Dr Jean-Paul Praud is a pediatric pulmonologist with a PhD degree in respiratory physiology. After completing his MD and PhD studies in Paris, France, and a research fellowship in Sherbrooke, Canada, he got a position at the University of Sherbrooke in 1990, where he is still affiliated. Dr Praud’s clinical interests have focused predominantly on sleep-disordered breathing, cardiorespiratory events of prematurity and sudden infant death syndrome, as well as home non-invasive respiratory support for the last 40 years. Dr Praud’s research program mainly focuses on cardiorespiratory events and respiratory function of the larynx in early life. This includes studies in full-term and preterm lambs—a unique preclinical model from his lab—on swallowing-breathing coordination, laryngeal chemoreflexes, non-invasive respiratory support and gastro-esophageal reflux. He is the author of more than 200 articles and book chapters. Dr Praud was a founder and directed the Center for Mother-Child Research at the University of Sherbrooke for more than 15 years. He was also president of the Mentorship Committee for Young Researchers at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences for 10 years. Dr Praud cofounded both the International Congress on Pediatric Pulmonology (CIPP) (he was President of CIPP in 2002) and the International Course on Pediatric Pulmonology (he served as President every year from 2007 to 2023). Lastly, he has been involved in the launching of INSPiRED, the International Society for Pediatric Respiratory Diseases, where he serves as International Liaison Officer. Dr Praud has received several awards and distinctions in recognition of his achievements. He held the Canada Research Chair in Neonatal Respiratory Physiology from 2009 to 2023. He was inducted as a Fellow to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in 2010. He was nominated Emeritus Researcher, University of Sherbrooke, in 2024. He is the recipient of a Lifelong Achievement Award in Pediatric Pulmonology from the Canadian Thoracic Society and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Rennes, France, in 2025.

Dr. Martí Pons-Odena, MD PhD is a senior consultant in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Barcelona Children’s Hospital – Hospital Sant Joan de Déu and serves as the coordinator of the hospital’s Pediatric Home Ventilation Program. He is also affiliated with the University of Barcelona. His clinical and academic work focuses on critical care and long-term respiratory support for pediatric patients. Dr. Pons' main clinical interest is respiratory care in critically ill patients and patients requiring long-term mechanical ventilation. His research field focuses on mechanical ventilation, especially non-invasive ventilation. He has published more than 70 studies in indexed journals (H-index 17). In 2015 he published the third edition of the book “NIV in Pediatrics” written in collaboration with Dr. Medina. In 2024, he was co-editor of the book “ Prolonged and Long-Term Mechanical Ventilation in Children ”. Founding member of the respiratory work groups of the Spanish Society of Pediatric Intensive Care (SECIP) and the European Society of Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care (ESPNIC), he has been Chair of both. He has actively participated in NIV research and teaching internationally, participating in multiple courses and presentations at international conferences, highlighting some editions of the NIV workshops in EPNV and World Congress of the Federation of Intensive Care Societies (WFPICCs) meetings since 2011. He also has participated as speaker in a few JIVD meetings in Lyon and ERS Mechanical Ventilation Conference in Berlin 2020. He also organizes a biennial International Pediatric NIV meeting in Barcelona since 2013. Last one in 2024 overlapped with the 1st International Home Pediatric mechanical ventilation meeting Detailed information on Linkedin http://lnkd.in/hP2ZFb