Guest Speaker Bio

Qualifications:

PhD on Experimental Acute Kidney Injury due to Mercury and Its Prevention, Ghent University.

MD, Ghent University.

Main research interest:

Hemodialysis, Chronic Kidney Disease, Dialysis, Uremic Toxins, Uremic Toxicity in Acute and Chronic Renal Failure, Acute Kidney Injury, Peritoneal Dialysis, Crush Syndrome.

Present professional position and workplace:

Professor Emeritus at Ghent University.
Member of the editorial review board of several journals.
Subject editor of Nephrology Dialysis and Transplantation and Toxins.

A special experience, education etc.:

• Author of more than 900 papers, including reviews and book chapters, on adequacy of dialysis, uremic toxicity, and various topics related to clinical nephrology.
• Founding President of the Belgian Society of Nephrology (BVN-SBN).
• Former Head of the Department Nephrology at the University Hospital Ghent.
• Former President of the European Society of Artificial Organs (ESAO).
• Former President of the European Renal Association (ERA).
• Former President of the European Kidney Health Alliance (EKHA).
• Founder and Chairman of the European Uremic Toxin Work Group (EUTox), until 2010.
• Member of the Executive Board and treasurer of Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO), until 2010.
• Chairman of the European Renal Best Practice (ERBP), until 2011.
• Chairman of the Renal Disaster Relief Task Force (RDRTF) of the International Society of Nephrology (ISN), until 2014.
• Chairman of the European Chronic Disease Alliance, 2016-2024.

Guest Speaker Bio

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Social Work, Portuguese Catholic University.

Main research interest:

Family and Couple Therapy, Psychosocial Support, Care Coordination, Humanized Care.

Present professional position and workplace:

Leader of the Social Services Department at Diaverum

• Designing and implementing person-centered strategies for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD).
• Overseeing Social Responsibility initiatives.
• Directing the Holiday Dialysis Portugal programme, promoting continuity of care and quality of life for dialysis patients during travel.

A special experience, education etc.:

Author of several publications on the impact of CKD on patients and caregivers.

Guest Speaker Bio

Qualifications:

MBA from IE Business School, Madrid.
Nursing Degree from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

Main research interest:

Healthcare Management, Vascular Access in Hemodialysis, Humanization of Healthcare, Patient Care, Nephrology Nursing, Clinical Management, Operational Management, Sustainability, Economics.

Present professional position and workplace:

Director of Nursing at the Fundación Renal Española.

A special experience, education etc.:

Nursing Supervisor in a dialysis unit at the Fundación Renal Española.
Speaker at several conferences, and author of several scientific publications in the renal field.

Guest Speaker Bio

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing.
Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.
Master’s Degree and Specialist Title in Medical-Surgical Nursing, in the area of care for people in chronic situations.
Master’s Degree in Education and Social Intervention.
Postgraduate Specialisation in Bioethics.
Currently completing a Master’s Degree in Clinical and Health Psychology.

Main research interest:

Peritoneal Dialysis, Therapeutic Apheresis, Mental Health in Chronic Illness, Assisted Peritoneal Dialysis, and Evidence-Based Nursing Practice.

Present professional position and workplace:

Nurse in the Nephrology Department at ULS Santo António (and member of the Peritoneal Dialysis team).
Member of the home-based PD care team at Fresenius Medical Care.
Member of the Regional Committee of Experts in Dialysis Techniques of the Portuguese Nurses Association.

A special experience, education etc.:

Invited speaker at various national events and trainer in the field of Nephrology, with a focus on peritoneal dialysis and therapeutic apheresis.

Guest Speaker Bio

Qualifications:

Postdoctoral fellow at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil.
PhD in Nursing Sciences from the University of Porto, Portugal.
Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing.

Main research interest:

Hemodialysis, Chronic Kidney Disease, Dialysis, Vascular Access in Hemodialysis, Education and Training, Nephrology Nursing, and Clinical Management.

Present professional position and workplace:

Professor at the Nursing School of Porto, Portugal.
Scientific Coordinator of the Vascular Studies Group (Vascular Access Center).
Member of the editorial board of several journals.

A special experience, education etc.:

Author of more than 70 papers, including reviews and book chapters, on vascular access, hemodialysis, ultrasound, and various topics related to clinical nephrology.
Council member of Vascular Access Society (VAS).
Member of Kidney Health Professionals Working Group Member of International Society Nephrology (ISN).
Researcher at RISE-Health, University of Porto, Portugal.
Member of the Portuguese Association of Dialysis and Transplant Nurses.

Guest Speaker Bio

Qualifications:

Master’s Degree in International Medicine - Health Crisis Management.

Main research interest:

Clinical Transplantation, Renal Transplantation, Postmortem Donations, Living Donations, Health Crisis Management, and Transplantation Shortage.

Present professional position and workplace:

Clinical Transplant Coordinator, Laiko General Hospital, Athens, Greece.

A special experience, education etc.:

Registered Nurse for 28 years.
Previously worked at the Laiko General Hospital in the Surgery wards (general and vascular) for 12 years, and then for 8 years in the Renal Transplantation Unit.
Participated with e-Poster and oral presentations at several EDTNA/ERCA International Conferences.

Guest Speaker Bio

Qualifications:

MD, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
FEBS.

Main research interest:

Vascular Access Surgery, Endocrine Surgery (mainly parathyroidectomy), Multiorgan Retrieval, and Pancreas Transplantation.

Present professional position and workplace:

Surgical Head of the Renal Transplant Unit, Laiko General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Consultant, Laiko General Hospital, Athens, Greece.

A special experience, education etc.:

Senior Clinical Fellow, St. James’s University Hospital, UK, 2016-2017.
Senior Clinical Fellow, Manchester University Hospital, UK, 2018-2019.
Locum Consultant, Barts Health NHS Trust, UK, 2019-2020.
Locum Consultant, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, UK, 2021-2022.