Head of Anaesthesiology Department in Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. Dean of Medicine. As an educator Andrius Macas leads European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive care Education Committee (CEEA) Lithuania‘ Regional Centre is a Board Member of European Board of Anaesthesiology. Lead Expert team of Ministry of Health of Lithuania for undergraduate studies planning in the field of Health Sciences.

For 20 years is involved in Study quality assurance. As a clinician works in general anesthesiology, neuroanesthesiology and anesthesiology transplantology, as well as cardiology intensive care. He has been interested in safety anesthesiology and perioperative medicine for many years. Since 2012, the Anesthesiology Department of Kaunas Clinics has been implementing a Safe Medication and Medication Marking System, based on the ISO standard. Since 2018, the Department has started to implement a warning system for the maturity of patients in anesthesiology.

-Associate professor, University of Latvia, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences
-Senior Consultant in Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Department, Hospital of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Riga, Latvia
-Pain specialist
-President of Latvian Society of Anesthesiologists and Reanimatologists since 2018
-Board member Latvian Pain Research Society from since 2015
-Board member Baltic Society of Regional Anesthesia since 2015
-ESA Council member
-Member European Society of Regional Anesthesia since 1998. 

My special interest in research: regional anesthesia, chronic pain management, acute postoperative pain, analgesia nociception index, patient outcomes, end of life treatment

I am standing with Ukraine! Have been there twice since 2022 teach the Ukrainian doctors and residents to perform regional blocks.

Thanks to the support of the Latvian Medical Foundation, I can teach Ukrainian doctors here in Latvia regional anesthesia and pain management.

Dr. Vilma Traškaitė-Juškevičienė is a Lithuanian physician specializing in anesthesiology, emergency medicine, and liver transplantation anesthesia at the Hospital of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Clinics.

She is a board member and scientific secretary of the Lithuanian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (LARD). Her professional interests include patient safety, human factors in healthcare, and medical education. Vilma is also Head of Lithuanian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Charity Foundation together with colleagues supporting Ukrainian medics in frontlines.

Annika Reintam Blaser graduated University of Tartu, Estonia, worked thereafter as a consultant in general ICU of Tartu University Hospital and later as a chief of Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care in East Tallinn Central Hospital. Currently she is working as a senior consultant in the ICU of the Lucerne Cantonal Hospital, Switzerland, and as an associate professor in University of Tartu, Estonia. The main topics of her research are gastrointestinal dysfunction in intensive care patients, acute mesenteric ischaemia, and intra-abdominal hypertension. She is holding a grant from the Estonian Research Council on topic of acute mesenteric ischaemia.

Vaidas Vicka is an intensive care physician and researcher from Vilnius, Lithuania. As a researcher he is in his final year of PhD studies in Vilnius university on metabolism and CRRT in critical patients. As a clinician he is leading 2nd intensive care unit in Vilnius university Santaros Clinics.

Dr Maria Colomo is a Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT) in London. Originally trained in Spain, she has worked in critical care since 2008, gaining over 15 years of experience across both the UK and Spain. Maria plays a central role in ICU service delivery, with special interests in recovery after critical illness, infection prevention and control, and medical education. She is one of two consultants leading the ICU Follow-Up Clinics at BHRUT, working alongside a multidisciplinary team to improve long-term outcomes for patients after critical illness.

Passionate about education, staff wellbeing, and gender equity in healthcare, Maria is a dedicated clinical and educational supervisor and participates in an initiative providing peer psychological support to ICU staff. She also co-chaired the BHRUT Women’s Network, which supports women in healthcare professions. She is also active in international teaching, including delivering intensive care training to local doctors and nurses at Mnazi Mmoja Hospital in Zanzibar, and serves as an examiner for the European Diploma in Intensive Care Medicine (EDIC). She has presented at numerous international conferences and remains engaged in collaborative work to improve care standards across the ICU pathway.

Dr. Liivi Maddison is Head of Department of the 2nd ICU at North Estonia Medical Centre Foundation and Assistant Professor at University of Tartu. She earned her Doctor’s Degree in 2014 with a dissertation on “Tissue Perfusion and Metabolism During Intra-abdominal Hypertension.”

Clinical Experience: Dr. Maddison worked as an anesthesiologist at Tartu University Hospital (2008-2022) and has extensive experience in intensive care medicine.

Research Focus: Her research specializes in sepsis, multiorgan failure, intra-abdominal hypertension, and microcirculation. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals.

Areas of Expertise:

• Intensive Care Medicine
• Intra-abdominal Hypertension
• Sepsis Management
• Microcirculation

WORK EXPERIENCE

06.2011 – 08.2011 and 06.2013-08.2013 – Operating room nurse assistant in the neurosurgery department at St. Petersburg City Hospital #2.

08.2018 – 09.2018 – Study internship in Hamburg, Germany (Marienkrankenhaus) in the general surgery department.

07.2019 – 10.2020 – Emergency physician at Tartu Ambulance.

09.2019 – 09.2020 – Resident doctor in emergency medicine.

09.2020 – 08.2024 – Resident doctor in anesthesiology and intensive care.

11.2020 – 12.2021 – On-call emergency physician at Rakvere Hospital ER.

12.2021 – 05.2023 – On-call anesthesiologist at Rakvere Hospital.

01.2023 – 08.2023 – On-call physician at Tartu University Hospital, 2nd Intensive Care Unit.

01.2023 – 09.2024 – Anesthesiologist at West Tallinn Central Hospital, Pelgulinna Maternity Hospital.

08.2023 – present – Physician at the Pain Treatment Department, West Tallinn Central Hospital.

10.2025 – present – Anesthesiologist and teaching physician at East Tallinn Central Hospital.

EDUCATION

General education:

2002-2010 – Secondary school #83, St. Petersburg, Russia.

2010-2013 – Secondary school #623, St. Petersburg, Russia.

Higher education:

2013-2019 – University of Tartu. Integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree in medicine (English-language curriculum).

TRAINING, CONFERENCES, SEMINARS

ATLS training, Tartu (23.09.2020 – 25.09.2020).

BaltanestIC 2021, online (7.10.2021-8.10.2021).

Conference of the Baltic Society of Regional Anaesthesia 2023, Gabšių Village, Lithuania (17.05.2023-19.05.2023).

BaltanestIC 2023, Tartu (28.09.2023-30.09.2023).

Modern Perspectives on Pain and Pain Management, Tallinn (10.11.2023).

EFIC/PAIN OUT Pain School on Acute Pain Related to Surgery and Trauma, Berlin, Germany (26.11.2023-28.11.2023).

Conference of the Baltic Society of Regional Anaesthesia 2024, Kuressaare (17.05.2024 – 19.05.2024).

Euroanaesthesia 2024, Munich, Germany (25.05.2024 – 27.05.2024).

Pain in the Baltics 2024, Riga, Latvia (11.10.2024-12.10.2024). Presented slides: “Aerobic exercise training to improve treatment outcomes in adult patients with fibromyalgia. Theory and our experience.”

Numerous training sessions organized by the University of Tartu and Tartu Ambulance.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Research work:

Article “The Use of Vacuum Therapy in Patients with Diabetic Foot Ulcers” submitted to the “My First Publication” contest (2019), Published in Eesti Arst journal. Supervisor: Prof. Urmas Lepner, Department of Surgery, Tartu University Hospital.

Member of the West Tallinn Central Hospital Quality Improvement Team since 2023.

Member of the Teaching Physicians and Nurses Team at East Tallinn Central Hospital.

Dr. Liuda Brogiene represents the contemporary generation of internationally trained pain management specialists who bridge clinical excellence with rigorous academic research. Currently serving as Senior Anesthesiologist-Reanimatologist and Lead of Pain Management Division at the Anesthesiology Department of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Hospital Kaunas Clinics while pursuing doctoral studies in Pain Management, she exemplifies the modern paradigm of academic medicine where clinical insights directly inform scientific inquiry.

Her professional trajectory demonstrates a systematic approach to specialization, progressing from her medical degree at Kaunas University of Medicine in 2008 through anesthesiology residency training to strategic fellowship placements across Germany, Israel, and the United Kingdom. Each phase has been purposefully designed to expand both clinical competencies and research capabilities, creating a comprehensive foundation for her current leadership roles.

Dr. Brogiene’s primary research interests center on the intersection of perioperative pain management and chronic pain development, with particular emphasis on understanding the mechanisms and prevalence of acute neuropathic pain following surgical interventions. Her doctoral research investigates multidisciplinary approaches to chronic pain management, seeking to develop evidence-based protocols that integrate pharmacological, interventional, and behavioral treatment modalities to address critical gaps in current fragmented treatment approaches.

Prof Matot is the President Elect of the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC). She is the Director of the Division of Surgery and Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain at the Tel Aviv Medical Center, Israel. Prof Matot is the Immediate Past Chair of the ESAIC Scientific Committee and a BOARD member. She was also the President of the Israeli Society of Anesthesiologists, representative for the ISA at the NASC and member of the Nomination committee of the ESAIC and Gender Committee. Prof Matot was a member of the Research Committee and Transfusion Committee of the ESAIC, and chair of the Geriatric anesthesia Committee. In 2022 she received the Honorary member award of the ESAIC. Additional honorary awards received are from the Romanian Society of Anesthesia and Intensive care (2019), International Federation of the Dentistry Anesthesiology (2024), the German Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (DGAI) (2022) and the Czech Society of Anaesthesiology (2024). Prof Matot graduated medical school at the Hebrew University Medical School in Jerusalem and her residency in the Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care in Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem. In addition, Prof Matot spent 3 years as a research fellow in the University of Pennsylvania hospital– Anesthesia department, additional year in Stanford and University of Pennsylvania later on. Her research interests include both experimental research related to the liver and clinical outcome research in the perioperative period. Prof Matot received multiple prestigious international grants. She has published > 100 peer review papers in prestigious journals and is an invited speaker to many international meetings.

Dr Jone Jackeviciute, an Anaesthetics and Intensive Care Specialist with a strong commitment to education and professional development. She completed her medical degree and residency training in Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, followed by an MSc in International Healthcare Management at Imperial College Business School and a Postgraduate Certificate in Perioperative Medicine at University College London. She is currently pursuing an Executive MSc in Health Economics at the London School of Economics and is working at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust as a Quality Improvement and Sustainability Fellow, having also undertaken a fellowship in perioperative medicine at UCLH.

Jurate Gudaityte has completed her PhD studies related to regional anesthesia techniques from Kaunas University of Medicine, Lithuania, in 2005. Since then she is working as the Head of Anaesthesia Research Group of Coloproctology and was employed by Lithuanian University of Health Sciences in the position of Associate Professor since 2010. As Professor of anaesthesiology since 2018, I give lectures and practical workshops for students, residents of medical, nursing and odontological faculties, and postgraduate studies. She is Head of the Anaesthesiology Section, Students’ Research Society of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. A PhD fellow, guided by her, has defended PhD thesis on impedance cardiography during low-dose spinal anesthesia in 2016. She has published more than 25 papers in reputed journals and is serving as a reviewer in several peer reviewed medical journals.

Prof. J. Gudaityte is a licensed anaesthesiologist – reanimatologist with 35 years of clinical practice at University Hospital Kaunas Clinics. Major part of her daily practice is at the Department of General Surgery with a special interest in anaesthesia for major and minor anorectal surgery for adults, preoperative assessment, management of perioperative anaemia, personalised postoperative analgesia.

Prof. J. Gudaityte is a member and a Board member of the Lithuanian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, a member of ESAIC and IARS. Since the first Baltic Congress in Riga in 2005, Prof. Jurate Gudaityte has taken part in nearly all the following ones, starting as an abstract presenter, then a speaker and followed as a chairperson of scientific sessions. As a scientific consultant, Prof. J. Gudaityte has promoted PhD students, residents and students to make some research results of which were presented during Baltic and ESA congresses. She is fluent in English.

WORK EXPERIENCE

05/2024 – CURRENT
SPECIALIST IN ANESTHESIOLOGY AND REANIMATOLOGY, CHIEF PHYSICIAN
RIGA EAST UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL “GAIĻEZERS”

02/2020 – CURRENT
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
RĪGA STRADIŅŠ UNIVERSITY, INSTITUTE OF ANATOMY AND ANTHROPOLOGY, DEPARTMENT OF MORPHOLOGY

07/2019 – CURRENT
HEAD OF THE LABORATORY
RĪGA STRADIŅŠ UNIVERSITY, INSTITUTE OF ANATOMY AND ANTHROPOLOGY, LABORATORY OF MORPHOLOGY

10/2015 – 05/2024
RESIDENT DOCTOR IN ANAESTHESIOLOGY & REANIMATOLOGY
RIGA EAST UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL “GAIĻEZERS”

11/2018 – 02/2020
ASSISTANT
RĪGA STRADIŅŠ UNIVERSITY, INSTITUTE OF ANATOMY AND ANTHROPOLOGY, DEPARTMENT OF MORPHOLOGY

09/2015 – 11/2018
ACTING ASSISTANT
RĪGA STRADIŅŠ UNIVERSITY, INSTITUTE OF ANATOMY AND ANTHROPOLOGY,
DEPARTMENT OF MORPHOLOGY

09/2014 – 05/2015
TEACHING STAFF
RĪGA STRADIŅŠ UNIVERSITY, INSTITUTE OF ANATOMY AND ANTHROPOLOGY,
DEPARTMENT OF MORPHOLOGY

03/2012 – 08/2014
NUTRITIONIST
RAHABILITATION CENTER “KRIMULDA”

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

10/2015 – 05/2024
RESIDENCY IN MEDICINE (ANAESTHESIOLOGY/REANIMATOLOGY)
Rīga Stradiņš University

10/2015 – 10/2018
DOCTORAL DEGREE IN MEDICINE
Rīga Stradiņš University
Thesis: Defence of the Doctoral Thesis was on 8 November 2019.

09/2009 – 06/2015
MEDICAL DOCTOR’S DIPLOMA
Rīga Stradiņš University

10/2012 – 07/2013
ERASMUS EXCHANGE
Medical University of Innsbruck, Degree program “Humanmedizin”, Innsbruck (Austria)

09/2006 – 02/2012
BA IN NUTRITION SCIENCE
Rīga Stradiņš University

09/2003 – 06/2006
HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA
Sigulda State Gymnasium

PUBLICATIONS

2025
Kamergrauzis, A.; Pilmane, M.; Junga, A. 2025. Human Defence Factors in Different Gestational Week
Placenta: A Pilot Study. Life 2025, 15, 86. https://doi.org/10.3390/life15010086

2024
Junga A., Babenko T., Fedirko P. & Pilmane M. Distribution and appearance of myosin, dystrophin, and collagen IV in strabismus-affected extraocular muscle tissue compared with control tissue.
Journal of International Medical Research. 52, 3, p. 1-11 11 p., 3000605241233521.

2024
Freijere-Pope H., Pilmane M., Junga A. & Pētersons A. 2024. The Assessment of CDX1, IHH, SHH, GATA4, FOXA2, FOXF1 in Congenital Intra-Abdominal Adhesions. Acta medica Lituanica. 31, 1, p. 109-121 13 p.

2023
Fedirko P., Babenko T. F., Kuts K., Pilmane M., Junga A. & Garkava N. A. 2023. Brain and eye as potential targets for ionizing radiation impact. Part V – Organic and functional changes correlation on the example of certain diseases. Problemy Radiatsiinoi Medytsyny ta Radiobiolohii. 28, p. 432-443 13 p.

2023
Junga A., Pilmane M., Šerstņova K., Lohova E., Melderis I., Gontars L., Kochanski M., Drutowska A., Gergely M. & Prieto-Simona B.

2023. Composition of mastitis causing microorganisms and cytokines in healthy cow’s milk: a pilot study. Proceedings of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Section B.
Natural, Exact, and Applied Sciences.. 77, 3-4, p. 169-177 9 p.

MEMBERSHIPS

Clinically Integrated Association of Morphology in Latvia
Latvian Association of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology
European Society of Anaesthesiology
Latvian Association of Anesthesiologists and Reanimatologists
Latvian Junior Doctors Association
Latvian Association of Nutritionists

Dr Richard Levitan is an emergency physician in the USA and the inventor of the USB™ and Control-Cric®. Dr Levitan has pioneered a number of airway techniques now in common practice including ear-to-sternal notch positioning, bimanual laryngoscopy, nasal oxygenation during efforts securing a tube (NO DESAT), and the laryngeal handshake. He has published approximately a hundred articles, and created four books on laryngoscopy and airway management. In addition to holding approximately 25 patents, he has been involved with device development and initial investigations of many products that have changed modern airway management (the I-gel, various video laryngoscopes, and disposable endoscopes).

Peter Paal MD PD MBA PM.ME EDAIC EDIC FERC, consultant and clinical director, department of anaesthesiology and intensive care medicine, St. John of God Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria

Research lead, International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine; European Resuscitation Council (ERC) Advanced Life Support (ALS ) – Education and Science Committee, President of the Austrian Board for Mountain Safety, Vice President Austrian Society of Mountain and High Altitude Medicine (ÖGAHM) and International Society for Mountain Medicine (ISMM). Board of the Austrian Society of Anaesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Care Medicine (ÖGARI). Medical Director of the courses for the Diploma in Mountain Medicine (DiMM) of the Austrian Society of Mountain and High Altitude Medicine (https://www.alpinaerzteschmiede.com/at/themen/lehrgaenge/).

Research interests include emergency medicine, extreme environments, medical ethics, perioperative outcome and resuscitation. 190+ PubMed indexed publications, Co-editor of the books Mountain Emergency Medicine – Elsevier (https://www.edrapublishing.com/home/520/mountain-emergency-medicine.html) and Alpin- und Höhenmedizin (Alpine and High Altitude Medicine, 3^rd edition to be published in 2025, scheduled to be published also in English by Springer publishers) (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-662-56396-0).

Anesthesiologist and intensive care specialist at Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics, member of the Smart Hospital Solutions Team, and board member of the Lithuanian Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care (LARD).

• A head of 1st ICU departament Vilnius University hospital Santaros Klinikos
• A head of Departament of Clinical Pharmacology Vilnius University hospital Santaros Klinikos
• Associated Professor in Vilnius University Medical Faculty Center of Pharmacology and Pharmacy

The fields of interest:

• Antibacterial therapy
• Antibiotic resistance
• Treatment of fungal and viral infection
• Rational drug therapy
• Medical ethics
• Medicalization of society
• Clinical nutrition

Prof. Carolyn Weiniger is the Director of Obstetric Anesthesia in the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel. She is a Full Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University, Israel and serves as the Academic Director of the Helmsley Center for Medical Simulations. Professor Weiniger serves as a Member of the Research Committee of the European Society of Anaesthesiologists and Intensive Care (ESAIC).

Prof. Weiniger has authored original research papers, reviews and chapters, mainly related to safe obstetric anesthesia practices including respiratory depression associated with opioid administration, anesthesia for external cephalic version and placenta accreta spectrum, is an Editor of the first edition of Principles and Practice of Maternal Critical Care and an Editor of the International Journal of Obstetric Anesthesia.

Medical Education:  

1982 – 1988 studies:  Medical faculty Kaunas University of Medicine
1988 – 1989 Internship: general surgery Kaunas University of Medicine
1991 – Primary specialization in Anesthesiology and Intensive care (Vilnius University)

Scientific degree: PhD (2004)

Academic title:

Professor (2019)
Associate Professor (2013)

Current Position:

Since 2020 – Consultant Anesthesiologist in OB-GYN Anesthesiology and Intensive care dept. in the Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kauno Klinikos

Since 2019 – Full professor in the Clinic of Anesthesiology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences

Since 2015 – 2019 Professor in the Clinic of Anesthesiology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences

Since 2005 – 2020 Head of OB-GYN Anesthesiology and Intensive care dept. in the Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kauno Klinikos

2010 – 2015 Associate Professor in the Clinic of Anesthesiology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences

2005 – 2010 Lecturer in the Clinic of Anesthesiology, Kaunas University of Medicine

2001 – 2005 Assistant in the Clinic of Anesthesiology, Kaunas University of Medicine

Since 1989 – 2005 Anesthesiologist-reanimatologist in Central department of Anesthesia, Kaunas Medical University Hospital

Training Abroad:     

1997 – St. Johanns Hospital, Salzburg (Austria)

2000 – Lund University Hospital in Malmo (Sweden)

2002 – St. Johanns Hospital, Salzburg (Austria)

2009  – Hôtel-Dieu Hospital, Lyon (France)

2012 – Coordinator of European Commission Life Long Learning Programme Leonardo da Vinci project No. LLP-LdV-PLM-2012LT-0769   “Modern anaesthesiology care during delivery and obstetric critical care” in Reykjavik University Hospital (Iceland)

2013/2014 – Coordinator of European Commission Life Long Learning Programme Leonardo da Vinci projectNo. LLP-LdV-PLM-2013-LT-0935 “Optimal perioperative anaesthesia and intensive care in oncological gynaecology” in Skåne University Hospital, Lund (Sweden)

2016 January 25-29 – Donau-Universität Krems Seminar in PBM- Focus on “Perioperative Bleeding Management” Hainburg (Austria)

2018 May 15 ERASMUS+ program. Participation as a guest in Royal College of Anaesthetists fellow examination London (UK).

2019 July 23-27 ERASMUS+ project 2017-1-LT01-KA107-034926 Belgrade (Serbia)

Participation in clinical trials:

2016 – 2018 European prospective multicentre observational study. National coordinator and E370-001 study centre Investigator in the study: “European Practices in the Management of Accidental Dural Puncture in Obstetrics”. Study Code EPIMAP NCT 023362828

2014 – 2015 National coordinator and P370-001 study centre Investigator in the study: “POstanaesthesia PULmonary complications After the use of muscle Relaxants in Europe: an International Prospective Cohort Multi-centre Observational Study”. Study Code POPULAR NCT 01865513

2013 – 2014 Sub-investigator in international multicenter RCT “A randomized, double-blind, placebo and active-controlled, parallel-group study to evaluate the analgesic efficacy and safety of dexketoprofen trometamol and tramadol hydrochloride oral fixed combination on moderate to severe acute pain following abdominal hysterectomy” Study Code DEX-TRA-04. EudraCT No.: 2012-004545-32

Continuous medical education and other important activities:

Coordinator of CME courses “Anesthesia in obstetrics” and “Critical care in obstetrics and gynecology”. Lithuanian University of Health Sciences

Coordinator of doctoral program “Anesthesia and analgesia in obstetrics and gynecology”. Lithuanian University of Health Sciences

Senior lecturer and coordinator in ESA CEEA CME courses. Course No.4 “Mother and child. Adverse reaction” in Lithuania  

Consultant of Lithuanian Ministry of Health in “Safe maternity and childhood” program

Obstetric Anesthesia expert for legal cases, National Bureau of Forensic Medicine, Ministry of Justice, Republic of Lithuania

Consultant in “Effective perinatal care” project of USAID and UNFPA programs in Azerbaijan and Central Asia

• Since 2018 Head of the department of anesthesiology in Paul Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital in Riga;
•10 years experience in Obstetrics anesthesiology, working on daily basis with parturients with different types of comorbidities;
• Active speaker in social events and educational programmes for parturients; Active speaker in scientific professional meetings and congresses;
• Active member of Latvian Society of Anesthesiologists and Reanimatologists.

Dr. Diana Gasiūnaitė is a specialist in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine, currently serving as the Head of the Anesthesia Service at Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos. She completed her Ph.D. in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine at Vilnius University, where her doctoral research analyzed and compared the impact of general endotracheal and combined endotracheal-epidural anesthesia on organ systems, specifically in the context of laparoscopic colorectal surgery.

Dr. Gasiūnaitė works at Vilnius University, delivering lectures in professional development courses for specialists. She supervises students’ scientific work and prepares seminars for residents. She actively participates in enhancing the training of medical referees and frequently presents at scientific conferences. She has completed the European Airway Management Society’s Teach the Airway Teacher (TAT) Course and is certified as an EAMS Airway Teacher.

Her areas of interest include obstetric anesthesia, anesthesia for patients with cardiovascular pathology, neuroanesthesia, regional anesthesia, management of massive hemorrhage, and difficult airway management. Dr. Gasiūnaitė has received training in Austria and France. She is actively involved in professional societies activity, serving as a board member of the Lithuanian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care.

Her initial research activities addressed cerebral haemodynamics in acute bacterial meningitis, altitude physiology, and mechanisms of systemic inflammation. She acquired the PhD degree in 2001 and the doctoral degree as well as specialist authorization in anaesthesiology in 2007; she then subspecialized in intensive care medicine in 2011 and was appointed Professor of Neuroanaesthesiology at the University of Copenhagen and Rigshospitalet in 2014.

Current research interests include the pathophysiology of acute brain and spinal cord injury, in particular multimodal neuromonitoring, cortical spreading depolarization and other mechanisms involved in secondary brain injury. She has co-authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and supervised 20 PhD students to completion of their studies.

Dr. Ieva Būce-Šatoba, Head of the Intensive Care Unit at Riga East University Hospital, one of the largest intensive care departments in Latvia.

She have extensive experience in the treatment of patients with both traumatic and non-traumatic brain injuries. She is actively involved in teaching residents, students, and colleagues, and currently working on her doctoral thesis on spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage. Driven by her own initiative, she has taken a pioneering interest in Neuro-POCUS in Latvia — a field she continue to develop and she is glad to share her knowledge with others. Today she want to share this passion with the audience.

Marius Rimaitis:

He was born in a family of doctors in Kaunas, Lithuania. In 2015, he completed the residency of Anesthesia and Intensive Care. His current clinical position is an anesthesiologist at the Clinic of Anesthesiology of the Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kauno klinikos.

His fields of clinical specialization are neuroanesthesia (full-time) and major abdominal surgery including liver transplantology (part-time). His field of scientific interest and research is hemostatic disorders and clinical application of advanced diagnostic methods for the diagnosis and management of coagulopathies. He is known to set very high standards for himself at clinical and academic activities as well as personal life.

Indrė Lapinskienė, MD, Anesthesiologist–Intensivist, specializes in intensive care and neurocritical care, with clinical experience in cerebrovascular ultrasound diagnostics (transcranial Doppler). She is particularly interested in innovative approaches to disease diagnosis and treatment, aiming to integrate biomedical research knowledge into clinical practice. Currently, she is a PhD candidate.

Beatrice Zupkaite is an intensive care nurse at the Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Clinics.

In her work, she is dedicated to providing the best possible care by staying current with the latest research. She is also a passionate advocate for including patients’ relatives in their care. This has been her long-standing interest; she wrote her master’s thesis on the topic and have participated in national and international conferences both as an attendee and as a presenter. As she says – it’s a privilege to not only practice this in her daily work but also to have the opportunity to spread this message and inspire change among her fellow colleagues today.

• Graduate of Lithuanian University of  Health Sciences 
• Head nurse of Surgery clinic in Republic Hospital of Šiauliai
• Operating room nurse 
• Advanced practice nurse in primary health care

Greta Molotkove is an accomplished nursing professional with a focus on anaesthesia and intensive care. 

Since 2018, G. Molotkove has served as an Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Nurse and currently holds the position of Chief Nursing Specialist. Her professional development includes certification as a mentor and membership in key national professional associations, including the Lithuanian Advanced Nursing Practice Association and the Lithuanian Association of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Nurses. 

In parallel with her clinical work, G. Molotkove has engaged in academic and scientific research. She has contributed as a researcher to several biomedical projects in nursing science and is presently involved in ongoing research. 

Academic Degree: MD
Faculty / Dept.: Tel Aviv University, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences
Hospital / Dept.: Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center Director of Pediatric Anesthesia, Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care & Pain

EDUCATION

1981-1983
Boston University College of Liberal Arts
Subject: Medical Science, Minor in Mathematics

1983-1988
Boston University School of Medicine
Subject: Medicine

FURTHER STUDIES

1989-1992
New York University Medical Center
Residency
Subject: Anesthesia and Critical Care
Degree or Professional license: American Board of Anesthesiology #22013

01.1992-06.1992
New York University Medical Center
Fellowship
Subject: Neurosurgical Anesthesia, with Emphasis on Pediatric Neuro-Anesthesia

07.1992-08.1992
Memorial Sloan Kettering Medical Center
Fellowship
Subject: Thoracic Anesthesia

MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

1990-1997
American Society of Anesthesia and New York State Society of Anesthesia

1997-present
Israel Society of Anesthesia

2019-present
European Society of Anesthesia; Member then Lead of Pediatric Anesthesia sub-forum 2021-2024

Mari-Liis Ilmoja have worked for years in Tallinn Children`s Hospital and currently she is Estonian representative and member of SAFETOTS (Safe Anesthesia For Every Child) organization.

Tartu University Hospital, Children’s Clinic
University of Tartu, Dpt of Clinical Medicine

Head of Children’s Clinic in Tartu University Hospital; professor of Paediatric and neonatal intensive care and pharmacotherapy in University of Tartu

Education:

University of Tartu, Medical Faculty – MD cum laude in 1990; specialisation in anaesthesiology and intensive care with a focus in paediatric and neonatal IC

PhD in medicine 2010 (thesis „Optimal antibacterial therapy of neonates at risk of early onset sepsis; supervisors Prof. I. Lutsar, prof. R. Talvik)

She has over 30 years of experience in paediatric and neonatal intensive care, as head of the PNICU from 2000 till 2022.

Her research focus has been developmental pharmacology, including PKPD studies and international efficacy trials in neonates and children (as the last therapeutic orphans). Her other main focus has been colonisation in NICU with a potential for intervention. In the NeoIPC (Neonatal Infection Prevention and Control) project she is working mostly with the Clinical Practice Network to facilitate the development and implementation of novel infection control and prevention measures in NICU.

She has supervised three PhD and one MSc thesis.

Dr. Agnese Ozolina is a specialist in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine, currently working as an Associate Professor at Rīgas Stradiņš University and Head of the Anaesthesiology Clinic at Riga Eastern Clinical University Hospital. She holds a Ph.D. in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine from Rīgas Stradiņš University, where her doctoral research focused on the impact of coagulation system changes and genetic polymorphisms on postoperative bleeding after cardiac surgery.

Dr. Ozolina has extensive clinical and academic experience, having been involved in various roles, from an assistant professor to a tutor for anaesthesia and intensive care trainees. She has a strong background in pain management and anaesthesia for orthopaedic surgeries, regional anaesthesia, inpatient pain services and critical care. Her research interests include opioid-sparing anaesthesia, regional anaesthesia, multimodal analgesia, and the study of coagulation and thrombosis in surgical patients.

She is an active member of several professional organizations, including the European Society of Regional Anaesthesia & Pain Therapy and the Latvian Association of Anaesthesiology and Reanimatology. Dr. Ozolina has received multiple awards for her contributions to anaesthesiology, including the Baxter Scholarship at the World Congress of Anaesthesiologists in 2016. She has also been involved as ESRA faculty member and organising educational masterclases and conferences . She had published numerous articles on anaesthesia and pain management.

Dr. Ozolina is passionate about advancing the field of anaesthesia and pain management and regularly contributes to both scientific research and education.

Head of Anaesthesiology Department in Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. Dean of Medicine. As an educator Andrius Macas leads European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive care Education Committee (CEEA) Lithuania‘ Regional Centre is a Board Member of European Board of Anaesthesiology. Lead Expert team of Ministry of Health of Lithuania for undergraduate studies planning in the field of Health Sciences.

For 20 years is involved in Study quality assurance. As a clinician works in general anesthesiology, neuroanesthesiology and anesthesiology transplantology, as well as cardiology intensive care. He has been interested in safety anesthesiology and perioperative medicine for many years. Since 2012, the Anesthesiology Department of Kaunas Clinics has been implementing a Safe Medication and Medication Marking System, based on the ISO standard. Since 2018, the Department has started to implement a warning system for the maturity of patients in anesthesiology.

Andrey Varvinskiy, MD, DA(UK), DEAA, FRCA graduated from Northern State Medical University in 1986 and trained in surgery and anaesthesia at University Hospital of Arkhangelsk where he worked as a lecturer and attending specialist until moving to the UK in 1995 where he underwent full Training Program in Anesthesia and Intensive care in Bristol and Cardiff Schools of Anesthesia. In 2001 he was appointed as a Consultant Anaesthesiologist at Torbay Hospital, Torquay, Devon.

Main interests include ophthalmic and regional anaesthesia, difficult airway management and education.

Difficult Airway Lead for 12 years. Co-founding member of the Torbay Difficult Airway Course and SWEAT (South-West Emergency Airway Training) Course and has been involved in teaching at numerous Airway Workshops at the Royal College of Anaesthetists and AAGBI (Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland). Past Chair of SWAMS (South-West Airway Management Society). Chair of DAS Annual Congress 2016.

Ophthalmic Anaesthesia Lead at Torbay Hospital for the last 20 years. Ophthalmic Nurse Practitioners training programme Lead since 2004. Presented at BOAS meetings, run workshops as well as organised and chaired BOAS 2023 meeting in Torquay.

FRCA Examiner at the RCoA for 12 years and is current EDAIC examiner. Held the role of a College Tutor at the Anaesthetic Department at his hospital. Past Chair of the ESAIC Examinations Committee (2018-2020), co-founding member of Peninsula Primary FRCA MCQ Course and lecturer at RCoA FRCA Primary Masterclass (London), ESAIC Basic Science Anaesthesia Course and ESAIC Viva Practice Course.

Published several anaesthesia articles, 3 book chapters and is a first author of “How to pass the EDAIC” book. Presented on ophthalmic anesthesia, airway, and other topics at various meetings in the UK and abroad. Acts as a medical translator for anaesthetic textbooks from English into Russian including “Miller’s Anaesthesia”, “Textbook of Critical Care”, etc.
Scientific advisor and lecturer for the educational platform “Medvoice”, Ukraine.
Keen triathlete, cyclist, and a long-distance swimmer. 

Dr Maria Colomo is a Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT) in London. Originally trained in Spain, she has worked in critical care since 2008, gaining over 15 years of experience across both the UK and Spain. Maria plays a central role in ICU service delivery, with special interests in recovery after critical illness, infection prevention and control, and medical education. She is one of two consultants leading the ICU Follow-Up Clinics at BHRUT, working alongside a multidisciplinary team to improve long-term outcomes for patients after critical illness.

Passionate about education, staff wellbeing, and gender equity in healthcare, Maria is a dedicated clinical and educational supervisor and participates in an initiative providing peer psychological support to ICU staff. She also co-chaired the BHRUT Women’s Network, which supports women in healthcare professions. She is also active in international teaching, including delivering intensive care training to local doctors and nurses at Mnazi Mmoja Hospital in Zanzibar, and serves as an examiner for the European Diploma in Intensive Care Medicine (EDIC). She has presented at numerous international conferences and remains engaged in collaborative work to improve care standards across the ICU pathway.

Peter Paal MD PD MBA PM.ME EDAIC EDIC FERC, consultant and clinical director, department of anaesthesiology and intensive care medicine, St. John of God Hospital, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria

Research lead, International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine; European Resuscitation Council (ERC) Advanced Life Support (ALS ) – Education and Science Committee, President of the Austrian Board for Mountain Safety, Vice President Austrian Society of Mountain and High Altitude Medicine (ÖGAHM) and International Society for Mountain Medicine (ISMM). Board of the Austrian Society of Anaesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Care Medicine (ÖGARI). Medical Director of the courses for the Diploma in Mountain Medicine (DiMM) of the Austrian Society of Mountain and High Altitude Medicine (https://www.alpinaerzteschmiede.com/at/themen/lehrgaenge/).

Research interests include emergency medicine, extreme environments, medical ethics, perioperative outcome and resuscitation. 190+ PubMed indexed publications, Co-editor of the books Mountain Emergency Medicine – Elsevier (https://www.edrapublishing.com/home/520/mountain-emergency-medicine.html) and Alpin- und Höhenmedizin (Alpine and High Altitude Medicine, 3^rd edition to be published in 2025, scheduled to be published also in English by Springer publishers) (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-662-56396-0).

Ricardas Peldzius is an anesthesiologist and Intensive care doctor and a Head of Critical Care Transfer and Retrieval Unit at Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics.

Veronika Reinhard, MD, MBA, is Head of the Clinic of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care at Tartu University Hospital. She has extensive clinical experience in intensive care and emergency medicine, including pre-hospital care. Her research interests focus on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, with publications addressing survival and outcomes in critically ill patients.

In 2025, she completed a Master’s degree in Strategic Management at the University of Tartu, further strengthening her leadership expertise. Her Master’s thesis, “Workforce Resource Forecast for the Specialty of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care until 2040,”reflects her particular interest in applying future scenario methods to healthcare planning and strategy development.

Dr Reinhard has also played an important role in teaching and supervising medical students and residents in emergency medicine and intensive care. In addition to her academic work, she has been actively involved in developing emergency and critical care services in Estonia, including major incident management.

Head of Anaesthesiology Department in Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. Dean of Medicine. As an educator Andrius Macas leads European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive care Education Committee (CEEA) Lithuania‘ Regional Centre is a Board Member of European Board of Anaesthesiology. Lead Expert team of Ministry of Health of Lithuania for undergraduate studies planning in the field of Health Sciences.

For 20 years is involved in Study quality assurance. As a clinician works in general anesthesiology, neuroanesthesiology and anesthesiology transplantology, as well as cardiology intensive care. He has been interested in safety anesthesiology and perioperative medicine for many years. Since 2012, the Anesthesiology Department of Kaunas Clinics has been implementing a Safe Medication and Medication Marking System, based on the ISO standard. Since 2018, the Department has started to implement a warning system for the maturity of patients in anesthesiology.

Prof. Jovaiša is Chief Executive Officer of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos. He has held senior leadership roles in both Lithuania and the United Kingdom, including Head of the Centre for Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at Santaros Klinikos, and Divisional Director for Peri-operative Medicine, Acute Medicine, Critical Care and Emergency Medicine at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust in London. In these posts he managed large clinical services, multidisciplinary teams and substantial operational budgets, while also overseeing quality improvement programmes across regional critical care networks.

Alongside his management responsibilities, Prof. Jovaiša maintains an active academic career. He has led and contributed to international clinical research collaborations in intensive care and has supervised doctoral and postgraduate research projects. He has also played a long-standing role in postgraduate education through the Royal College of Anaesthetists, serving on the examinations board.

Anders Perner is a senior staff specialist in intensive care and a professor in anaesthesia and intensive care at Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen and honorary professor at the George Institute in Sydney.

His focus is on clinical trial programs in critically ill patients, and he is a key member of the Collaboration for Research in Intensive Care. He led the land-mark trials – 6S, TRISS, CLASSIC and COVID STEROID trials – the results of which has improved fluid, transfusion, and steroid therapy for critically ill patients. His ongoing research continues along this track testing frequent interventions for which there are doubts about the balance between benefit and harm, including IV fluids, antiarrhythmics, antibiotics, blood products and glucose control in ICU patients. An increasing focus is on improved trial infrastructure to facilitate many more trials and improvements in health care. Hence, he leads the Intensive Care Platform Trial – INCEPT, which is a platform trial for acutely-admitted, adult ICU patients.

Veronika Reinhard, MD, MBA, is Head of the Clinic of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care at Tartu University Hospital. She has extensive clinical experience in intensive care and emergency medicine, including pre-hospital care. Her research interests focus on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, with publications addressing survival and outcomes in critically ill patients.

In 2025, she completed a Master’s degree in Strategic Management at the University of Tartu, further strengthening her leadership expertise. Her Master’s thesis, “Workforce Resource Forecast for the Specialty of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care until 2040,”reflects her particular interest in applying future scenario methods to healthcare planning and strategy development.

Dr Reinhard has also played an important role in teaching and supervising medical students and residents in emergency medicine and intensive care. In addition to her academic work, she has been actively involved in developing emergency and critical care services in Estonia, including major incident management.

Andrey Varvinskiy, MD, DA(UK), DEAA, FRCA graduated from Northern State Medical University in 1986 and trained in surgery and anaesthesia at University Hospital of Arkhangelsk where he worked as a lecturer and attending specialist until moving to the UK in 1995 where he underwent full Training Program in Anesthesia and Intensive care in Bristol and Cardiff Schools of Anesthesia. In 2001 he was appointed as a Consultant Anaesthesiologist at Torbay Hospital, Torquay, Devon.

Main interests include ophthalmic and regional anaesthesia, difficult airway management and education.

Difficult Airway Lead for 12 years. Co-founding member of the Torbay Difficult Airway Course and SWEAT (South-West Emergency Airway Training) Course and has been involved in teaching at numerous Airway Workshops at the Royal College of Anaesthetists and AAGBI (Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland). Past Chair of SWAMS (South-West Airway Management Society). Chair of DAS Annual Congress 2016.

Ophthalmic Anaesthesia Lead at Torbay Hospital for the last 20 years. Ophthalmic Nurse Practitioners training programme Lead since 2004. Presented at BOAS meetings, run workshops as well as organised and chaired BOAS 2023 meeting in Torquay.

FRCA Examiner at the RCoA for 12 years and is current EDAIC examiner. Held the role of a College Tutor at the Anaesthetic Department at his hospital. Past Chair of the ESAIC Examinations Committee (2018-2020), co-founding member of Peninsula Primary FRCA MCQ Course and lecturer at RCoA FRCA Primary Masterclass (London), ESAIC Basic Science Anaesthesia Course and ESAIC Viva Practice Course.

Published several anaesthesia articles, 3 book chapters and is a first author of “How to pass the EDAIC” book. Presented on ophthalmic anesthesia, airway, and other topics at various meetings in the UK and abroad. Acts as a medical translator for anaesthetic textbooks from English into Russian including “Miller’s Anaesthesia”, “Textbook of Critical Care”, etc.
Scientific advisor and lecturer for the educational platform “Medvoice”, Ukraine.
Keen triathlete, cyclist, and a long-distance swimmer. 

Dr. Andrejus Bura is a nephrologist at Kaunas Clinics and Assistant at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. His clinical and research interests focus on kidney transplantation, graft function, MRI biomarkers, and hydration status. He has authored peer-reviewed publications and presented at international nephrology conferences.

Dr. Vasileios Dimakopoulos holds a PhD in computational neuroscience from ETH Zurich and the University Hospital of Zurich, where he developed automated methods for epilepsy surgery. His work spanned multicentre trials on digital biomarkers, and he trained at the Clinical Trial Center Zurich. Vasileios also brings experience from IBM and CERN as a BI and Big Data Engineer and was named a Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree in Greece. His combination of technical depth and clinical insight makes him well‑suited to represent Aisthesis at the Congress.

Education

• 1997-2008: Tallinn English College (secondary education)
• 2008-2014: University of Tartu, Medicine (MD degree)
• 2014-2018: University of Tartu, Residency Programme in Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care

Professional Qualifications:

• 2014: Doctor of Medicine (MD), Tartu University Faculty of Medicine
• 2018: Anaesthesiologist and Intensivist, Tartu University Faculty of Medicine
• 2022: European Diploma in Intensive Care (EDIC), Part 1
• 2024: European Diploma in Intensive Care (EDIC), Part 2

Additional Courses:

• CEEA 1-5 (Tartu; 2015-2019)
• Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) (Tartu; 2017)
• Good Clinical Practice (GCP) in Clinical Trials (Tartu; 2018)
• Emergency Management of Severe Burns (EMSB) (Helsinki; 2019)
• Leadership Development Program of North Estonia Medical Centre jointly with Tallinn University of Technology  (Tallinn; 2020-2021)
• Hospital MIMMS and General Instructor Course (Tartu; 2022-2023)
• Scandinavian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (SSAI) Intensive Care Medicine course (2023-present)

Employment History:

• 2017-2022: Tallinn Emergency Medical Service, intensive care physician
• 2018-2022: North Estonia Medical Centre, intensivist (ICU I and III)
• 2018-2024: Tallinn Children’s Hospital, anaesthesiologist
• Since 2022: North Estonia Medical Centre, Head Physician and Department Head (ICU I)
• Since 2024: Estonian Defence Forces, HMIMMS instructor

Organizational Memberships:

• Estonian Society of Anaesthesiologists (since 2015); Board Member (since 2018); Treasurer (since 2021)
• Estonian Medical Association (since 2014)
• European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) (since 2015); National Representative of Estonia (2022-2024)
• Swedish Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care (SFAI) (since 2022)

Research

Publications:

• 2015: Tamme K, Maddison L, Kruusat R, Ehrlich HE, Viirelaid M, Kern H, Starkopf J. “Effects of high volume haemodiafiltration on inflammatory response profile and microcirculation in patients with septic shock.” Biomed Res Int 2015.
• 2017: Ehrlich HE, Sõrmus A, Rokk A, Karjagin J. “Perioperative gastric content aspiration in Tartu University Hospital.” Eesti Arst 2017.
• 2019: Eelmäe I, Ehrlich HE, Kikas R, Värimäe EA, Lintrop M, Salumäe L, Metsvaht T. “Splenic rupture – a rare life-threatening complication of neonatal hemolytic disease. Case report and literature review.” Eesti Arst 2019.

Conference presentations:

• 2024 – Integration of Health Data In the Example of Acute Myocardial Infarction. HIMSS24 Europe, Rome.

Participation in Working Groups:

• 2017-2018: Estonian Sepsis and Septic Shock Treatment Guideline Working Group
• 2019-2020: Steering Group for NEMC E-Health and E-Patient Record
• 2019-2022: Steering Group for TEKE (Primary Trauma Care in Estonia) Guidelines
• 2019-2024: Configuration Group for NEMC Electronic Intensive Care Record
• 2020-2022: NEMC and Tartu University Hospital Covid-19 Guideline Working Group
• Since 2024: Lecturer and coordinator of intensive care nurses training program in NEMC

Professor Watson is a Transplant surgeon from Cambridge UK. He was appointed Consultant Transplant and Vascular Surgeon in Oxford, in 1997, before returning to Cambridge as Lecturer in Surgery and Consultant liver, kidney, pancreas, and multivisceral transplant surgeon in 1998.  He was awarded the Professorship of Transplantation in Cambridge in 2011, a position he held until his retirement in 2022.  He is the past President of the British Transplantation Society, past member of the UK Organ Donation Taskforce, past Chair of the NHS Blood and Transplant Kidney Advisory and Pancreas Advisory Groups, and co-chair of the Donor Organ Risk Assessment subgroup of the UK advisory committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues, and Organs (SaBTO). He currently oversees the liver perfusion research in Cambridge

He has authored over 300 publications, book chapters, and has been cited over 11,000 times. His research interests are in optimizing the utilization of deceased organ donors and the risk of cancer transmission from deceased donors with primary brain tumors.  He pioneered the use of in situ Normothermic Regional Perfusion (NRP) in the UK in 2010, and ex situ normothermic liver perfusion in 2014.  To date he has overseen over 300 NRP cases, and over 450 liver perfusions.  He has published a wealth of data on guidelines for viability testing during ex situ perfusion.  

Marije Smit MD PhD is a surgeon-intensivist in the University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands with expertise in complex abdominal problems and a special interest in pancreatitis, liver transplantation and organ donation. Her research focuses on intra-abdominal hypertension and organ failure.  

Michael Hiesmayr, MD, MSc
Professor Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine
Senior researcher
Division of Cardiac- Thoracic- Vascular Anaesthesia and Intensive Care
& Center for Medical Data Science, Medical University Vienna

Austria

Education and training
1973-79 Medical University School Innsbruck & Vienna. 1979-80 Post-Doc Fellow University Zürich. 1983 Board certification for General Medicine. 1984-87 Residency Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, University Vienna, 1987 Board certification for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care. 1987-88 Research fellow: Pathophysiological Laboratory, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands.1998 Training University College London: How to teach and practice evidence based medicine. 1999Associate Professor for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care. 2000 Visiting Professor: Université Jean Fourier, Grenoble, France. 2001 Board Certification in Perioperative Echocardiography, USA. 2002 Member of the Ethical Committee, Medical University Vienna. 2002 Head Division of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Anesthesia and Intensive Care. 2008 Full Professor. 2014 Director Postgraduate Program. Medical University Vienna. 2015 MSc Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Research
– Publication of 200 + articles in international, peer reviewed journals
– Cumulative citation index of 4000+, H-index 32
– Epidemiology of perioperative & nutritional risk factors
– Body composition and muscle function
– Perioperative ventilation (ProVent international research group)
– Development and management of the nutritionDay research and auditing tool www.nutritionday.org. >60 cooperating countries.
– Risk assessment of intensive care infections
– Nutrition & metabolism in acute care

Clinical work
Head of the Division of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Anaesthesia and Intensive
Care (2002-2019) at AKH-University Clinics, the largest academic medical
center in Austria, 1850 beds. Director Clinic for Anesthesia, General Intensive
Care and Pain Therapy (2007-2014). The division has 52 medical academics,
12 operating & interventional rooms, a PACU 8 beds and an ICU with 16 beds.
The ICU handles 750-850 admissions per year. The research unit has a staff of
3.5 full-time equivalents to support 3 research groups. Retired 2019. Senior
researcher at Center for Medical Data Science, Medical University Vienna.

Annika Reintam Blaser graduated University of Tartu, Estonia, worked thereafter as a consultant in general ICU of Tartu University Hospital and later as a chief of Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care in East Tallinn Central Hospital. Currently she is working as a senior consultant in the ICU of the Lucerne Cantonal Hospital, Switzerland, and as an associate professor in University of Tartu, Estonia. The main topics of her research are gastrointestinal dysfunction in intensive care patients, acute mesenteric ischaemia, and intra-abdominal hypertension. She is holding a grant from the Estonian Research Council on topic of acute mesenteric ischaemia.

• ICU doctor
• Professor in Vilnius and Klaipėda universities
• President of Lithuanian society for parenteral and enteral nutrition

Joel Starkopf is professor of anaesthesiology and intensive care at the University of Tartu, and Member of the Executive Board, Head of Research and Development, Tartu University Hospital. He has broad scientific experience from animal experiments to multicentre clinical trials and systematic reviews. His research has focused on abdominal problems in intensive care patients; ischaemia-reperfusion of the heart and myocardial preconditioning; and pharmacokinetics of antibacterial drugs in severe sepsis and septic shock. He has supervised 10 PhD students, published over 120 peer reviewed scientific papers, and has more than 4000 citations (H-index 29). He has broad clinical practise as intensivist, who is supervising the department of University Hospital responsible for highest level of anaesthesiology, intensive care and emergency medicine in Estonia.

Dr. Vilma Traškaitė-Juškevičienė is a Lithuanian physician specializing in anesthesiology, emergency medicine, and liver transplantation anesthesia at the Hospital of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Clinics.

She is a board member and scientific secretary of the Lithuanian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (LARD). Her professional interests include patient safety, human factors in healthcare, and medical education. Vilma is also Head of Lithuanian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Charity Foundation together with colleagues supporting Ukrainian medics in frontlines.

-Associate professor, University of Latvia, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences
-Senior Consultant in Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Department, Hospital of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Riga, Latvia
-Pain specialist
-President of Latvian Society of Anesthesiologists and Reanimatologists since 2018
-Board member Latvian Pain Research Society from since 2015
-Board member Baltic Society of Regional Anesthesia since 2015
-ESA Council member
-Member European Society of Regional Anesthesia since 1998. 

My special interest in research: regional anesthesia, chronic pain management, acute postoperative pain, analgesia nociception index, patient outcomes, end of life treatment

I am standing with Ukraine! Have been there twice since 2022 teach the Ukrainian doctors and residents to perform regional blocks.

Thanks to the support of the Latvian Medical Foundation, I can teach Ukrainian doctors here in Latvia regional anesthesia and pain management.

Prof. Dr. med. Maria Wittmann is a Senior Consultant and Head of the Clinical Trials Center for Anesthesiology at the University Hospital Bonn. She combines a distinguished academic career with extensive clinical expertise and has been actively committed to advancing patient safety and the field of anesthesiology for over two decades. At the University Hospital Bonn, she is responsible for clinical research and undergraduate medical education in anesthesiology.

On the international stage, Prof. Wittmann plays an active role in promoting patient safety. Since 2022, she has served as an elected member of the Patient Safety and Quality Committee (PSQC) of the European Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine (ESAIC). She also holds the position of Associate Editor at the Journal of Clinical Anesthesiology (JCA), providing a platform for scientific exchange and the promotion of evidence-based practice.

Her contributions at the intersection of clinical practice, research, and education have made her a leading figure in both German and European anesthesiology. Prof. Wittmann’s dedication continues to shape the standards of care, safety, and innovation in the field.

Dr. Evelina Pajėdienė – neurologist, leading the Sleep Center in the Neurology Department, Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kauno klinikos, President of the Lithuanian Society of Sleep Medicine, co-chair of the European Academy of Neurology Scientific Panel for Sleep-wake disorders.

Dr. Odeta Gelezelyte is a clinical psychologist, and an associate professor and senior researcher at the Centre for Psychotraumatology, Vilnius University, Lithuania.  She is also the president of the Lithuanian Society for Traumatic Stress (LTPA), and the Secretary of the Board at the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS). Her main research and clinical interests are in the field of posttraumatic stress and complex trauma. 

Dalia Smagurauskaitė is a media relations officer and communications specialist at Republican Vilnius University Hospital (RVUH). She began her career coordinating social projects, then worked as a journalist at a national broadcaster. Over the years, she has collaborated with major Lithuanian news portals and magazines, served as editor-in-chief for two magazines, and contributed to the creation of a TV show. Additionally, she is the author of four books. At RVUH, D. Smagurauskaitė manages communication with journalists, writes press releases, develops social media strategies, and oversees the creation of the hospital magazine, among other responsibilities.

Linas Zdanavičius graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at Vilnius University in 2010. He obtained a professional qualification as a clinical toxicologist in 2013 and completed a residency in intensive care medicine in 2015. Since 2023, he has been pursuing a doctorate in medical sciences, with his thesis titled “Diagnostic and Prognostic Values of Phosphatidylethanol in Patients with Non-Traumatic Compartment Syndrome.”

Areas of Interest
Poisonings and substance use disorders related to psychoactive substances.

Membership in Professional Organizations
Member of the Lithuanian Clinical Toxicology Society.