Professor Ashford qualified from the Glasgow School in 1970’s. He was the first UK podiatrist to secure a professorship which was followed, on his retirement from academia, as the first Emeritus Professorship of a podiatrist in the UK. He has taught in four UK schools of podiatry, two of which he was a head of school. In addition to his podiatry qualification, he holds five academic degrees. He has published over 130 academic papers in podiatry and related disciplines. In addition to his diamond and meritorious awards from the Royal College of Podiatry, London, he is a Fellow of the aforementioned College, a founding member and Fellow of the Faculty of Podiatric Medicine, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquities of Scotland and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK. He is a Past Dean of the Faculty of Podiatric Medicine, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, a Visiting Professor at Staffordshire University and holds a Professorship with Shifa University, Pakistan. Only recently he has secured a part-time lecturing position with the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. Furthermore, he served on the Science Council UK as a trustee during his academic career. Professor Ashford is also involved with many charity organisations, most notably he is the Hospitaller for England and Wales in The and Hospitaller Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem.
Brendan Bennett, a graduate of the University of Wales in Podiatric Medicine has been engaged in advocacy for the profession for over 30 years. Starting with directorship of the Canadian Association of Foot Professionals, then of the Canadian Federation of Podiatric Medicine. He has had several terms as president of the Nova Scotia Podiatry Association, focusing on podiatric legislative initiatives to the Provincial statutes. In 2004 he joined the Canadian Federal Agreement on Internal Trade as a member of the pan Canadian Podiatry Consortium where he was appointed chairman through its conclusion in 2014. This process included a comprehensive occupational analysis of the different Podiatry programs. Brendan has been active in the policy, education, and regulatory aspects of the profession and is currently acting on the Executive of the Canadia Podiatric Medical Association, American Board of Podiatric Medicine International, Canadian Board for the Certification of Podiatric Medicine, and as a member of the Global Podiatry Network. He was awarded a Fellowship of the Faculty of Podiatric Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Glasgow), and a Fellowship of the Royal College of Podiatry in Podiatric Medicine.
Dr. Garoufalis is a Past President of the American Podiatric Medical Association and is the Past President of the International Federation of Podiatrists. Dr. Garoufalis was a Senior Attending and the former Podiatric Surgery Residency Director at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center. He was also an Attending Physician at Hines VA Medical Center. He has a private practice in Chicago and is part of the AMITA Health System. Dr. Garoufalis is Board Certified by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery and American Board of Podiatric Medicine with Added Qualification in Wound Care and Limb Preservation. He is a Founding Fellow of American Society of Podiatric Surgeons and a Fellow of American College of Podiatric Medicine. Dr. Garoufalis is a Fellow of the Faculty of Podiatric Medicine of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. Dr. Garoufalis is also the Co-Chair of the Alliance of Wound Care Stakeholders. Dr. Garoufalis is currently the President of the American Board of Podiatric Medicine – International, and the Chief Medical Officer for Advanced Oxygen Therapy, Inc. He is a noted, award winning researcher and author of many articles and, as an invited speaker, has accepted speaking engagements for educational lectures, seminars, and workshops, both nationally and internationally, on a variety of topics pertinent to wound care, limb salvage, podiatric medicine and surgery, and practice management. He is considered a Key Opinion Leader in many areas.
Prof. Lázaro-Martínez is a Full Time Professor at the University of the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM). He got his PhD degree at the same university doing his doctoral thesis on biomechanics of the diabetic foot. He is an expert in Podiatric Surgery certified by a Fellowship Board of the New York College of Podiatric Medicine. He holds a Master of Science Degree on Health’s Research (MSc) by UCM. He is the Head of the Diabetic Foot Unit at UCM. He is Director of both Research Groups in diabetic foot at UCM and at the Research Institute of Health of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos in Madrid. He was the Coordinator of the Diabetic Foot Working Group of the Spanish Diabetes Society. He was the Scientific Secretary of the Diabetic Foot Study Group (DFSG) belonging to the European Association of the Study of Diabetes. He is Honorary President of Diabetic Foot International (International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot Implementation). He is a member of the Editorial Committee of the Journal Diabetic Foot & Ankle, Journal Clinical Medicine and Frontiers Endocrinology. He has numerous publications in international journals indexed in the journal citation report (JCR- more than 125). He has conducted 20 doctoral theses in the field of diabetic foot at the Complutense University of Madrid. He is the organizer and director of the annual course of diabetic foot that is celebrated at UCM with more than 22 editions. He has been vice president of the I, II and IV national congress of diabetic foot and president of the III national congress of diabetic foot. He has participated in more than 350 conferences at the national and international level, in countries such as USA, Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica, Portugal, Italy, United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Slovenia, Poland, Dubai, Iran, Abu Dhabi, Lebanon, India, Qatar, France, Colombia, Chile, Turkey and Romania.
Pauline Wilson is the lead podiatrist in the diabetic foot clinic in St James’ Hospital Dublin. She has been managing the service there since 2008 and before this established a primary care diabetic foot service in association with the South Inner City Partnership in Primary Care. She is the current Irish delegate to D-Foot international and the Global co-ordinator of the POINT project for both D-Foot and international federation of podiatrists (FIP). She is the current chair of the scientific committee of the International Federation of Podiatrists as well as the wound management association in Ireland, where she is also a member of the national executive of the Wound Management association of Ireland and regional chair. She has published widely at international conferences on the subject of diabetic foot prevention and management. She is also an honorary lecturer to the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and both undergraduate and post graduate student mentor.
In the past she has represented Podiatrists on the Health and Social Care Professionals alliance, National Primary care steering group, Therapy Professions Council and the Allied Health professions task force. She has been part of the National executive of the all-Ireland Leg Ulcer Forum and chairman of the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, general secretary of the European council of podiatrists and treasurer of FIP.
Her main areas of research interests are within diabetic foot prevention and management. She has published widely on these areas both nationally and internationally.
