KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Prof. Vincent Grégoire

Head of the Radiation Oncology Department, Léon Bérard Cancer Center

Professor Vincent Grégoire graduated as a Medical Doctor (MD) in 1987 from the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium. He was board certified in Radiation Oncology in Belgium in 1994 and obtained his PhD in Radiation Biology in 1996 after a fellowship at the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam (The Netherlands) and at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston (USA).

Since his return from the USA, Prof. Grégoire was appointed at the Academic Hospital of the Catholic University of Louvain in Brussels (Belgium) where he was the Director of the Center for Molecular Imaging, Oncology and Radiotherapy, Full Professor in Radiation Oncology, and Head of Clinic in the Department of Radiation Oncology. From May 1st 2018, Prof. Vincent Grégoire is the Head of the Radiation Oncology Dept. at the Léon Bérard Cancer Center in Lyon (France). He coordinates the Head and Neck Radiation Oncology program where the publication of the consensus guidelines for selection and delineation of target volumes brought him worldwide recognition.

Beside his clinical activities, Vincent Grégoire has been running a translational research program on tumor microenvironment, on the integration of functional and molecular imaging for treatment planning, and on the molecular basis of increased radiosensitivity in HPV-infected cells. Vincent Grégoire has directed or co-directed 15 PhD theses and has authored or co-authored more than 350 peer-reviewed publications and 20 book chapters. He has delivered close to 1000 abstract presentations, lectures or teaching seminars worldwide, including award lectures such as the IFHNOS KK Ang lecture in 2014 and the Blair Hesketh BAHNO Memorial Lecture in 2015. He is member of the editorial board of Radiotherapy & Oncology and is a member of numerous scientific societies, including ASTRO and ESTRO, on which he serves on various committees. He has been the President of ESTRO from 2007 to 2009. Vincent GREGOIRE is the past vice-President of the board of EORTC, past-Chairman of the Radiation Oncology Group of the EORTC and of the Head & Neck group of the EORTC. Vincent Grégoire was acting chairman of an ICRU Report Committee on "dose prescription, specification and reporting in IMRT”. He has been nominated chairman of ICRU in October 2018. In 2008, he was awarded Honorary Fellow of the British Royal College of Radiology, and in 2016 Honorary Fellow of the Irish College of Radiology. In 2014 he received the Breur Award from ESTRO and in 2015, he was awarded Honorary ESTRO Physicist. In 2018, he received the Jens Overgaard legacy award from ESTRO.

Dr. Julia Maclean

Clinical Specialist in Speech Pathology, St George Hospital

Professor Julia Maclean, PhD, is the Clinical Specialist in Speech Pathology at St George Hospital, Sydney, and a Conjoint Professor at the University of New South Wales. She is internationally recognised as a leader in the clinical management and education of swallowing and airway disorders, particularly in patients recovering from complex head and neck surgery and oncology treatments, including through the Masters of Deglutology program at KU Leuven.

Julia completed her PhD in 2010, investigating swallowing outcomes following total laryngectomy and obtained a Master of Science in Medicine in 2006, focusing on dysphagia in individuals with Chronic Airflow Limitation. Alongside her clinical and academic roles, she holds a postdoctoral research position in the Motility Unit within the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, where she contributes to developing novel interventions for upper oesophageal sphincter dysfunction and late radiation fibrosis. Her current research focuses on the use of High-Resolution Pharyngeal Manometry to personalise and optimise assessment and treatment outcomes for people with swallowing disorders.

Julia was the first Allied Health professional to serve as President of the Australian and New Zealand Head and Neck Cancer Society — a role that reflects her strong commitment to multidisciplinary models of care and dedication to improving long-term outcomes for those affected by head and neck cancer treatment.

Dr. Brett Miles

Vice President and Regional Director of Otolaryngology, Northwell Health Cancer Institute

A Diplomate of both the American Board of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery and the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery , Dr. Miles is Professor and Chair the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery in the Northwell Health System in New York at Lenox Hill Hospital, Manhattan Eye Ear Throat Hospital. He has extensive expertise in head and neck oncology, microvascular reconstructive surgery, and robotic surgery and is the surgical lead for the disease management team for head and neck cancer at the Northwell Cancer Institute.

Dr. Gouri Pantvaidya

Professor and Head of the Department of Head Neck Surgery, Tata Memorial Centre

Dr. Pantvaidya holds an MS (General Surgery) and a DNB (General Surgery), both awarded in 2001. She also attained an MRCS (Edin) from The Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, in 2003. She completed her training in surgical oncology from the Tata Memorial hospital in 2006. Dr Pantvaidya has been associated with the Tata Memorial Hospital which is the largest tertiary care cancer hospital in India, for the last 18 years. She has extensive experience in the planning, treatment and holistic management of all types of head and neck cancers for over 20 years. She has held progressive roles, including Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor, leading up to her current role as Professor & Head of the Department since August 2023. Dr Pantvaidya is proficient in surgery for advanced and recurrent head neck cancers with special focus on surgery for advanced thyroid cancers, transoral robotic surgery and laser microsurgery.

Dr. Pantvaidya is the current Head of Department of Head and Neck surgery at the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. She has also held numerous administrative roles in her institution. Her research focus revolves around thyroid cancers and management of neck nodes and she is the Principal Investigator for two randomized trials in thyroid cancer. She has also secured significant grants for her research, such as the Terry Fox international grant for her work on intraoperative neuromonitoring. Her work has resulted in numerous publications in prestigious journals, covering topics like Transoral Robotic Surgery (TORS) , management of the neck in oral cancers , and various aspects of adjuvant radiation therapy. She is also a co-Investigator on multiple investigator initiated studies looking at improving outcomes in pateints with head and neck cancers.

Prof. Cesare Piazza

Professor and Chief of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of Brescia, School of Medicine

Cesare Piazza, MD, born in Cremona in 1971, is Full Professor and Chief of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery of the University of Brescia, School of Medicine, since 2020. He received his MD degree at the University of Pavia, Italy in 1996 and completed his Residency Program in Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery in Brescia in 2001. He became Assistant Professor in 2007 and Associate Professor – Chief of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Maxillofacial, and Thyroid Surgery of the National Cancer Institute, University of Milan, Italy in 2017. His clinical and research activities are focused on head and neck oncology, with special emphasis to laryngo-hypopharyngeal, tracheal, oral, thyroid, parotid, sarcoma, laser, and reconstructive microsurgery.

Prof. Piazza is an active member of the European Laryngological Society since 2000, part of its Scientific Council since September 2010, and Past President since June 2023. He authored or co-authored 354 papers in peer-reviewed journals as well as 82 book chapters. His H-index is 50. He delivered over 1200 proffered papers and invited lectures in national and international Congresses and Courses. He serves as Editor of the Current Opinion in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery journal for the Head and Neck Oncology issue since 2010 and is Member of its Editorial Board since 2013. He is Editor in Chief of the Acta Otorhinolaryngologica Italica journal since January 2023.

His surgical activity has been always mainly devoted to head and neck cancer treatment, with more than 8000 surgical procedures performed in this field (of whom 1500 free flaps).

Dr. Prof. Christian Simon

Professor and Chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Vaud (CHUV), University of Lausanne

Prof. Dr. Christian Simon, born on 14.07.1969 in Würzburg/Germany, is the Chair of the ENT University Clinic in the CHUV in Lausanne since February 2012, the Chief Medical Officer of the Center for Head and Neck Tumors at the CHUV since April 2022, and the Director of the Department of Surgery of the CHUV, UNIL, in Lausanne since December 2022. He is an ENT and head and neck surgeon with a special qualification in robotic head and neck surgery. He conducted his basic ENT training at the University of Tübingen, and additional fellowship training at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Washington University in St. Louis, and at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. His scientific work is reflected in numerous studies, translational and international projects on head and neck cancer. He was the Chair of the EORTC Head and Neck Group (HNCG) from 2017 to 2021, the vice chair of the Swiss Head and Neck Group for clinical cancer research (SAKK) between 2019 and 2022, and he is the current secretary of the EORTC-HNCG since 2023. He is board member and treasurer of the European Head and Neck Society (EHNS) and member of the steering committee of the Head and Neck Cancer “Make Sense Campaign”. He is also honorary member of the German Society for Otolaryngology (DGHNO).