Paula Macedo Full Professor NOVA Medical School(NMS), Vice-Dean for Research and Innovation, coordinates PhD programs and serves the Pedagogic Council. Holds a PhD and a Master’s Pharmaceutical Sciences. Her research focuses on molecular and clinical aspects in diabetes, obesity, and MASLD. Coordinates APDP-Diabetes research, steering committee of the European MASLD Study Group, the Global NASH Council,  and is Vice-President European Society for Clinical Investigation. Former advisor to the Minister of Science, she is now Vice-President Portuguese Clinical Research Agency.

João Cerqueira is a neuroscientist, professor of neurology at the School of Medicine of the University of Minho, neurologist at Hospital de Braga, where he coordinates the Multiple Sclerosis clinic, and medical director of the Academic Clinical Centre of Braga. His research activity focuses on understanding the mechanisms and seeking new treatments for multiple sclerosis.

João Sargento Freitas is a Neurologist at ULS de Coimbra, where he is coordinator of the Academic Clinical Trials Unit, Stroke Unit and Neurosonology Laboratory. He holds a PhD degree on Health Sciences, acting as auxiliary professor and translational researcher at Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra. He is currently the President of the World Organization of Neurosonology and Chair of the Portuguese Clinical Research Infrastructure Network. His main research focus are in the area of investigator initiated clinical trials, neurovascular disorders, cell therapies, neurosonology and blood-brain barrier. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, with more than 5000 citations. He is the Principal Investigator or co-Principal Investigator of nine projects funded by competitive funding, more than 100 academic projects and 28 awards for scientific projects and/or achievements.

Paula Macedo Full Professor NOVA Medical School(NMS), Vice-Dean for Research and Innovation, coordinates PhD programs and serves the Pedagogic Council. Holds a PhD and a Master’s Pharmaceutical Sciences. Her research focuses on molecular and clinical aspects in diabetes, obesity, and MASLD. Coordinates APDP-Diabetes research, steering committee of the European MASLD Study Group, the Global NASH Council,  and is Vice-President European Society for Clinical Investigation. Former advisor to the Minister of Science, she is now Vice-President Portuguese Clinical Research Agency.

Dr. Harshitha Shanmugam is a Clinical Researcher specializing in obesity, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD/MASH), and type 2 diabetes, with a strong focus on translational medicine and metabolic health. Her research integrates clinical trials, biomarker-driven phenotyping, precision nutrition, and lifestyle interventions to better understand metabolic dysfunction and improve patient outcomes in obesity and liver disease. She completed her PhD in Food and Soil Sciences at the University of Bari, Italy, and has contributed to several European research initiatives, including the Horizon 2020 FOIE GRAS project and the Horizon Europe PASGRAS consortium. Her work spans clinical evidence generation, longitudinal metabolic assessment, and the development of non-invasive approaches for metabolic disease characterization and prevention. Dr. Shanmugam currently serves as Young Research Councillor of the European Society for Clinical Investigation (ESCI), supporting initiatives focused on scientific exchange, mentorship, and the advancement of early-career clinical researchers.

Dr Marcel Twickler is a highly distinguished consultant endocrinologist based in Antwerp, Belgium. He currently serves as the Head of the Department for Endocrinology, Diabetology, and Metabolic Diseases at AZ Monica. He earned his medical degree with summa cum laude honours in the Netherlands before completing his PhD jointly at Utrecht University and University Paris VI. Alongside managing his clinical department, Dr Twickler is a graduate training supervisor associated with Antwerp University and an active researcher with over 150 scientific publications. Significantly contributing to public health policy, he serves on the Belgian Superior Health Council (Hoge Gezondheidsraad) as a member of the standing working group on nutrition and health. His additional elite appointments include serving on the Clinical Endocrinology Update Committee for the global Endocrine Society and as a treasurer-council member for the European Society for Clinical Investigation.