Speakers
Join an international panel of leading orthopedic experts and thought leaders as they share groundbreaking research, innovative techniques and forward-thinking strategies. This free, online event gives you direct access to the voices driving the future of orthopedic care.
Mike Edmonds
Keynote Speaker (UK)
Professor Michael Edmonds is a Consultant Physician at King’s College Hospital, London, specializing in diabetic foot care and amputation prevention. In 1981, he founded one of the world’s first multidisciplinary diabetic foot clinics, achieving a 50% reduction in major amputations and helping shape the 1989 St. Vincent Declaration goal to halve diabetes-related amputations.
A past Chairman of the Diabetic Foot Study Group of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, Professor Edmonds is a co-author of Managing the Diabetic Foot and A Practical Manual of Diabetic Foot Care, named BMA Book of the Year in 2004. He has received multiple international honors, including the Karel Bakker Award and the DFSG Achievement Award, in recognition of his contributions to diabetic foot care and advocacy.
Joseph Mills
MD (USA)
Dr. Joseph Mills is the Reid Professor of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy at Baylor College of Medicine and Director of the BCM STEP (Save The Extremity Program) in Houston, Texas. A past President of the Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society, he is the first author of the SVS WIfI classification, which helped redefine chronic limb-threatening ischemia, particularly in patients with diabetes.
Dr. Mills is a co-editor of Rutherford’s Vascular Surgery (7th–9th editions), serves on multiple editorial boards, and is a Vascular Surgery Section Co-Chief Editor for UpToDate. As principal investigator on more than 45 clinical trials focused on limb salvage, chronic limb-threatening ischemia, and diabetic foot ulcers, he is widely recognized as a leading authority in vascular surgery and limb preservation.
Alexander Kirienko
MD (Italy)
Professor Alexander Kirienko is Head of the Division of External Fixation and Bone Lengthening at Humanitas Research Hospital and a direct disciple of Professor Gavriil Ilizarov. With more than 30 years of experience, he is internationally recognized for his expertise in the Ilizarov method and the treatment of complex orthopedic and traumatologic conditions.
His clinical focus includes circular external fixation, bone deformity correction, limb lengthening, fracture complications, infections, congenital conditions, and complex foot deformities. Professor Kirienko trained in Russia under Professor Ilizarov himself and is an active member of leading international orthopedic societies, including the AAOS, LLRS, EPOS, and SIOT.
Christopher E. Attinger
MD (USA)
Dr. Christopher E. Attinger is a board-certified plastic surgeon at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC, and a world-renowned expert in limb reconstruction, wound care, and limb salvage. He serves as Director of the Center for Wound Healing and Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, where he has spent more than three decades advancing patient care and surgical innovation.
Dr. Attinger is the recipient of the prestigious John Boswick Award for global leadership and lifelong achievement in wound care. He has authored numerous book chapters, delivered hundreds of invited lectures worldwide, and led widely cited research that has significantly advanced the fields of wound healing and limb preservation.
Vinod Panchbhavi
MD (USA)
Dr. Vinod Panchbhavi is Editor-in-Chief of Techniques in Foot and Ankle Surgery and serves on the editorial boards of leading publications, including Foot and Ankle International and FootEducation.com. He is also a reviewer for major orthopedic journals such as The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research.
Dr. Panchbhavi is Chairman of the Postgraduate Training Committee of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society and is a Fellow of both the American College of Surgeons and the Royal College of Surgeons of England, reflecting his leadership and influence in foot and ankle surgery education and research.
Dane K. Wukich
MD (USA)
Dr. Dane K. Wukich is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Prosthetics and Orthotics at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Associate Dean for Innovation and Advancement at the UT Southwestern School of Health Professions. He is Editor-in-Chief of the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot Charcot guidelines and a recognized leader in Charcot foot reconstruction.
Dr. Wukich has authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and multiple book chapters, served as co-editor of The Foot in Diabetes, and lectured internationally. His contributions to diabetic foot research and care have been recognized with the Roger E. Pecoraro, MD Award from the American Diabetes Association.
Rodica Busui
MD, PHD (USA)
Dr. Rodica Busui is Professor and Chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, and Director of the Harold Schnitzer Diabetes Health Center at Oregon Health & Science University. She served as the 2023 President for Medicine and Science of the American Diabetes Association and is an internationally recognized leader in diabetes and diabetes-related complications.
Dr. Busui’s research focuses on diabetic neuropathy, diabetic foot complications, cardiovascular and kidney disease, and the use of novel technologies in diabetes care. She has led and contributed to numerous landmark clinical trials, published more than 300 peer-reviewed manuscripts, and is widely recognized for her leadership in advancing research, clinical practice, and education in diabetes care.
Lawrence Lavery
DPM (USA)
Dr. Lawrence A. Lavery is Professor and Director of Clinical Research in the Department of Plastic Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He is Editor of Clinical Care of the Diabetic Foot and has published over 320 peer-reviewed papers and textbook chapters. His research, funded by organizations including the NIH, ADA, Veterans Administration, and professional societies, focuses on advancing the care of patients with diabetic foot complications.
Sicco Bus
PhD (Netherlands)
Sicco Bus is a human movement scientist and a professor of clinical biomechanics and principal investigator at the Amsterdam University Medical Center in the Netherlands. Sicco completed his doctoral dissertation on the structural and functional aspects of the neuropathic foot in diabetes. In his work at the department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Amsterdam UMC, Sicco leads and supervises research on lower-extremity biomechanics and injury prevention in diabetes and sports.
Sicco is member of the board and program leader for Rehabilitation & Development of the Amsterdam Movement Sciences research institute. He is also member of the editorial board and of the ulcer prevention and offloading working groups of the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) on guideline development. Sicco is the chair of the International Symposium on the Diabetic Foot (ISDF) 2027 and chair of the study group of Neurovascular Complications of Diabetes in the Netherlands.
QiKai Hua
MD (China)
Dr. Qikai Hua is Director and Professor at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University and a recognized pioneer in the management of severe diabetic foot disease using Transverse Tibial Transport (TTT). Since 2014, he has played a leading role in advancing and refining this innovative limb salvage technique.
Dr. Hua holds numerous national and international leadership positions in orthopedic surgery, external fixation, and limb reconstruction, and is widely recognized for his contributions to diabetic foot treatment, microcirculation regeneration, and bone transport methodologies.
Venu Kavarthapu
FRCS (UK)
Professor Venu Kavarthapu, FRCS (Tr&Orth), is the immediate past President of the International Association of Diabetic Foot Surgeons and a Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in lower limb reconstruction. He practices at King’s College Hospital in London, where he leads a nationally recognized multidisciplinary complex foot surgery service.
Professor Kavarthapu holds academic appointments at King’s College London and the University of Southern Denmark and serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of Clinical Orthopedics and Trauma. He is widely respected for his expertise in complex foot and ankle surgery and diabetic limb reconstruction.
Nina Petrova
MD, PhD (UK)
Dr Nina Petrova is a Clinical Researcher in the Diabetic Foot Clinic at King’s College Hospital and a Senior Lecturer at King’s College London. She has more than 25 years of experience in research in diabetic foot disease with a special interest in the field of Charcot osteoarthropathy. Her work has been supported by grants from Diabetes UK, the Diabetes Research and Wellness Foundation, the European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes and the National Institute for Health Care Research.
Dr Petrova is a member of the Charcot Guidance Group of the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot. She is regularly invited to lecture at esteemed national and international meetings, conferences and courses. She has recently developed and launched King's Diabetic Foot Unit “Global Online Research Afternoon" webinar series, focused on advancing research and clinical practice in diabetic foot disease.
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Geno Tai
MD (USA)
Geno Tai, MD, MBA, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases and completed fellowship training at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Tai’s clinical and academic focus is orthopedic infectious diseases. He is an active member of the Musculoskeletal Infection Society and has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications on the diagnosis, microbiology, and optimal antimicrobial management of complex musculoskeletal infections.
Armin Koller
MD (Germany)
Dr. Armin Koller, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in technical orthopedics, diabetic foot reconstruction, and complex lower limb disorders. He currently serves as Chief of the Division of Technical Orthopaedics and Co-Chief of the Interdisciplinary Diabetic Foot Centre at Mathias-Hospital Rheine in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Dr. Koller completed his medical education at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster and has been a board-certified orthopedic surgeon since 1998. His clinical expertise includes congenital lower leg deformities, neuromuscular disorders, amputation medicine, and diabetic foot syndrome. A founding member and past President (2014–2017) of the International Association of Diabetic Foot Surgeons, Dr. Koller is widely recognized for his leadership in diabetic foot care and his contributions to international education and guideline development.
Chris Manu
MD (USA)
Dr. Chris Manu is a Consultant Diabetologist at King’s College Hospital, London, where he has served since 2016 and currently leads the Diabetic Foot Service. He played a key role in establishing the South East London multidisciplinary diabetic foot network and has led initiatives to improve access to timely care, including streamlined “one-stop” assessment and day-case surgical pathways.
His research focuses on peripheral arterial disease and vascular risk in patients with diabetic foot complications. Dr. Manu is actively involved in advancing care at both national and international levels, collaborating across Europe to develop improved diabetic foot services and care pathways, with a continued focus on improving patient outcomes.
Emiliano Malagoli
MD (Italy)
Dr. Emiliano Malagoli is an Orthopaedic Surgeon specializing in deformity correction, complex post-traumatic reconstruction, and limb lengthening using the Ilizarov method and advanced external fixation techniques. He has spent over a decade working alongside his mentor, Alexander Kirienko, at the Istituto Clinico Humanitas in Milan, treating complex limb salvage and reconstructive cases.
Dr. Malagoli has trained internationally at leading centers including the Hospital for Special Surgery, the Paley Institute, and Sanford Health, integrating traditional Ilizarov principles with modern surgical approaches. He serves as a Board Member of the Italian Society of External Fixation and is actively involved in research, education, and advancing the field of limb reconstruction.
Filippo Vandenbulcke
MD (Italy)
Dr. Filippo Vandenbulcke is an Orthopaedic Surgeon at Humanitas Research Hospital, specializing in limb lengthening, deformity correction, and complex reconstruction within the Ilizarov Method Unit led by Dr. Alexander Kirienko. He holds a PhD in Molecular and Experimental Medicine from Humanitas University and has international experience as an Honorary Consultant with the Liverpool Limb Reconstruction Service in the UK.
His research focuses on bone infections and the development of antibacterial bone substitutes, with experience in pre-clinical animal models. Dr. Vandenbulcke is actively involved in scientific research and currently serves as Scientific Secretary of the Italian Society of External Fixation (SIFE).
Baufu Wei
MD PhD (China)
Baofu Wei, MD, PhD, is Director of the Foot and Hand Orthopedic Surgery Service at Shandong Linyi People’s Hospital in China. He completed a research fellowship in Orthopedic Foot, Ankle, and Sports Medicine at Duke University.
Dr. Wei is a surgical anatomist and accomplished author, serving as editor of the Surgical Atlas of Foot and Ankle and co-editor of Surgical Atlas: Arthroscopic Techniques and Anatomy of the Foot and Ankle, published by Springer.
Yongsheng Chen
MBBS (Singapore)
Yongsheng Chen, MBBS, is an Adjunct Associate Professor and Head of Division and Consultant in Orthopedic Trauma Surgery at the National University Hospital and Ng Teng Fong General Hospital in Singapore. He specializes in limb salvage surgery, using advanced techniques to help patients avoid major amputation.
In 2024, Dr. Chen became the first to introduce Transverse Tibial Transport (TTT) to Singapore, advancing treatment options and improving limb salvage outcomes for patients with severe diabetic foot infections.
Gang Li
MD PhD (China)
Gang Li, MD, PhD, is a Professor and Principal Investigator at the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, where he also directs the Center for Locomotor System Regenerative Medicine and Technology. He has held academic and research positions at leading institutions including Oxford University, Queen’s University Belfast, and The Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Dr. Li’s research focuses on stem cell biology, musculoskeletal tissue engineering, and innovative applications of distraction osteogenesis. He is активно involved in academic publishing, serving as Executive Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Orthopaedic Translation and on the editorial boards of several leading journals.
Alex Wee
MD (UK)
Alex Wee, MBBS, is an Orthopedic and Trauma Consultant Surgeon at Frimley Park Hospital, appointed in 2006 following fellowships at Addenbrooke’s and Stanmore. He specializes in foot and ankle surgery, with a focus on diabetic foot infection, Charcot reconstruction, neurological deformities, and complex hindfoot conditions. He serves as the orthopedic clinical lead for diabetic foot surgery and is an active member of the multidisciplinary team.
Dr. Wee is the founder and co-chair of the Surrey Ankle Society and plays a key role in education as supervising consultant for the Surrey foot and ankle fellowship. He is also involved in registrar training, works as a Medical Examiner, and holds a Master’s degree in Bioethics and Medical Law.
Christopher Gross
MD (USA)
Dr. Christopher E. Gross is a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Director of the Foot and Ankle Division at the Medical University of South Carolina. He completed his fellowship at Duke University Medical Center and residency at Rush University Medical Center, after graduating from Harvard Medical School. His clinical focus is on complex ankle reconstruction and cartilage injuries, including end-stage ankle arthritis.
Dr. Gross leads a multidisciplinary research division utilizing artificial intelligence, advanced implant design, and long-term patient outcomes. He has authored over 140 journal articles, 40 textbook chapters, and a textbook on Foot and Ankle Orthopedic Surgery, and has delivered more than 350 presentations nationally and internationally.
John Steinberg
DPM FACFAS (USA)
Dr. John Steinberg is a Professor in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Georgetown University School of Medicine and System Chief for Podiatric Surgery at MedStar Health. He co-directs the Center for Wound Healing at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and serves as Program Director for the MedStar Health Georgetown Podiatric Surgery Residency, with a focus on multidisciplinary teaching and diabetic limb salvage.
Board-certified in foot surgery and reconstructive rearfoot and ankle surgery, Dr. Steinberg completed his DPM at Barry University and fellowship training in diabetic foot and limb salvage at the University of Texas. He has authored over 200 papers, published the textbook Functional Limb Salvage: The Multidisciplinary Team Approach, and lectures internationally on diabetic limb salvage.
Alan Yan
MD (USA)
Alan Y. Yan, MD, is Chief Foot and Ankle Surgeon and Director of the Sanford Limb Preservation Center at USD Sioux Falls. He previously served as Assistant Professor and Director of Research for Foot and Ankle Injury at UPMC and Assistant Professor at Creighton University Medical Center. Dr. Yan completed his residency at Johns Hopkins and fellowships at Duke University and the University of Minnesota.
He holds several leadership roles with the AAOS and AOFAS and contributes to medical literature as co-editor of Surgical Atlas: Arthroscopic Techniques and Anatomy of Foot and Ankle and the second edition of Ilizarov Technique for Complex Foot and Ankle Deformities.
Mikhail Samchukov
MD (USA)
Dr. Samchukov is a global expert in distraction osteogenesis and external fixation, serving as Co-Director of the Center for Excellence in Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. He is also an Associate Professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Texas A&M University System Health Science Center. He earned his medical degree at Khabarovsk Medical Institute in Russia and previously served as Deputy General Director of the Ilizarov Orthopedic Research Center.
His research focuses on limb lengthening, deformity correction, bone transport, and external skeletal fixation. Dr. Samchukov is a co-developer of multiple TrueLok external fixation systems, holds 134 patents, and has authored 52 book chapters, 95 peer-reviewed articles, and 328 abstracts. He has edited five books and manuals and is widely recognized internationally for his contributions to the field, frequently presenting at global symposiums.
Gonzalo Bastías
MD (Chile)
Gonzalo F. Bastías, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in foot and ankle surgery at Clínica Las Condes and Hospital del Trabajador in Santiago, Chile. His clinical and research focus includes foot and ankle trauma, circular external fixation, complex deformity correction, and diabetic foot reconstruction.
Dr. Bastías has authored numerous publications and book chapters and collaborates internationally on advanced reconstructive and minimally invasive techniques. He serves on the board of the Chilean Orthopaedic and Traumatology Society, is a past president of the Chilean Foot and Ankle Surgery Society and the Chilean Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Society, and participates in humanitarian surgical programs worldwide.
Patrick Burns
DPM (USA)
Dr. Burns graduated summa cum laude from the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine in 2000 and was named Alumni of the Year in 2023. He completed his residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and further trained at the Russian Ilizarov Scientific Center for Restorative Traumatology and Orthopaedics. He also serves on the faculty of AO North America, training residents and practicing physicians in external fixation techniques.
Dr. Burns practices within the West Virginia University Medicine Health System, where he established the state’s first podiatric residency program. His clinical and educational focus includes fracture management, arthroplasty, patient-specific implants, complex foot and ankle deformity, and neuropathic limb preservation.
Peter Bellezza
DPM (USA)
Dr. Bellezza is a board certified podiatrist with experience in hospital-based practice and podiatry locum work. He is proficient in managing foot and ankle trauma, elective foot and ankle reconstruction, total ankle replacement, limb salvage, wound care, at risk diabetic foot care and outpatient podiatric clinical procedures for common foot and ankle pathologies. Dr. Bellezza works for Avera Orthopedic/Medical Group, serving South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa.
Chen Wang
MD (USA)
Dr. Chen Wang is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in foot and ankle surgery as well as sports medicine. He is currently a Research Associate at UTHealth Houston and will begin a Sports Medicine and Shoulder Fellowship there in August 2026. Prior to relocating to the United States, Dr. Wang practiced at National University Hospital in Singapore and Huashan Hospital in Shanghai, China. In 2017, he completed a clinical fellowship in Switzerland under the mentorship of Beat Hintermann, a world-renowned expert in foot and ankle surgery.
Dr. Wang has extensive academic portfolio, with more than 60 peer-reviewed publications and over 1,000 citations worldwide (H-index 21). He holds more than 20 patents and actively contributes to the academic community as a reviewer for leading orthopedic journals, including AJSM, KSSTA, and Foot & Ankle International. He has completed over 30 peer reviews for top-tier international journals. His works have contributed to two international orthopedic guidelines, and one of his studies was recognized among the most important orthopedic findings of 2016.
Petricio Fuentes
MD (Chile)
Dr. Patricio Fuentes Carvajal is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in foot and ankle surgery and limb reconstruction, with a particular focus on diabetic foot management, bone transport techniques, and complex lower limb deformities. He has extensive experience in transverse tibial transport (TTT) and circular external fixation, and is actively involved in the development and teaching of minimally invasive reconstructive techniques.
Dr. Fuentes serves as faculty in multiple humanitarian programs in his country and leads advanced courses on bone transport and limb salvage strategies across South America.
His clinical and academic work is centered on optimizing outcomes in challenging reconstructive cases, combining innovation with practical surgical solutions. Dr. Fuentes is Past President of the Chilean Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Society.
