Kathryn Maitland is Professor of Paediatrics at Imperial College, London and is based full-time in East Africa, where she leads a research group whose portfolio includes severe malaria, bacterial sepsis and severe malnutrition in children. Her team conducted the largest trial in critically children ever undertaken in Africa (FEAST trial) examining fluid resuscitation strategies in children with severe febrile illness, showing that fluid boluses increased mortality. She has also lead the landmark TRACT trial, investigating transfusion and other treatment strategies in 3800 African children severe life-threatening anaemia, and the COAST trial (Children Oxygenation Administration Strategies Trial) examining the optimum oxygen saturation threshold for which oxygen should be targeted and how best to administer oxygen, by high flow or low flow, in 4200 severely ill African children. In recognition of her contribution to medical research and healthcare she was recently elected to Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Twitter:  @KathMaitland

Dr. Elizabeth George is a statistician and researcher with 15 years of experience working on clinical trials focused on acutely ill children presenting to hospitals in Africa. She has contributed to award-winning large trials that have challenged the status quo, led to changes in guidelines, and provided crucial evidence supporting existing guidelines. These trials have sparked numerous global debates and discussions. Her work has included trials on fluid resuscitation for pediatric shock, blood transfusion volumes for severe anemia, antibiotics for severe malaria and bacterial co-infection, and fluids for children with gastroenteritis with or without severe malnutrition.

Dr. George leads subsequent analyses, publications, and dissemination projects from these trials, developing analysis plans and collaborating closely with colleagues. She has also served as a trial statistician for smaller trials that have clarified underlying mechanisms and helped inform future research.

Dr. George is passionate about conducting high-quality clinical trials to answer critical questions and provide evidence for treatment guidelines for children presenting to hospitals in Africa.

Twitter:  @lcgeorge13

Lee-anne Chapple is the Senior Critical Care Dietitian at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, and Associate Professor at the University of Adelaide in Australia. She leads the intensive care nutrition research program at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, focusing on protein delivery and utilisation, post-ICU nutrition, and recovery.

A/Prof Chapple has collaborated on more than 90 research publications and received more than $10 million Australian dollars in research funding. She was the post-doctoral research fellow and co-Project Manager for the TARGET Protein trial. 

Twitter:  @LSChapple

Matt is a Research Dietitian at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and PhD candidate at University of Adelaide. Matt has worked within the Intensive Care Unit Research Department at the Royal Adelaide Hospital for over 15 year and most recently co-project managed the TARGET Protein Trial.

Matt commenced his PhD in July 2022 and is anticipated to complete this by the end of 2025. The focus of Matt’s doctoral research is to evaluate enteral protein delivery and protein metabolism in the critically ill.

Twitter:  @msummo2

Once he appreciated that being both scared of short pitched bowling and having a weakness against the swinging ball outside off-stump were major impediments to his dream of batting first drop for the Australian cricket team, Adam transitioned his career aspirations to medicine.

He currently pays the mortgage with employment as Staff Specialist, Head of Intensive Care Unit Research, and Deputy Director Intensive Care Unit at The Royal Melbourne Hospital. His academic appointments include Professorial Fellow in Intensive Care and Deputy Director of the Department of Critical Care Medicine at the University of Melbourne. From an earlier age, Adam developed a passion for frozen milk-based foods that stimulate sweet taste receptors. He continues to enjoy
following this passion whenever possible.

Twitter:  @MelbourneICU

Darren Taichman, MD, PhD, MACP is a pulmonary and critical care physician who practices and teaches at the University of Pennsylvania.  At Penn, he was Director of the intensive care unit and led research programs focused on critical care medicine and pulmonary vascular disease.  Dr. Taichman’s editorial work began in 2007 at the Annals of Internal Medicine, where he was the Executive Editor as well as Vice President of the American College of Physicians, the largest medical specialty organization in the United States.  He served as Secretary of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors from 2014 – 2021.  In 2020, Dr. Taichman was appointed Deputy Editor and Online Editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, as well as the Executive Strategy Editor for the NEJM Group.  He continues to teach and see patients at the University of Pennsylvania, with a specific focus on the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.