Asunción Mejías is Professor of Pediatrics and Vice Chair at the Department of Infectious Diseases at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in Memphis, TN, USA. For the past 25 years Dr. Mejías has been studying the pathogenesis of respiratory viral infections in infants and young children, with special emphasis on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). She has contributed with more than 290 publications including original articles, reviews, editorials and book chapters. She is also an active member of national and international professional organizations where she holds leadership positions, serves as external reviewer for several medical journals as well as professional organizations including NIH or the CDC.

Dr. David Gomez-Pastrana is a senior pediatric pulmonologist with over 25 years of clinical experience in Spain and the United Kingdom, specializing in respiratory disorders such as asthma, recurrent wheezing in infants, airway diseases, and cystic fibrosis. His main clinical and research interests include pediatric tuberculosis and sleep-related breathing disorders. He currently serves as Head of the Pediatrics Department and Director of the Clinical Management Unit at the University Hospital of Jerez, Andalusia. He also leads the Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergy, and Sleep Disorders Unit at Clínica Serman. Dr. Gomez-Pastrana has held multiple clinical fellowships in pediatric respiratory medicine and cystic fibrosis at leading UK hospitals, including Evelina London Children’s Hospital and Royal London Hospital. He is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Cádiz and has extensive involvement in medical education and pediatric residency training. He holds a PhD in Medicine from the University of Seville, where he received the university’s highest doctoral award, and has pursued advanced training in pediatric clinical trials, health economics, biostatistics, and bioethics.

Paediatric Pneumologist Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Universidad de Concepción, Chile. Head of the Paediatric Pneumology Team, Hospital Gmo Grant Benavente, Concepción, Chile; where he currently coordinates the Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation Unit and the Home Mechanical Ventilation, Sleep and Respiratory Rehabilitation programmes. He is the author of more than 70 articles (original and reviews), a book and 10 chapters of textbooks on Paediatrics and Paediatric Pneumology, including the topic of prolonged mechanical ventilation, which he will present at this congress. During 2012 and 2013 he was president of the Chilean Society of Paediatric Pneumology (SOCHINEP), remaining to date as an active member and collaborator in this and other scientific societies in the Paediatric and Respiratory area in Chile and Latin America.

Prof. Prais holds the position of Associate professor at the School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, and has published tens of peer-reviewed articles in medical journals. He is actively involved in medical student teaching, resident training, and research. He is the Director of the Graub Cystic Fibrosis Center and a former member of the Clinical Trials Network executive committee at the European Cystic Fibrosis Society. He is currently the Director of the Pediatric Pulmonology Institute at Schneider Children's Medical Center.