Prof. Rosette Farrugia-Bonello is Deputy Director at the International Institute on Ageing, United Nations-Malta (INIA).  Previously she worked as Co-ordinator at Caritas Malta HelpAge (1996-1999) and as Executive Director of the European Association of Homes and Services for the Ageing (EAHSA), Brussels, Belgium (2012-2015). Rosette graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Communication studies and with a Post-Graduate in Gerontology and Geriatrics from the University of Malta. Part of her undergraduate studies were conducted at Clarion University in Pennsylvania, USA. Rosette also holds a Master of Science in Dementia Studies from the University of Stirling, Scotland, and is a certified Montessori Dementia Care Professional (CMDCP). Over the past years, Rosette has actively engaged with various educational initiatives and human capacity-building training programmes on ageing. Her global reach extends to countries such as China, Dominican Republic, Georgia, India, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Nepal and United Arab Emirates.  Rosette has served as a programme coordinator with the University of the Fourth Age (U4A) in Malta, serves as an honorary member of TATA Institute of Social Sciences, India (TISS); chief editor of INIA’s International Journal on Ageing in Developing Countries and Vice-President of the Maltese Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (MAGG). Her research interests are in dementia studies, healthy and active ageing and ageism.

Patrice Tran Ba Huy, Past President of the French Academy of Medicine, is Professor Emeritus of Paris 7 University. He was head of the ENT department at Lariboisière Hospital from 1995 to 2010 and is a member of the Centre for Sensory-Motor Studies at Paris Descartes University. He was President of the French Society of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery (2008), founding member of the European Academy of Otolaryngology (2008), and president of the European Skull Base Society (2014-2016). He is the author of more than 280 international publications, including several articles on sensory aging

Prof. Dr. Meral Didem Türkyılmaz is a Professor (PhD) of Audiology in the Health Sciences Faculty at Hacettepe University. She has also been working as an audiologist at Hacettepe University Hospitals. She received her MSc (2000) and PhD (2009) degree in Audiology and Speech Pathology from Hacettepe University. She teaches and researches at the Department of Audiology at the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Hacettepe. During her residency at Hacettepe University, she served as a faculty lecturer, clinical supervisor, and researcher of audiology and speech pathology for 27 years. Her main area of research interest includes psychoacoustic procedures in speech and hearing science, speech noise, auditory processing intelligibility in neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders, and auditory evoked potentials.

Dr. Marie-Josiane Ntsama Essomba (MJ Ntsama Essomba) is a researcher and clinician associated with the Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Yaoundé I in Cameroon (Faculté de Médecine et des Sciences Biomédicales – FMSB), focusing on geriatric medicine, internal medicine, sarcopenia, and cognitive impairment, often collaborating with the Yaoundé Central Hospital’s Geriatric Unit. She’s a published author on topics like geriatric syndromes, intrinsic capacity, and aging in Cameroon, working with fellow researchers. 

Dr. Shaun Sabico is Associate Professor and Deputy Director of the Chair for Biomarkers of Chronic Diseases at King Saud University, Riyadh. He earned his PhD in Medical Sciences from Warwick Medical School, UK, and has co-authored nearly 300 peer-reviewed publications and co-edited a book on sarcopenia. He serves on the editorial board of Aging, Clinical and Experimental Research, is Senior Advisor to the WHO Collaborating Center at ULiège, and a member of AACE MENA and ESCEO’s Scientific Advisory Board. He is the recipient of the 2019 ESCEO-IOF Pierre Meunier Young Scientist Award and the 2023 Islene Araujo de Carvalho Prize.

logy using innovative teaching methods that incorporate digital technology and distance learning. He has coordinated several books on geriatrics, including Gériatrie (collection pour le praticien, Elsevier/Masson, 2018) and Gériatrie du Collège National des Enseignants-Chercheurs de Gériatrie (collection référentiels des collèges, Elsevier/Masson, 2014).

He heads the neuro-psychogeriatric geriatrics department at Hôpital Charles Foix in Ivry-sur-Seine and coordinates the hospital’s geriatrics unit. He also provides memory and geriatric consultations at the hospital.

Dr. Eman Almashjary is an American Board-Certified Family and Geriatric Medicine physician and a leading advocate for elderly care in Saudi Arabia. As Director of the Older People Health Care Program at the Ministry of Health, she spearheads initiatives to enhance the well-being of older adults across the Kingdom.

A graduate of King Abdulaziz University, Dr. Almashjary completed her residency and geriatric fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Her dedication to lifelong learning is reflected in her extensive certifications, including licensure in Arizona, and active memberships in both Saudi and international medical societies.

Renowned for her leadership, Dr. Almashjary is also a respected educator and speaker, with national and international presentations on dementia, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, and fall prevention in the elderly. Beyond her clinical and academic contributions, she is passionate about design, crafting, and travel—bringing creativity and compassion to every aspect of her work.

Joël Belmin is Professor of Geriatrics at Sorbonne University in Paris. He coordinates a number of geriatrics and gerontology courses at Sorbonne Université, including the Master 2 Expertise in Gerontology speciality (Master Santé), the Capacité de Gérontologie, and 16 university diplomas covering specific areas of gerontology and geriatrics, some of which relate to Alzheimer’s disease.

He runs the Trans-Innov Longévité programme for Sorbonne University, which focuses on teaching gerontology using innovative teaching methods that incorporate digital technology and distance learning. He has coordinated several books on geriatrics, including Gériatrie (collection pour le praticien, Elsevier/Masson, 2018) and Gériatrie du Collège National des Enseignants-Chercheurs de Gériatrie (collection référentiels des collèges, Elsevier/Masson, 2014).

He heads the neuro-psychogeriatric geriatrics department at Hôpital Charles Foix in Ivry-sur-Seine and coordinates the hospital’s geriatrics unit. He also provides memory and geriatric consultations at the hospital.

Dr. Alexandre Sidorenko is an expert on national and international policy on ageing. His current assignments and affiliations: Senior Advisor, European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research (Vienna, Austria); International Tutor, International Institute on Ageing (United Nations-Malta); Vice Chair, HelpAge International Board of Trustees (London, United Kingdom); Member, Societal Advisory Board for the Joint Programming Initiative More years, better lives (European Union).

Previously, he served as the Chief of the Population Unit, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (Geneva, Switzerland, 2010); Head of the United Nations Programme on Ageing (Vienna – New York, 1988-2009). Within the United Nations, he acted as Coordinator of the International Year of Older Persons (1999). He also coordinated the substantive preparations of the Second World Assembly on Ageing, including the drafting the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, and the global follow-up activities to the Assembly.

Prof. Rosette Farrugia-Bonello is Deputy Director at the International Institute on Ageing, United Nations-Malta (INIA).  Previously she worked as Co-ordinator at Caritas Malta HelpAge (1996-1999) and as Executive Director of the European Association of Homes and Services for the Ageing (EAHSA), Brussels, Belgium (2012-2015). Rosette graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Communication studies and with a Post-Graduate in Gerontology and Geriatrics from the University of Malta. Part of her undergraduate studies were conducted at Clarion University in Pennsylvania, USA. Rosette also holds a Master of Science in Dementia Studies from the University of Stirling, Scotland, and is a certified Montessori Dementia Care Professional (CMDCP). Over the past years, Rosette has actively engaged with various educational initiatives and human capacity-building training programmes on ageing. Her global reach extends to countries such as China, Dominican Republic, Georgia, India, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Nepal and United Arab Emirates.  Rosette has served as a programme coordinator with the University of the Fourth Age (U4A) in Malta, serves as an honorary member of TATA Institute of Social Sciences, India (TISS); chief editor of INIA’s International Journal on Ageing in Developing Countries and Vice-President of the Maltese Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (MAGG). Her research interests are in dementia studies, healthy and active ageing and ageism.