Panou is a board-certified dermatologist and venereologist with clinical and academic experience in Greece and the United Kingdom. She currently works as an Academic Fellow at Andreas Sygros Hospital in Athens, where she is involved in clinical trials on psoriasis and the management of sexually transmitted infections. In parallel, she maintains a private practice focusing on clinical and interventional dermatology.
Dr. Panou trained at renowned institutions, including University College London Hospitals, Central and North West London NHS Trust, and Sygros Hospital, and in 2023 she completed a fellowship at the University Hospital of Colorado in the United States. Her main academic interests include autoimmune and autoinflammatory skin diseases, sexually transmitted infections, and dermatologic oncology.
She has published in leading international journals such as JEADV and Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, regularly presents at national and international congresses including EADV, and serves as a peer reviewer for high-impact journals. In addition, she is actively engaged in medical education, having lectured at University College London and contributed to structured training programs for dermatology trainees.

Univ.Prof. Dr.med. Angelika STARY            

Angelika Stary has graduated in medicine from the Medical University in Vienna in 1974 and was trained in Virology and in Dermatovenereology. She achieved the title “University Professor” at the University of Vienna in 2004.

She has established and was chair of the Austrian Society for STD and Dermatological Microbiology of the Austrian Society for Dermatology and Venereology in 1996, and since 2021, she is Honorary Chair of this society. Since 1988 she is the head of the Outpatients` Centres for Diagnosis of Infectious Venero-Dermatological Diseases in Vienna.

From 2001 until 2005 she held the position of the Regional Director of the European Branch of the IUSTI, and is now officer for education. From 2005 to 2009 she was nominated as President of IUSTI World. From 2011 to 2013 she was President of the ISSTDR. She has been President of the Austrian Society of Dermatology and Venereology during the years 2015 and 2016.

Beside several other conferences, she has organized the IUSTI-Europe Conference in 2002 and the World congress on STI&HIV in 2013 with about 1300 participants from more than 100 countries at the Hofburg in Vienna.

In 2009 she received the Gold Medal Award of IUSTI World and in 2019 the Gold Medal of IUSTI Europe for exceptional service for IUSTI. She has received the Schaudinn-Hoffmann-Plakette of the German Society for Dermatology at the annual meeting in 2011 in Dresden. In 2010, she received also the Certificate of Appreciation of the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS).

She is Honorary Member of several European Societies for Dermatology and Venereology (Germany, Switzerland, Serbia, Latvia, Hungary) and also of several STI societies (Hungary, Estonia, United Kingdom).

Alexander J. Stratigos, MD is a Professor of Dermatology-Venereology at the University of Athens (Greece) and Chairman of the 1st Department of Dermatology-Venereology of the Andreas Sygros Hospital since 2020. He is also the Director of the Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center, Andreas Sygros Hospital, and a Visiting Scientist at the Wellman Laboratories of Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. His clinical and research interests include melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer, with particular emphasis to their epidemiology, prevention and treatment. He has authored or co-authored more than 400 articles on Melanoma and Skin Cancer, Psoriasis, Cutaneous Photosensitivity and Lasers and is an editorial board member of various international journals. He has experience in more than thirty clinical trials PHASE II-III as a principal investigator and has conducted pivotal trials on systemic treatments and immunotherapy for non-melanoma skin cancer. He is the main author of the European guidelines of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and co-author of the European guidelines for BCC, melanoma, DFSP, Kaposi sarcoma and Merkel cell carcinoma. Dr. Stratigos has held administrative and committee positions in several professional societies, including the EADO (current Vice-President} and the Hellenic Society of Dermatology-Venereology. He is a Past-President of the European Academy of Dermatology-Venereology (2020-2022), the biggest professional dermatological society in Europe.

Dr Emily Clarke is a consultant physician in genitourinary medicine and HIV in Liverpool, UK. She is chair of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) Herpes Special Interest Group. She is lead author of the BASHH UK guidelines on herpes in pregnancy, and co-author of the BASHH UK herpes guidelines, and the IUSTI Europe herpes guidelines.

In addition to genital herpes, Dr Clarke’s other clinical interests include genital dermatology, long acting antiretroviral therapy, and the care of women living with HIV including in pregnancy and the menopause.

Dr Clarke is research lead for sexual health and HIV in the northwest coast region of the UK. Her research interests include genital herpes, long-acting injectable antiretroviral therapy, research priority setting, and the impact of guidelines on clinical care. Her publications may be viewed at ORCHID ID 0000-0001-9340-1417.

I am an associate professor of Dermatology-Venereology in the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Andreas Sygros hospital. My main academic interests include atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, chronic spontaneous urticaria, nail disorders and hyperhidrosis. I have published more than 300 publications in peer reviewed journals, several textbook chambers, serve on the editorial board of several international journals and have presented and chaired sessions in EADV congresses. I have co-authored the latest guidelines of EDF/EADV on atopic eczema and participate in the EADV task forces on urticaria and angioedema as well as that on quality of life and patient oriented outcomes. I am currently serving as a member of the EADV finance committee. I am also a member of the European Nail Society, European Society for Contact dermatitis, UCARE and ADCARE.

Matt is a GUM consultant in Cumbria and an honorary professor of GUM & Ethics at UCLan. Originally from Birmingham, his medical degree is from Manchester, his masters from Keele and his MD from Trinity College Dublin. Throughout his career he has focused on ethics in particular its applications to sexual health and HIV. He sits on the BMJ Ethics committee and is a regional advisor for the Royal College of Physicians. He has been the President of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV from 2024 and his term ends in 2026.

Electra Nicolaidou is Professor of Dermatology and Venereology at the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. Currently, she is the Head of the Sexually Transmitted Infections Unit, Vitiligo Clinic, and Psoriasis Clinic at “Andreas Sygros” Hospital for Skin and Venereal Diseases in Athens. She is also a Board Member of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) representing Greece. In the period 2019-2023, she was a member of the Honours and Awards Committee of EADV and currently she is a member of the HPV Task Force and the Sexually Transmitted Infections Task Force of EADV. She also represents Greece in IUSTI (International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections) and UEMS. She is Vice-President of the Greek Society of Dermatology and Venereology. Prof. Nicolaidou has extensive clinical experience within the whole spectrum of dermatovenereology with a special interest in sexually transmitted infections, vitiligo, and psoriasis. She has authored more than 120 publications in the pubmed and several chapters in international and Greek books. She has been an invited speaker in several European and Greek conferences. In 2020, she co-edited a book on “Hypopigmentation” (CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group).

Dr Janet Wilson is a physician specialising in STIs at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, Leeds, UK. Her main areas of clinical and research interest are managing recurrent vaginal infections and infections in pregnancy, and the clinical application and cost-effectiveness of diagnostic tests for chlamydia and gonorrhoea.

She is co-author of several IUSTI and British Association for Sexual Health and HIV guidelines.

She has been on the World Executive Committee of the International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI) since 2007 in the posts of Assistant Secretary General, Secretary General, and President-Elect. She was President from 2019 to 2023.

Dr. Hanna Bos is a Medical Doctor and Infectious Disease Control specialist, currently serving as Strategic Medical Advisor at Aidsfonds – Soa Aids Nederland. She brings over a decade of experience in public health, with a strong focus on HIV and sexual health. Her international work includes leading TB and HIV control initiatives in Angola, and she has spent more than ten years working in public sexual health clinics across the Netherlands.
Dr. Bos holds a Master’s degree in Health Systems Management from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Her professional interests lie at the intersection of science, public health policy, and community engagement. She is committed to advancing evidence-based, community-informed approaches to improve access to and the impact of care for vulnerable populations.

Dr. Alexandra-Irina Butacu is a consultant dermatologist with a strong clinical and academic focus on dermoscopy, cutaneous oncology, and mucosal pathology, particularly in the context of sexually transmitted infections. Her expertise lies in the early detection of skin cancer, the dermoscopic evaluation of challenging anatomic sites such as the genital mucosa, and in the integration of biopsy and non-invasive tools for accurate diagnosis.
She is the founder of www.alexandrabutacu.com, a professional platform combining dermatologic care, education, and visual learning resources in dermoscopy. Dr. Butacu regularly organizes national courses and hands-on workshops in dermoscopy and dermatologic surgery, with a practical, case-based approach tailored to both trainees and specialists. Her teaching is known for its clarity, precision, and clinical relevance.
At IUSTI Athens 2025, Dr. Butacu leads the workshop “Biopsy and Dermoscopy of Genital Mucosa”, designed to enhance diagnostic confidence in an often-overlooked but clinically complex anatomical area. The session includes practical algorithms, dermoscopic patterns of infectious, inflammatory, and neoplastic mucosal conditions, as well as video demonstrations of safe and effective biopsy techniques.
With a background in classical dermatology and a passion for dermato-oncology and STI-related skin disease, Dr. Butacu bridges the gap between morphology, histopathology, and patient-centered care. She is dedicated to promoting dermoscopy not only as a diagnostic aid but also as a teaching tool and a means to improve communication, especially in sensitive consultations involving the genital area.
Her work continues to contribute to better, earlier, and more confident diagnosis in dermatology and STI medicine.

I am Head of the Research and Prevention Development team in the Infectious Diseases Department at the Public Health Service of Amsterdam (GGD Amsterdam). My work centres on improving STI control policies by integrating scientific research into public health practice. My research applies a multidisciplinary approach, combining mathematical modelling, epidemiology, and behavioral sciences to address key questions in STI prevention and control. I have developed models to improve interventions such as repeat testing and partner notification, and increasingly include psychological determinants to better predict and influence STI transmission dynamics. Currently, I focus on combating antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae through integrated modelling, microbiology, and epidemiology.

David Lewis is currently Director of the Western Sydney Sexual Health Centre in Australia. He holds a Conjoint Professorship at the University of Sydney and an Honorary Professorship at the University of Cape Town. Prior to his move to Australia in 2014, David was Head of South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Disease’s Centre for HIV and STIs. David’s research interests include antimicrobial resistance and surveillance of STI pathogens, biomedical prevention of bacterial STIs and STI care in resource-poor settings. He is an elected Council member of the International Society for Infectious Diseases and a Past President of the International Union against STIs.  David served as Deputy Editor for Sexually Transmitted Infections for over a decade and remains on the journal’s Editorial Board. David has served as a member of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Strategic Technical Advisory Committee for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and STIs, and assists with WHO’s work on STI treatment guidelines and point-of-care diagnostics. Within New South Wales, he is a member of the State’s HIV and STI Strategy Implementation Committees and the International Advisory Board for the Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Sexual Health Medicine.

Lina Nerlander is the Principal Expert for sexually transmitted infections at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and covers on several issues including surveillance, monitoring, response and country support. Prior to joining ECDC she spent six years at the United States CDC working on HIV among high risk populations including MSM, PWID and sex workers. Lina trained as a medical doctor and has an MPH and a PhD.

Dr. Josep Riera is a consultant dermatologist and venereologist at the Sexual Health Programme, Dermatology Department of Hospital Clínic de Barcelona in Spain. He is also a lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona.

His research is focused on mpox.
His assistance is also  dedicated to genodermatoses, and psoriasis.

Assistant Professor of Dermatology – Venereology
National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School,
2nd Department of Dermatology-Venereology
“ATTIKON” University Hospital of Athens, Greece

Prof. Jana Tresnak Hercogova is a chairwoman and co-owner of the Dermatology Prof. Hercogova in Prague. She also leads Dermatovenereology Dept. of the Institute of Clinical and Experimental Medicine in Prague. She was chairing the Dermatovenereology Dept. of the 2nd Medical Faculty, Charles University in Prague, for 26 years.
As the first woman President, Dr. Tresnak Hercogova was serving the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology in 2010-2012. She has been the Founder of the Czech Academy of Dermatovenereology, and its Czech Dermatovenereology Journal. She is an author of 16 books, incl. the Clinical Dermatovenereology, the textbook of 1736 pages published in 2019, 45 chapters and about 180 IF articles.
Dr. Tresnak Hercogova has organized a lot of national (i.e. annual national congresses) and international congresses, being a President of the 11th Congress of the EADV 2002, the 20th Dermatohistopathological Colloquium 1997 and 10th International Congress of Dermatology 2009 in Prague. Her scientific interests are focused mainly on Lyme Borreliosis, vitiligo, psoriasis, dermatooncology, skin problems in patients with solid organ transplantations and biological therapies.

Zoïe Alexiou is a postdoctoral researcher in Health Promotion at Maastricht University, specializing in STI epidemiology and the implementation of public health policies for their prevention and control. Her work builds on her PhD research at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and Maastricht University, where she led cohort studies and contributed to developing risk-based strategies for chlamydia control. She holds a Master’s in Health Sciences from Erasmus University, where she also worked as a junior researcher in infectious disease modeling.
Zoïe’s research focuses on the public health aspects of STIs, HIV, and sexual and reproductive health. She has collaborated on research across Sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia, and Australia. Her work integrates epidemiological modeling, surveillance, and intervention research to inform the design and implementation of effective, equitable STI prevention and control policies.

Bernice M. Hoenderboom, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher at the Maastricht University, where she focuses on the implementation of a new chlamydia testing policy in the Netherlands. In addition, she is a nursing lecturer at the HAN University of Applied Sciences. Her academic background is in infectious disease epidemiology and public health, with research centered on complications of Chlamydia trachomatis infections and individuals’ perspectives on these complications. She also holds a master’s degree in Health Sciences, for which she completed her thesis focusing on HIV drug resistance in sub-Saharan Africa.

Konstantinos Protopapas is a specialist in Internal Medicine with a focus on infectious diseases. Since 2010, he has been working as a physician and academic fellow at the HIV clinic of Attikon University Hospital of Athens. In addition to his clinical responsibilities, he is actively involved in research and plays a key role in teaching and mentoring medical students at the clinic.
He has been a member of the European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS) since 2007 and has served as a member of the EACS Standard of Care scientific committee since 2023. He is also a member of the governing board of the Hellenic Society for the Study and Control of AIDS and has contributed to the advisory committee for the implementation of PrEP in Greece. Recently, he joined the ECEE Network group.
Beyond his professional and academic commitments, Konstantinos Protopapas maintains strong connections with the community as a founding member of Positive Voice, the Greek association of people living with HIV (PLHIV).

Daphne van Wees (1991) studied Health Sciences at the VU University in Amsterdam where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in 2013 and her Master of Science Degree in Health Sciences (specialization Infectious Diseases and Public Health) in July 2015. In December 2019, she finished her PhD project at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), where she worked on combining epidemiology, behavioural sciences and mathematical modelling to study the link between behavioural and psychological characteristics, and chlamydia (re-)infection. She succesfully defended her PhD thesis at Utrecht University in December 2020. From February 2020 to February 2021, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care on projects about the impact of PrEP on sexual behavior and the spread of STI/HIV among MSM. Since September 2020, she has been working again at the RIVM as an epidemiologist/behavioral scientist. Here, she is currently involved in both epidemiology and behavioural science-based research projects into infectious disease transmission, and contributes to national STI/HIV surveillance. In addition, she is working on strengthening the role of social sciences within the RIVM.

Nikos Dedes, General Secretary of the Greek Patients’ Association, President of the Association of people living with HIV/AIDS “Positive Voice”
Nikos Dedes is a health policy advocate with over 25 years of committed engagement in patient organisations. He currently serves as General Secretary of the Greek Patients’ Association, chairs Positive Voice — the Greek association of people living with HIV — and sits on the Board of the European Patients’ Forum.
At the European level, he is the Vice-Chair of the European AIDS Treatment Group and a member of the Steering Committees of NEAT ID, HIV Outcomes, and EuroTEST. He also contributes to the EACS HIV Treatment Guidelines panel.
His past roles include chairing the European AIDS Treatment Group, serving on the Management Board of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and participating in the WHO Strategic and Technical Advisory Committee on HIV. In 2014, he was honoured with the DIA Outstanding Service Award.
Nikos brings citizens' voice into policy spaces, advocating for universal, equitable, evidence-based access to care and prevention — as a moral imperative and a necessary pillar of a just and resilient society.

Nicole Dukers is an epidemiologist with 30 years of experience in the field of infectious diseases. Bridging academic research and public health practice, she specializes in sexual health and implementation science. Nicole now works as an associate professor at Maastricht University (CAPHRI) and also is senior epidemiologist at the Public Health Service (GGD) South Limburg where she coordinates the Living Lab Public Health Mosa, an infrastructure connecting citizens, research, policy, and practice.
In HIV and broader sexual health, Nicole initiated Limburg4Zero, an integrated approach to HIV prevention and care innovation, such as including home-based care, across healthcare settings; she led research on the mpox outbreak, providing rapid insights to health authorities on mpox vaccination; and she supervised various studies on behaviors (such as chemsex) and access to healthcare (such as Prep).
Nicole has led several large-scale studies in the field of Chlamydia, including the FemCure multicenter trial; she further contributed to the Dutch NECCst cohort, which led to new insights on testing and treatment policies. She was actively involved in guideline development and has delivered keynote presentations at leading STI/HIV conferences, as IUSTI and ISSTDR. Her work has resulted in multiple peer-reviewed publications, including those addressing controversies in asymptomatic chlamydia testing and treatment; her H-index is 54 and she supervised 20 PhD candidates. Nicole has expertise in implementation science, applying theoretical frameworks to support behavioral and system change in healthcare. Currently, she supervises the scientific part of the de-implementation evaluation of the new Chlamydia policy in the Netherlands.

Dr. Otilia Mårdh, MD, MSc, is a medical epidemiologist with over 30 years of experience in infectious disease prevention and control at national and international levels. She has led outbreak investigations, developed public health guidance, and collaborated with European health stakeholders. At ECDC, she has focused on HIV, STIs, and hepatitis, contributing to public-health guidance documents, surveillance reports, and rapid risk assessments.

I am a consultant microbiologist in the Department of Medical Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Infection Prevention (MMI) at Maastricht University Medical Centre+. My clinical specialities are virology, infection serology, and molecular diagnostics.
I am also interested in public health microbiology. For many years, I have collaborated with our local municipal health service (MHS) and participated in research projects in the field of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). We have conducted numerous projects focused on optimising and facilitating access to care through self-sampling tests. We have validated and optimised self-sampling kits for diagnosing HIV, hepatitis B virus, syphilis, Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. These projects have also resulted in the implementation of these tests in routine STD care.
In general my research focuses on optimising diagnostics and diagnostic stewardship. Some of these projects are carried out as mentioned in collaboration with MHS and others focus more on diagnostics in clinical setting. Examples include optimising the use of diagnostic tests for the early discontinuation of isolation in patients with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, and innovative approaches for diagnosing infections in patients receiving tertiary referral care using molecular diagnostic screening tests.
For the past three years, our lab has been the reference laboratory for Chlamydia trachomatis in The Netherlands, a role for which I am responsible alongside my colleague Dr Petra Wolffs.
I started as a consultant public health microbiologist at our National Institute of Public Health and the Environment this year. I really like to broaden my scope from a local to a national and international level.

Current Position:
Senior Dermatologist at the Dermatology Unit, Policlinico S. Orsola, Bologna (since December 29, 2017).

Education and Training:
• MD Degree, University of Bologna, May 2006 (110/110 cum laude)
Thesis: HPV infection as a risk factor for cervical cancer in a cohort of immigrant women in Bologna.
• Medical License, February 2007 (270/270)
• Board Certification in Dermatology and Venereology, September 2011 (70/70 cum laude)
• PhD in Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, January 2012 – January 2015

Professional Experience:
• Clinical training at Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi across multiple departments (Internal Medicine, Surgery, Psychiatry, Gynecology, Emergency Medicine, Dermatology) between 2003 and 2006.
• Clinical observer at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm (Internal Medicine, Pulmonology, Diabetology), Summer 2005
• Research and clinical activity in Pediatric Dermatology, Sexually Transmitted Infections, and Dermatologic Oncology
• Author of over 70 scientific papers and conference abstracts
• Speaker and participant in national congresses on Gynecology, Dermatology, and Venereology

Languages:
• Italian: Native
• English: Fluent – both written and spoken (14 years of study; academic stays in the UK, Ireland, and USA)

Technical & Personal Skills:
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Internet tools
• Excellent communication, teamwork, and leadership skills
• Experienced in team coordination and clinical administration
• Plays piano and guitar (studied for over 10 years)

Professor Anna Maria Geretti (MD, PhD, FRCPath, DHMSA) is an academic clinician specialising in virology. She is Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of Rome Tor Vergata (Rome, Italy) and also practices at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust (London, UK). With over 300 publications and an H-index of 67, her research spans clinical, laboratory, and epidemiological studies, including collaborations with the World Health Organization, fieldwork in Africa, and pharmaceutical early drug development. She contributes to national and international guidelines and policies and serves as Editor-in-Chief of Sexually Transmitted Infections (BMJ Group). Committed to a patient-centred approach, her ambition is to make a lasting impact that promotes the progress of medicine and science and is globally beneficial to healthcare.

Klaus Jansen, Dphil, is epidemiologist and has a longstanding expertise in the area of STI and HIV related research and surveillance. Between 2005 and 2007, he was project manager for an European cross border sentinel surveillance project on HIV and STI at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Berlin, Germany. Between 2007 and 20211, he worked as cohort manager of the German Competence Network HIV/AIDS at Ruhr University Bochum, being responsible for scientific and administrative lead of a large cohort of 16.000 patients diagnosed with HIV including diverse biobanks. From 2011 – 2014, he was project manager of the German HIV seroconverter cohort and several other projects at RKI. Since 2014, he acts as deputy head of the unit for HIV/AIDS, STI and blood-borne Infections at the RKI, and is the lead of the STI working group. He is responsible for mandatory surveillance of STI in Germany and for all other epidemiological surveillance and research activities in the context of STI at RKI.

Dr. Aikaterini I. Liakou is a Dermatologist–Venereologist based in Athens, Greece, and Associate Professor at the Medical School of the University of Nicosia, Cyprus. Since 2018, she has served as a Scientific Associate at the 1st Department of Dermatology–Venereology, "Andreas Sygros" Hospital for Cutaneous & Venereal Diseases, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.

 

Her clinical and research expertise centers on inflammatory skin diseases, with a particular focus on hidradenitis suppurativa, psoriasis, acne, and rosacea. She has authored 45 peer-reviewed publications in international medical journals and contributed 7 chapters to scientific textbooks. In addition to her academic and clinical work, Dr. Liakou serves as Associate Editor of the journal Dermatology. She is also an active member of several professional organizations, including the Hellenic Society of Dermatology and Venereology, the European Hidradenitis Suppurativa Foundation, and the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.
Dr. Liakou is dedicated to advancing clinical expertise, scientific research and medical education.

Dr. Ionela Manole is a Consultant Dermatovenereologist, with a strong clinical background, currently working at the intersection of dermatology, medical research and artificial intelligence. Her clinical expertise spans general and genital dermatology, with a special interest in diagnostic technologies, STI-related skin manifestations and digital health integration into dermatological practice.
At IUSTI Athens 2025, Dr. Manole is contributing to the session "The Genital Skin in Clinical Practice- with an AI Twist", where she will introduce AI-based diagnostic platforms for genital skin conditions, discussing their clinical utility, regulatory frameworks and potential integration in daily practice.

Professor and Head of Department of Dermatology and Venereology, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, School of Medicine University of Zagreb.
President of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.
President of the Croatian Dermatovenereological Society of the Croatian Medical Association.
Special field of interest are autoimmune diseases of the skin with special emphasis on the autoimmune blistering diseases.

Consultant in Sexual health and HIV. Lead author of BASHH TV guideline. Chair IUSTI Europe Guidelines group and lead author IUSTI vaginal discharge guideline. Secretary General IUSTI.

Gynecologist RZ Tienen and University Hospital Antwerp
Full Professor Antwerp University
Chairman Femicare VZW, Clinical Research for Women
President elect International Society Infectious Diseases in OB/Gyn
Lower genital tract infections and diseases

Dr. Pille Konno graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Tartu and completed residency in dermatovenereology at the University of Tartu. The doctor works at the Confido Medical Center in Tallinn, Estonia.
Dr. Pille Konno is the President of the Estonian Society for Dermatovenereologists (ENSAS) and a passionate organizer of Euromelanoma Estonia since 2011. was a member of the Board of EADV (2018-2021). She is a member of IUSTI Estonia and also of IDS. She is an active conference organizer in Estonia.
Dr. Pille Konno believes that correctly timed diagnostics and adequate cure will ensure beautiful, healthy skin and a better quality of life. The best curative results are always achieved in cooperation with the patient.

Prof. Chris Bunker MA MD FRCP
Consultant Dermatologist, University College and Chelsea & Westminster Hospitals, London
Hon. Professor of Dermatology, University College and Imperial College, London, UK

Chris Bunker was educated at St Catharine's College, Cambridge and Westminster Medical School, London.  He trained in general medicine in Oxford and London, and in Dermatology in London.  He has 32 years' experience as a Consultant.  He has trained approximately 150 other Consultants and taught thousands of medical students.  His interests include male genital dermatoses, complex medical and inpatient Dermatology, TEN, melanoma, and HIV Dermatology. 

 

He has published ~460 items (h-index 48; ~12,0000 citations), despite being in almost full-time clinical practice for most of his career.  Amongst several UK honours, he is most proud of two: the Cambridge University Sir Walter Langdon-Brown Prize for his MD thesis (1990) and the Sir Archibald Gray Medal awarded by the British Association of Dermatologists (2019) - its 'ultimate accolade for outstanding lifetime contributions to Dermatology'. 

Internationally, his contributions have been recognised by election to the American Dermatological Association (2008) and the European Dermatology Forum (2013), and he has had conferred on him Honorary Life Membership of the Baltic Association of Dermatovenereologists (2014), the Société Francaise de Dermatologie (2020) and the New Zealand Dermatological Society (2022).

Prof. Bunker is a Past-President of the British Association of Dermatologists (2012-14), a past elected UK Board Member of the European Academy of Dermatovenereology (2014-20) and currently the Hon. Secretary of the British Skin Foundation (2015-) and a Board member of the International Society of Dermatology.

DR SALLY JEWSBURY
MBChB, MREs, MRCP, DipGUM, DipHIV, DFSRH, PGCert

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS:
02/19   Letters of Competence in Subdermal Contraceptive Implant and Intrauterine Techniques
05/19   Postgraduate Certificate in Leadership, Module 1
07/17   PGCert in Workplace-Based Medical Education - Distinction
09/15   Diploma in HIV Medicine (Dip HIV)
06/14   Diploma in GU Medicine (Dip GUM) - Distinction
03/14   Diploma of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (DFSRH)
10/12   Module of MA in Public Health: 'Qualitative Research Methods'                
03/12   Membership of the Royal College of Physicians of London (MRCPUK)
07/07   MBChB and Masters in Research – Merit

CAREER HISTORY:
Director of Medical Education, SAS and EDI portfolio, University Manchester NHS Foundation Trust
08/25 – present
Associate Director of Medical Education, SAS and EDI portfolio, University Manchester NHS Foundation Trust
07/23 – 08/25
MRI and St Mary's Site SuppoRTT Lead, University Manchester NHS Foundation Trust
05/2021 – 07/23
Consultant in Genitourinary Medicine and HIV and Clinical Lead for Urmston (03/21-08/25)
03/21 – present                               
The Northern Contraception Sexual Health and HIV Service Urmston Clinic
Locum Consultant in Genitourinary Medicine
08/19 – 03/21                                  
The Northern Contraception Sexual Health and HIV Service
Genitourinary Medicine Specialist Trainee                             
08/13 – 08/19 
Health education North West

EDUCATION, MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE:
05/23 – present Chair of British Association of Sexual Health and HIV 'Gender and Sexual Minorities' special interest group 
11/22 – present British HIV Association examiner for Diploma in HIV 
01/22 – present Ordinary member and then President for 2023-5 of Manchester Medical Society Medicine branch
11/21 – 01/23   Founder and committee member of Trans Professional Staff Network at MFT
11/22 – present Established new sexual and reproductive health clinic (Onyx Clinic) for trans and non-binary people

08/21 – present                Clinical and educational supervisor for numerous FY2 and GUM resident doctors

Professor MIHAEL SKERLEV, M.D., Ph.D.
St. Catherine Specialty Hospital, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
President of the Croatian STD Society of the Croatian Medical Association
Head of the of Reference Laboratory of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Republic of Croatia for Dermatological Mycology and Parasitology (2008-2024)
Head of the Out-patients Centre of the University Department of Dermatology and Venereology (until 2023)
Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, (Department of Dermatology)
1991 and 1995
Chair of the EADV HPV Task Force (reconfirmed 2016 and 2022)
Member of the EADV Mycology Task Force
Alpe- Danube-Adria- STD Society Board member
UEMS EBDV member, representative for Croatia
Editorial Board member of the JEADV; APA
Honorary member of the German and Hungarian STD Society and Hellenic, French, Jordanian, Macedonian, Serbian etc. Dermatovenereological Societies
Published more than 200 papers (46 in Current Contents, the rest in Index Medicus or SCI).
Authored/co-authored/edited more than 120 chapters in the international and national textbooks and academic editions in Dermatology and Venereology (Fitzpatrick's Textbook of General Dermatology, 1993 and 1999; Parish and cow., eds. Manual of Gender Dermatology, 2010; Gross, Tyring, eds.  Sexually Transmitted Infections, 2011, European Handbook of Dermatological Treatments, 2018 and 2023, etc.)

 

Delivered more than 400 invited lectures on different international Congresses and Symposia, mostly on the topics in STD (especially HPV) and Dermatomycology (especially M. canis)
Congress President of the International Mycology Congress (2000, Dubrovnik), of the IUSTI Europe Congresses (Cavtat 2007, Zagreb 2024), STIs International Symposia (Brijuni Islands, Croatia; 2014, 2017, 2022). Moderator, co-moderator and invited plenary lecturer on more than 200 international congresses and symposia (mostly IUSTI, World Congresses of Dermatovenereology and EADV)

Dr Giovanni Villa is a Consultant Physician in Genitourinary Medicine at St James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland, and a Senior Lecturer at Trinity College Dublin. He runs HIV and Genitourinary Medicine (GUM) clinics, including HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services, and is actively involved in clinical research on Mpox, doxyPEP, PrEP, and lymphogranuloma venereum. His work also focuses on developing novel models for the delivery of HIV care, including structured annual reviews.
Dr Villa specialised in Infectious Diseases at the University of Verona, Italy, and holds an MSc in Tropical and Infectious Diseases from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, where he completed a dissertation on the Chikungunya virus. He earned a PhD in Infection and Global Health from the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom. His doctoral research examined the outcomes of antiretroviral treatment in a programmatic setting in Ghana, with a focus on the emergence and evolution of HIV drug resistance-associated mutations, as well as renal and liver outcomes in individuals living with HIV and chronic hepatitis B.
His academic expertise and interests span HIV virology, adherence to antiretroviral treatment and its determinants, and the epidemiology and prevention of sexually transmitted infections.

Tom Witney is a qualitative health researcher based at UCL, London UK. He has a particular interest in sexual health and relationship intimacy. He completed PhD research at The Open University into the lived experiences of men in same-sex serodiscordant relationships. At the Health Protection Research Unit in Blood Borne and Sexually Transmitted Infections (HPRU BBSTI), he investigated the perceptions of trans and/or gender diverse people about sexual health services in the UK. He is currently working on the CONNECT study, examining the impact of remote consultation on health inequalities in Sexual and Reproductive Health services.

Dr Melvina Woode Owusu is a medical anthropologist and epidemiologist with extensive experience in leading research, evaluation, and knowledge mobilisation in sexual and reproductive health. She is Founder and Director of Purple Pen Research & Evaluation Consulting and Programme Manager and Inclusion Lead at UCL's Institute for Global Health, where she is advancing departmental approaches to inclusive research, public involvement, and maximising research impact.

Her work bridges academia, policy, and practice, with a consistent focus on health equity, co-production, and culturally tailored interventions. As Inclusion Lead on the NIHR-funded LUSTRUM2 study, she led the co-production of a series of short films designed to promote STI testing and partner notification among young people and Black Caribbean communities. She also plays a leading role in the Natsal-4 study, shaping its knowledge mobilisation and communications strategy to ensure findings influence policymakers, practitioners, and the public.

Her consultancy portfolio spans national EEDI (Equity, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) reviews, health communications campaigns, and co-designed evaluation frameworks for NHS Trusts, charities, and professional associations. She is also a trustee of the Race Equality Foundation and a committed advocate for inclusive, participatory approaches to research design and dissemination. Much of her work is centred on engaging marginalised groups – including young people, Black Caribbean communities, and migrants living with HIV – to ensure their perspectives shape research priorities and outputs.

Passionate about building thought leadership at the intersection of equity, health communications, and community co-production, Melvina works to align research impact with both national and global public health priorities. She is committed to developing creative, evidence-based interventions that engage communities directly, blur the boundaries between researcher and lay person, and deliver measurable, meaningful, and lasting impact for end users and beneficiaries worldwide.

Dee (He/Him) is a London-based, Black-British Specialist Nurse in sexual health, HIV and contraception. He is a trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner and part-time guest lecturer. Dee qualified as a Registered Nurse from King's College London in 2017 and is currently pursuing his Master's degree—again at King's College London.

He works at one of Europe's busiest HIV clinics and brings a wealth of clinical expertise and advocacy to his roles in education and change. From 2021 to 2024, Dee served as the inaugural Chair of the Racially Minoritised Communities Special Interest Group (SIG) within the British Association of Sexual Health & HIV (BASHH)—a landmark moment for Nurse-led leadership. The SIG focuses on tackling sexual health and HIV inequalities affecting ethnic minority communities across the UK.

In recognition of his work to reduce racial health disparities, Dee received the Royal College of Nursing's Rising Star Award in 2022.

Dee is deeply passionate about improving sexual health outcomes for communities marginalised by racial barriers and remains committed to Nursing, advocacy, education, and systemic change.

Connect with Dee: linktr.ee/mistadee

Trained a historian, journalist and political scientist, Karel Blondeel entered the world of sexual and reproductive health and rights almost fifteen years ago, first as a policy advisor and later as a consultant for the World Health Organization. Their main specialities in the domain of public health are sexual and gender minorities and point-of-care testing for sexually transmitted infections (STI POCT). They have worked on the ProSPeRo-project which has, among other things, evaluated the performance of STI POCT in clinical settings in over 10 countries in all WHO regions. Currently Karel is involved in work on the prevention of cervical cancer, including HPV-testing, with a keen interest in migrant and displaced populations, and is pursuing a PhD at the University of Ghent in Belgium.

Victor Gabriel Clatici is a Dermatologist with over 25 years of experience and has been an Assistant Professor in Dermatology for almost ten years. The particular areas of interest are acne and rosacea, melasma and aging process, and laser treatments for these skin chronic inflammatory diseases, including a laser for enlarged pores and fine lines, and tonus and textures.
Victor Gabriel Clatici contributed extensively to the world medical literature with publications appearing in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Journal of European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, Dermatologic Therapy, Clinical and Experimental Dermatology, Maedica – A Journal Of Clinical Medicine.
Victor Gabriel Clatici published over 100 articles in academic journals, including in journals indexed by PubMed (the actual "Hall of Fame" of scholarly research). Victor Gabriel Clatici presented over 800 presentations at National and International Conferences and Congresses (including AMWC Monaco, IMCAS Paris, and 5CC Barcelona), from Paris to Istanbul, Monaco to Shenzen, Barcelona to Chicago, and Moscow to Samarkand.
Victor Gabriel Clatici develops an original and trademark concept, The Seven S of Skin® Concept, a veritable connection between Health and Beauty, the implication of sun and sugar, smoking and skin care, and sleep and stress in our health and beauty.
Victor Gabriel Clatici was the first in The World who publish about the Butterfly Effect and Dermatology and one of the first who presents reports at International Congresses about the connection between Dermatology and Personal Development, the relationship between aggregation of marginal gains and Anti-Aging Medicine, and the role of habits in chronic skin diseases.
Victor Gabriel Clatici was the first who write in the Romanian language about quality of life and psoriasis (2001) and vaccines for sexually transmitted infections (2002). Scientific articles in Venereology were about interactions between sexually transmitted infections and HIV, infections with Chlamydia Trachomatis, Herpes Simplex Virus, epidemiology of HPV infections, and the use of microbicides for the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases.
In clinical research trials, Victor Gabriel Clatici was Principal Investigator and National Coordinator in National and International Studies, with responsibilities in International Clinical Trials to develop new drugs.

Sebastien Fouere, MD is a Dermatologist at the Saint-Louis Hospital. He received his Medical Degree at the Faculty of Medicine of Paris 7. His research interests are Dermatology, Infectious Disease Medicine, Clinical Dermatology, HIV, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Emerging Infectious Diseases, and Sexually Transmitted Infections.

Dr Derek Freedman has been in active venereology practice in Ireland for five decades, at St James Hospital, Dublin, and now in private practice. In the 1970s and 1980s, Dr Freedman set the framework for the establishment of the specialty of Genito-Urinary medicine in Ireland. He is the founder of the Society for the Study of Sexually Transmitted Infections in Ireland (SSSTI). Dr Freedman was a founder member of the EADV, served on its Executive Committee and was the founder editor of the JEADV. Derek Freedman was President of the EADV 6th Congress, held in Dublin in 1997 and the Chair of the IUSTI World and European Congress, Dublin, 2018. He is currently the co-editor of the IUSTI (International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infections Europe) webinars and the co-chair of Scientific Policy and Chair of Congress Management of IUSTI Europe. Dr Freedman's goal is to bring up-to-date relevant information and guidelines to those in practice for the benefit of patients and public health.

I've retired from the NHS (48 years since starting as a ward orderly / healthcare assistant and after 29 years as a consultant) and am continuing my private Menopause & Hormonal Health practice online and remain actively involved in postgraduate lecturing.
I qualified from Cambridge in 1979, training in both Venereology and Gynaecology, setting out with the aim of bridging the gap between the two disciplines to improve women's health. I set up the UK's first integrated sexual health service on appointment as Consultant at Ipswich in 1991, providing sympathetic, holistic care of contraception and STIs under one roof.
Moving to Bristol in 1999, we won large DoH grants (~£3M) to redesign and rebuild services there and in Weston-super-Mare, which won the Terrence Higgins Trust's 'Sex Factor' Award for innovation & excellence (2007).
As chair of the BASHH media committee (2010-16), I led the successful campaign to switch from bivalent to quadrivalent HPV vaccine in UK schoolgirls, and – via the BBC & print media – attempted to raise awareness of such issues as antimicrobial resistance, dating apps & increased STI acquisition, unseen risks of oral sex and the 'perfect storm' due to government disinvestment in Sexual Health services.
Widely published as a medical photographer, a keen graphic designer, humanist, linguist and former comedy thespian, I lecture internationally on all aspects of women's sexual health - particularly chlamydia, herpes, HPV, PMS/PMDD, perimenopause & menopause, hormonal influences on genital infections and endometriosis & dyspareunia - and was principal lecturer on pelvic infection / PID for BASHH from 1994 - 2017 and the RCOG from 2009-13.
I served on the European Society for Contraception STI Expert Group from 2010-18 and am medical advisor to the "Great Wall of Vulva" Art project, which educates women to discourage demand for unnecessary genital cosmetic surgery.
I was Vice-President of the International Society for Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics & Gynaecology (ISIDOG) from 2016 - 21, received an Honorary Life Fellowship Award from BASHH in 2017 and have been accredited as a Menopause Specialist by the British Menopause Society since 2018 (re-accredited 2021 & 2024).

Dr. Claudia Heller-Vitouch studied medicine at the University of Vienna, earning her doctorate in general medicine. She completed her specialist training in Dermatology and Venereology at the Rudolfstiftung Hospital, Vienna, and has been a board-certified dermatologist and venereologist since 2001.
She has held key positions in national and international professional societies, including:
Austrian Society for Dermatology and Venereology (ÖGDV), General Secretary, 2013–2016
Austrian Society for Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Dermatological Microbiology (ÖGSTD), Chair, 2009–2019; Vice-Chair since 2019
International Union Against Sexually Transmitted Infections – European Branch (IUSTI-Europe), General Secretary 2001–2014; Chair 2014–2021; Regional Director since 2021

Dr. Michel Janier is Associate Professor at the College of Medicine of the Hospitals of Paris and a hospital physician in Paris. He serves as the French representative for Dermatology at the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS, Council of Europe) and is a member of the Executive Committee of the International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI). He also serves on the board of the National Union of Dermatologists-Venereologists (SNDV) and coordinates the specialty of Dermatology for non-university hospitals with the DRASS.
Dr. Janier has authored over 200 international publications, focusing particularly on infectious dermatoses, sexually transmitted infections, and mucosal diseases.

Prof. Dr. Alexander Katoulis currently serves as a Professor and Chairman of Dermatology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He obtained a Doctor of Medicine from the National and Kapodistrian University and has worked as a Lecturer Dermatologist. His research interests mainly include basal cell carcinoma, histopathology, and skin cancer.
Professor Katoulis has studied Medicine at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (1989), where he also completed his PhD (2000). He was specialized in Dermatology-Venereology at "Andreas Syggros" Hospital for Skin and Venereal Diseases in Athens (1998) and has a Master's Degree in Dermoscopy and Preventive Dermato-oncology from the Medical University of Gratz, Austria (2020). He is currently teaching Dermatology-Venereology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School and Department of Nursing. He is a member of 18 National and International Scientific Societies, including EADV and AAD. He is Board Member, representing Greece in the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology and Vice President of the Hellenic Dermoscopy Society. He is Co-ordinator of Euromelanoma and responsible for the Euromelanoma Campaign in Greece. Professor Katoulis is Editorial Board Member of 5 International Scientific Journals and Reviewer for 19 journals, including regular reviewer for Hair Disorders in JAAD. He is Co-Editor in 2 international textbooks and has prepared 20 chapters for international and 27 chapters for Greek textbooks. His special interests include: Hair Disorders, Dermato-oncology, Dermoscopy, Acne and Hidradenitis Suppurativa, Pigmentary Disorders and Psychodermatology. He has published 150 articles in international peer-reviewed journals. His citation index is 3.105, his h-index is 31 and i10-index is 72 (07-09-2022).

Assoc. Prof. Kazandjieva began her journey in medicine in 1985, earning her degree from the Medical Academy of Pleven. By 1992, she specialized in Dermatology and Venereology, advancing her expertise and commitment to this field. Following her thesis on Exogenous pigmentary disorders, she was awarded the title of Doctor, marking a significant academic achievement.

Stephan Lautenschlager is a Professor of Dermatology at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. From 2002 to 2023, he also served as Chairman of the Outpatient Clinic for Dermatology and Venereology at Triemli Hospital in Zurich. He currently practices at a private clinic in Zurich.
He is a Fellow of both the European Academy of Dermatology and the American Academy of Dermatology, and an active member of numerous international medical societies. Since 2004, Dr. Lautenschlager has served as the Swiss Representative to the International Union against Sexually Transmitted Infections (IUSTI) Europe.
In addition, he is proud to hold honorary memberships in the Asian Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AADV) and the Vietnamese Society of Dermatology and Venereology (VSVD), conferred upon him in 2017 in recognition of his international contributions to the field.
His primary clinical and research interests focus on the epidemiology and management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), particularly Herpes Simplex Virus and Syphilis. He has demonstrated sustained leadership in STI prevention and control, and has published extensively in leading academic journals and mainstream media. His work has directly informed clinical practice guidelines for the care of individuals affected by or at risk for STIs.
In 2017, he chaired the Scientific Committee for the IUSTI Europe Conference held in Helsinki, Finland.

As Medical Officer for STIs Cross-Cutting at the World Health Organization (WHO), expertise is applied in strengthening global responses to sexually transmitted infections. This includes advancing diagnostics, treatment, and prevention while advocating for STIs as a critical public health and human rights issue. Collaboration with global stakeholders ensures the development of evidence-based guidelines and scaling up sustainable interventions worldwide.
With over 15 years of research experience in STIs, including antimicrobial resistance, behavioral studies, and epidemiology, contributions focus on empowering countries to address STI challenges effectively. Previously, leadership roles such as National Focal Point for STIs at the Ministry of Health and WHO Lebanon highlighted the ability to integrate STI and HIV services through innovative strategies like PrEP implementation. Motivated by a mission to enhance equitable and effective STI care globally.
Proudly Dermatologist, with PhD in Social psychology and sexual health, and MPH Epidemiology.
Adj. Associate Professor of Dermatology and STIs @AUB

Dedicated to advancing the health and well-being of marginalised and underserved communities, my career in health and development is driven by the challenge of improving access to crucial health services. My passion lies in advocating for sexual and reproductive health and rights, complemented by strong leadership, management and research capabilities.
My specialised knowledge of issues related to HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) focuses on key populations, including people living with HIV, gay men and other men who have sex with men, sex workers, transgender people and people who use drugs. From 2010 to 2021, I was employed at the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) headquarters in London, serving as a project director and senior technical adviser.
Recently, I completed the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) programme at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) with research focused on the clinical epidemiology of STIs among transgender women in Brazil. My academic journey includes an MSc in Global Health from Trinity College Dublin, where my dissertation focused on the impact of migration on the sexual health of migrant men who have sex with men in Dublin, Ireland. I also obtained an Honours BSc in Molecular Biology and Genetics from the University of Guelph, Canada, with a dissertation focused on characterising a murine alpha-2-macroglobulin gene expressed in reproductive tissue.
My professional experience spans various international roles, including sexual health research with the Gay Health Network in Ireland, programme coordination with the AIDS Committee of Toronto in Canada, HIV programme and policy work with UNAIDS in Eswatini, and NGO programme development in Mumbai, India. Currently, I am a Research Fellow at LSHTM and a consultant with the World Health Organization in the Department of Global HIV, Hepatitis and STIs Programmes.

Dr John McSorley is a Consultant Physician in Genitourinary & HIV Medicine and Clinical Lead for Service at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust in the UK. He is an honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer (Education) at Imperial College London and is current President of the British Association for Sexual Health & HIV (BASHH). His interests include improving service delivery and innovation in STI care, addressing health inequalities experienced by minority populations and sexual health education.

PhD in Behavioural Medicine (Brighton and Sussex Medical School), MSc in Health Psychology (University College London), BSc Psychology (University of Southampton)
Lectureship at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, the University of Southampton and the University of Westminster.
Member of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV; British Psychological Society.
The principal investigator and/or co-investigator on research grants from NIHR, MRC and PHE.

Kate began working in the NHS in 1999 and has specialized in sexual health since 2003. She is passionate about ensuring that good healthcare is a right and reality for everyone. Her wealth of experience includes working as a speciality doctor in sexual health and HIV at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust and doctoral researcher at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. Kate currently works as a gender clinician and endocrinology specialist at the Welsh Gender Service in Cardiff. In 2012, Kate founded Clinic-T, a sexual health and contraception clinic led by and for trans and non-binary people in Brighton, in partnership with the Terrence Higgins Trust. The clinic provides an inclusive and non-judgemental service and addresses the gap in sexual and reproductive health information for this community. As Medical Director, Kate utilizes her clinical expertise to ensure that no one is left behind as we target ending HIV transmission by 2030.

Assistant Professor of Dermatology Venereology at the 1st Department of Dermatology-Venereology, University of Athens Medical School, Andreas Sygros Hospital (Athens, Greece). She is based at the Department of Dermatology- Venereology at Andreas Sygros Hospital in Athens where he directs the Lymphoma Clinic and Cutaneous Toxicities from novel oncologic treatments Clinic. She is also an active member of the EADV task force group for Cancer Patients. Undergraduate Studies 1992 -1998: National & Kapodestrian University of Athens Medical School : Medical Degree Postgraduate Studies: 2000-2001: Master of Science (Oncology) University of Nottingham, UK 2001 – 2002: Department of Internal Medicine, Amalia Fleming Hospital, Greece 2003-2006: Department of Dermatology, Hospital of Skin and Venereal Diseases Andreas Syggros Hospital for skin diseases 2005-2009: PhD " Epidemiologic and molecular risk factors for cutaneous melanoma in Greek population" 2007-2021 Research Associate, Department of Dermatology, Andreas Sygros Hospital of Skin and Venereal Diseases National and Kapodestrian University of Athens , Greece Papers in Pubmed: 80 Papers in other databases: 5 H- index: 22 Selected Publications

Dr Leonardo Pavam is Head of Development and Outreach at the London-based non-profit The Love Tank. A medical doctor specialised in emergency medicine and public health, Leo leads the organisation's outreach initiatives, including a peer-led mobilisation programme focused on harm reduction in sexualised drug use. He also oversees development initiatives and funding strategy, supporting the organisation's growth and sustainability. Leo trained at FAMERP in Brazil, holds a Master's in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and a business degree from INSPER.

Prof. Dr. Mina Psichogiou's research interests cover healthcare-associated infections and the epidemiology and pathogenesis of infectious diseases, infections in immunocompromised patients, infections of multidrug-resistant pathogens, microbial resistance, and the transmission of multidrug-resistant pathogens in the nosocomial environment, as well as the prevention of nosocomial infections. The infectious diseases department where he works is one of the most involved HIV clinics, with several interventions being implemented as a response to the recent HIV epidemic among people who inject drugs in Athens, Greece. He was also the principal investigator of a study that explored the feasibility and impact of a public health system Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis intervention in the recently emerging HIV epidemic in Athens, Greece. During the recent pandemic, he was responsible for the Infectious Diseases Department and for caring for patients with COVID-19. He is the author or co-author of 100 scientific papers.

Professor of Dermatology; EADV Board Member; French Member of the Board, Timone Hospitals, Marseille, France

Professor of Dermatology; EADV Board Member; French Member of the Board, Timone Hospitals, Marseille, France

Dr. José-Antonio Ruiz-Postigo qualified from the Medical School of Autonomous University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. He is a post-graduate holder in Tropical Medicine and International Health, and he further pursued his interest in research by completing his PhD at the University of Barcelona. His thesis was on the epidemiology and control of human African trypanosomiasis in the municipality of Kissama, Angola. He has been working on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) for 28 years, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region. Since 2013, he is based at WHO headquarters where he led the World Leishmaniasis Control Programme for the period 2016-2019. In 2020 he joined the newly created team on Skin Neglected Tropical Diseases at WHO headquarters. Since then, his main work has been related to the creation of the WHO mobile app on Skin NTDs, which includes a section on artificial intelligence, alongside the establishment of a channel for online courses at OpenWHO and the implementation of a global web-based surveillance at WHO for data collection, analysis and dissemination on leishmaniasis and skin NTDs.

Dr. Carmen Salavastru is a board-certified dermatologist and venereologist with extensive experience in clinical practice, research, and teaching. She began her academic career as a Teaching Assistant at the Department of Physiology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest (1994–1998), and served as University Assistant at the same department (1998–2002). Since 2002, she has been University Assistant at the II Dermatology Clinic, Colentina Clinical Hospital, Carol Davila University.

Medical Experience and Expertise:
Clinical practice at II Dermatology Clinic, Colentina Hospital since 1995
Specialist Dermatologist (2000–2005)
Senior Dermatologist (from 2005)
Competencies: Dermatocosmetology (since 2002), Dermoscopy (since 2000), Laser Therapy (since 2004)

Advanced Training:
Pediatric Dermatology – Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow
Dermatologic Allergy – Klinik und Poliklinik für Dermatologie und Allergologie, Technical University Munich
Professional Affiliations:
Romanian Society of Dermatology (since 1997)
European Academy of Dermatology (since 2000)
American Academy of Dermatology (since 2006)
Romanian Society of Pediatric Dermatology

Additional Roles:
Scientific Consultant, L'Oréal Paris Dermo-Expertise (2013–2017)
Coordinator, Pediatric Dermatology Unit, Colentina Clinical Hospital (2015–present)

Georg Stary is a fully trained dermatovenereologist with direct contact to patients and ample experience in research in organ-specific immunological processes. After a four-year fellowship in the von Andrian Laboratory at Harvard Medical School, he became senior physician and principal investigator to the Department of Dermatology of the Medical University of Vienna in 2014. He was appointed assistant professor in 2015 and associate professor in 2016. Since November 2018, he has been an adjunct principal investigator at LBI-RUD and CeMM and has since been named co-director of LBI-RUD. His research projects focus on different aspects of host-pathogen interactions and the contribution of tissue-resident leukocytes to physiological and pathological immune responses. His research projects are in the areas of biology, immune cell longevity, and turnover and function of tissue-resident leukocytes in peripheral tissue. The skin often serves as model tissue, as it is accessible for translational experimental setups. He is a member of the Immuno-Board for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases organized by LBI-RUD and CeRUD, a board member of the Society of Dermatological Research for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (ADF), a board member of the Austrian Society of Dermatology and Venerology (ÖGDV), chair of the Austrian Society of Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Dermatological Microbiology (ÖGSTD), treasurer of the Austrian Society for Allergy and Immunology (ÖGAI), and member of various other national and international societies. In 2022, Georg Stary was awarded the Ferdinand von Hebra Prize by the ÖGDV. He received the prize for his comprehensive research on the role of immune cells in host-pathogen interactions in physiological and pathological conditions of the skin and mucous membranes that has led to significant progress in the field of dermatological research.

Education
1970 – Graduated in Medicine, Medical University Sofia
1974 – PhD in Dermatology and Venereology, Medical University Sofia
1995 – Doctor of Medical Sciences, Medical University Sofia

Academic & Medical Career
1970–1974 – PhD Student, Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical University Sofia
1974–1990 – Assistant and Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical University Sofia
1990–2008 – Full Professor and Head, Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical University Sofia
1999–2008 – Dean, Medical Faculty, Medical University Sofia
2009–Present – Consulting Professor and Head of Scientific Council, Department of Dermatology, Acıbadem City Clinic Tokuda Hospital Sofia

Professional Leadership
1993–2014 – President, Bulgarian Dermatological Society
1997–2000 – President, Central Eastern Dermato-Venereological Association (CEEDVA)
2005–2013 – Board Member, European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV)
2005 – President, EADV Spring Symposium, Sofia
2007–2011 – President, EADV Honours and Awards Committee
2008 – Corresponding Member, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

Research & Publications
Professor Tsankov has authored over 180 publications, contributing significantly to the fields of dermatology and venereology. His research interests include psoriasis, drug-induced skin reactions, and the systemic nature of certain skin diseases. He has collaborated on numerous studies, advancing the understanding of various dermatological conditions.

Head of STI department at RIVM National Institute for Public Health and the Environment

Dr Benjamin Weil is Head of Research and Community Knowledge Generation at the London-based non-profit The Love Tank. Ben has led on research programmes and resource development across a number of areas, including HIV PrEP, DoxyPEP, gonorrhoea vaccination, sexualised drug use (chemsex), and transgender health and wellbeing needs. Ben holds a PhD in Science and Technology Studies from University College London and is a visiting lecturer on postgraduate public health modules at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.