Professor Prem Puri ,MBBS, LRCP, LRCS(Ed), DCH, MS, FRCS, FRCS(Ed),FACS, FC Paed Surg(SA)(Hon), FAAP(Hon), D.Sc(Hon) is the Newman Clinical Research Professor at the University College Dublin School of Medicine and Medical Science and Consultant Paediatric Surgeon at the Beacon Hospital. He is currently the President of the World Federation of Associations of Paediatric Surgeons (WOFAPS) FOUNDATION and Secretary of the International Board of Pediatric Surgical Research. He is Past President of the World Federation of Associations of Pediatric Surgeons (WOFAPS), and Past President of the European Paediatric Surgeons Association (EUPSA). He is Editor-in-Chief of Paediatric Surgery International, and also on the Editorial Board of several other journals. He was the Director of Research at the National Children's Research Centre (NCRC), Dublin, Ireland from 1989-2009 and President of the NCRC from 2009-2016. He has been awarded many Honorary Fellowships, including the American Surgical Association (ASA), American Academy of Paediatrics, American Paediatric Surgical Association, Canadian Association of Pediatric Surgeons, Japanese Society of Pediatric Surgeons, and also Argentinean, Austrian, Canadian, Czech, Croatian, Cuban, Indian, South African and Ukrainian paediatric surgical associations. Professor Puri is known internationally for his research into underlying mechanisms causing birth defects, and innovative treatments, which have benefited children all over the world. He is a multi award-winning researcher whose previous awards include People of the Year Award (Highest Irish National Award), the prestigious Denis Browne Gold Medal by the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons and Rehbein Medal by the European Paediatric Surgeons Association for outstanding contribution to paediatric surgery. He has been a visiting professor to many leading universities all over the world, and invited speaker at over 250 international scientific meetings. He has published 10 books, 147 chapters in textbooks and over 700 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He is the Editor of Newborn Surgery regarded as the authoritative book in the field, and the 4th edition is now published, and also of the widely acclaimed Pediatric Surgery (Atlas Series) which is in its 2nd edition. His research has been cited over 20,000 times in peer-reviewed articles. Michael E. Höllwarth was a professor and head of the Univ. Clinic of Paediatric and Adolescent Surgery at the Medical University of Graz/Austria from 1997 to 2012 and is currently professor emeritus. He was president of the Austrian Paediatric Surgical Association and founding president of the European Paediatric Surgeon's Association (EUPSA). He was the president of the Austrian Committee of Injury Prevention in Childhood for 21 years and is currently honorary president of this Association.He published over 250articles in peer-reviewed paediatric surgical journals, more than 30 book chapters and is editor or co-editor of 4 books. Höllwarth recieved several prestigious national and international awards and honors, among them the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons and from the World Federation of Pediatric Surgical Associations (WOFAPS), the Rehbein Medal from the European Paediatric Surgeon's Association (EUPSA), the Denis Browne Gold Medal from the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons (BAPS) and the Kafka Medal from the Czech Associations of Pediatric Surgeons. He is an honorary doctor of the Stradins University in Riga/Latvia and was decorated with Gold Medal of the Styrian Government and the great Silver Medal of the Austrian Government.
