Professor Prem Puri, the Newman Clinical Research Professor at the University College Dublin is a globally recognized leader in pediatric surgery. He is a Past President of the World Federation of Associations of Pediatric Surgeons (WOFAPS), the European Pediatric Surgeons Association (EUPSA) and the WOFAPS Foundation.
Professor Puri served as the Editor-in-Chief of Pediatric Surgery International from 2001 to 2021, and is on the Editorial Board of several other journals. As Director of Research (1989-2009) and later President (2009-2016) of the National Children's Research Centre at Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Dublin, he led the largest pediatric research institute in Ireland.
Renowned for his pioneering research into the mechanisms and management of congenital disorders, Professor Puri's work has significantly advanced global clinical practices. His groundbreaking research on vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) led to the development of a minimally invasive 15-minute endoscopic procedure that replaced traditional open surgery and transformed patient care worldwide.
Professor Puri is one of the most widely cited pediatric surgical researchers in the world. His research work has been cited over 27,500 times in peer-reviewed articles with h-index of 83 and i10-index of 534. He has published 11 books and monographs, 147 chapters in textbooks and over 700 articles in peer-reviewed journals.
He has been awarded many Honorary Memberships/Fellowships, including the American Surgical Association (ASA), German Society of Surgery, Association of Surgeons of India, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Pediatric Surgical Association, Canadian Association of Pediatric Surgeons, Japanese Society of Pediatric Surgeons, and Argentinean, Austrian, Canadian, Czech, Croatian, Cuban, Indian, and South African pediatric surgical associations.
Professor Atsuyuki Yamataka is a distinguished figure in pediatric surgery and currently holds the position of Special Professor at the Department of Pediatric General and Urogenital Surgery at Juntendo University School of Medicine in Tokyo. He also serves as a Visiting Professor in the Department of Gastrointestinal and Pediatric Surgery at Tokyo Medical University. From 2006 to 2024, he was Professor and Chief of Pediatric Surgery at Juntendo University.
A recognized leader in minimally invasive pediatric surgery, Professor Yamataka is Past President of the International Pediatric Endosurgery Group (IPEG), the Asian Association of Pediatric Surgeons, and the Pacific Association of Pediatric Surgeons. He is an Associate Editor of both the Journal of Pediatric Surgery and the European Journal of Pediatric Surgery, and serves on the Executive Editorial Board of Pediatric Surgery International.
His prolific academic contributions include over 500 peer-reviewed publications. His key research interests span the developmental biology of Hirschsprung's disease, pediatric hepatobiliary disorders, and emerging fields such as organoid research.
His excellence in academic mentorship and clinical innovation has earned him honorary memberships in premier organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Pediatric Surgical Association, and the European Paediatric Surgeons' Association.
He is a sought-after speaker, having been invited as guest lecturer at over 100 international scientific meetings, and has served as visiting professor at leading universities across the globe.
