Degree in Social Sciences from the Universidad Pedagógica de Colombia with a Master's degree in Political Studies from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Social Sciences teacher for more than 20 years and a consummate activist for Harm Reduction of smoking. UX/UI designer and lover of music, cinema, and technology. He was a founding member of ASOVAPE Colombia, the first Latin American association of consumers of low-risk nicotine delivery products. He has been the promoter of the creation of other associations in Latin America, such as Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Panama, and Costa Rica. He is a founding member of ARDT Iberoamerica and president of this organisation. In 2021, he won the Best Advocate of the Year award from the INNCO organisation.

Licenciado en Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad Pedagógica de Colombia con Maestría en Estudios Políticos de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Docente de Ciencias sociales por más de 20 años y consumado activista de la Reducción de Daños del tabaquismo. Diseñador UX/UI y amante de la música, el cine y la tecnología. Fue miembro fundador de ASOVAPE Colombia, la primera asociación Latinoamérica de consumidores de productos de administración de nicotina de bajo riesgo. Ha sido el promotor de la creación de otras asociaciones en América Latina como es el caso de Venezuela, Ecuador, Perú, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, Brasil, Panamá y Costa Rica. Es miembro fundador de ARDT Iberoamérica y presidente de esta organización. En el año 2021 ganó el premio Mejor defensor del año otorgado por la organización INNCO.

Ignacio Leiva is a journalist specialized in informatics and multimedia platforms. In 2010, he led the communication campaign to prevent the vaping ban in Chile. Since then, he has focused on strengthening the community of electronic cigarette users, making them more informed and aware. He is the founder and current president of the Association of Vaporizer Consumers of Chile (ASOVAPE) and serves as the secretary of ARDT Iberoamerica. He organized the first pro-vaping public demonstration in Latin America and promotes communication campaigns for tobacco harm reduction in Chile and worldwide. Ignacio has been an active and relevant actor in the legislative process concerning electronic cigarettes in Chile, significantly contributing to policy discussions. He is also the manager of the broadcasts for World Vaping Day (WVD) and Vapefest Online. Currently, he is the general content editor and activities coordinator for the campaign "Vaping is not Smoking," a multimedia communication effort carried out in Chile and aimed at Latin America.

Sociologist and data scientist at The Robert B. Zajonc Institute for Social Studies University of Warsaw, Poland and Knowledge•Action•Change, London, UK. Co-founder and member of the Polish Social Data Archive team. (www.ads.org.pl.) Head of Centre for Sociological Research at The Robert B. Zajonc Institute for Social Studies University of Warsaw. Co-author in a team of Polish General Social Survey (PGSS). Co-author in a team of a Polish edition of International Social Survey Programme (ISSP).

Diego Joaquin Verrastro graduated from U.B.A (University of Buenos Aires), and is a medical surgeon specializing in general and emergency surgery, mini-invasive surgery, ultrasonography and obesity, spokesperson and co-founder of the Latin American network for the reduction of harm associated with smoking (www.RELDAT. org), member of the Pan America Harm Reduction Alliance (PAHRA), Co-author of the latest Swedish SAVING LIVES report, Co-author of the LIVES SAVED report, and speaker at the Second African Conference for Health Harm Reduction, with the theme “Water, Environment and Food Security".

Law degree from the Universidad Intercontinental. Master in Law from UNAM. Doctoral candidate at UNAM. Professor of Philosophy of Law at the UNAM. Professor of Legal Argumentation for the Universidad La Salle and the Postgraduate Studies Division of UNAM. Postulant Lawyer, president of the Association Mexico and the World Vaping A.C. He has currently promoted amparos against bans on the use of vaporisers in Mexico, obtaining amparo for himself and his clients and associates for their commercialisation and for declaring unconstitutional the presidential decree that aims to ban their importation. He has also been legal advisor for public events such as expos, forums and promotional activities in the commercialisation of vaporisers. Invited speaker at forums in the Federal Chamber of Deputies and local legislatures in defence of fundamental rights for the consumption of nicotine supply alternatives. He has also advised local deputies on such issues to justify law initiatives that seek to regulate nicotine consumption alternatives. Legal advisor to different companies in the vape market, he has insisted on strategies and policies in Mexico and Latin America to seek the correct regulation of these products. One of the leading voices in the press to address human rights and the right to consume reduced-risk alternatives. He has personally enjoyed the benefits of using alternatives to conventional tobacco since 2013.

Licenciado en Derecho por la Universidad Intercontinental. Maestro en derecho por la UNAM. Doctorante por la UNAM. Profesor por oposición de Filosofía del Derecho en la Licenciatura en la UNAM. Profesor de Argumentación Jurídica para la Universidad La Salle y la división de estudios de Posgrado de la UNAM. Abogado Postulante, presidente de la Asociación México y el Mundo Vapeando A.C. En la actualidad ha promovido amparos en contra de las prohibiciones en México del uso de vaporizadores, obteniendo amparo para sí y para sus clientes y asociados para su comercialización y para declarar inconstitucional el decreto presidencial que pretende prohibir la importación. Asimismo ha sido asesor jurídicos de eventos públicos como expos, foros y actividades de promoción, en la comercialización de vaporizadores. Orador invitado en foros en la Cámara de Diputados Federal y legislaturas Locales en defensa de los derechos fundamentales para el consumo de alternativas de suministro de nicotina. Asimismo ha asesorado en dichos temas a diputados locales para justificar las iniciativas de ley que buscan regular las alternativas de consumo de nicotina. Asesor jurídico de diferentes empresas del mercado del vapeo, ha insidido en estrategias y políticas en México y Latinoamérica para buscar la correcta regulación de dichos productos. Una de las voces principales en la prensa para abordar los derechos humanos y el derecho al consumo de alternativas de riesgo reducido. Ha disfrutado personalmente de las ventajas de consumir alternativas al tabaco convencional desde 2013.

Dr Roberto A Sussman (PhD University of London) is a full time senior researcher and lecturer at the Institute for Nuclear Sciences of the National University of Mexico. His main research areas are General Relativity and Cosmology, but he has conducted research in other areas of Physics, including peer reviewed publications on e-cigarette aerosols. He is also the founder and Director of Pro-Vapeo Mexico, an association representing Mexican consumers of noncombustible nicotine products and is a member of INNCO. He is actively advocating for an appropriate regulation of Tobacco Harm Reduction products in Mexico. He directs and supervises the effort to spread scientific information on these products, as well as advising consumers on how to counter the governmental misinformation and prejudice about them that is rampant throughout Latin America.

David Sweanor is an adjunct professor, Faculty of Law, and chair of the advisory board of the Centre for Health Law, Policy & Ethics at the University of Ottawa and has been actively involved in tobacco and health policy issues since the beginning of the 1980s. He has worked globally, and with numerous groups, including the International Union Against Cancer, World Health Organization, World Bank and the Pan American Health Organization and played a key role in achieving many global precedents in tobacco policy. He currently focuses much of his tobacco and nicotine related efforts on risk reduction strategies.

Clive Bates has had a diverse career in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Starting out with IBM, he then switched career to work in the environment movement. From 1997-2003 he was Director of Action on Smoking and Health (UK), campaigning to reduce the harms caused by tobacco. In 2003 he joined Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Strategy Unit as a civil servant and worked in senior roles in the public sector and for the United Nations in Sudan. He is now Director of The Counterfactual, a consulting and advocacy practice focussed on a pragmatic approach to sustainability and public health.

Carissa Düring is the Director of Considerate Pouchers in Sweden, a global consumer advocacy group dedicated to promoting a smoke-free world and consumers' rights to alternative nicotine products. She studies clinical psychology at Uppsala University in Sweden. As an advocate, she writes and speaks about tobacco harm reduction from the consumer's perspective and their right to alternative nicotine products. She highlights how successful nicotine pouches have been in helping Sweden achieve the lowest smoking rates in the EU, and how the rest of the world can follow in its footsteps. Carissa has also been featured in the documentary How Sweden Quit Smoking.

Arkadi Sharkov is a macroeconomist with experience in the public and private sectors. His expertise lies in the field of health economics, sustainable development, and tax policy. He has worked on projects related to drug policy and optimization of public spending in the field of healthcare, as well as on those related to the sustainable development of industry in Bulgaria. He is a member of the Advisory board of the Bulgarian Medical Association and also a participant and member of the Pubilc council of the “Hospital index”.

Fiona Patten was a member of the Victorian parliament from 2014 to 2022. She campaigned on harm reduction policies for 30 years and ran the Australian adult industry association (Eros) for 20 years. She initiated and delivered reforms including voluntary assisted dying, abortion law reform, the decriminalisation of sex work and drug law reform. Since leaving parliament she has continued to work on social reform issues including criminal justice reform, regulating adult use of cannabis, access to medicinal cannabis, drug harm reduction including for tobacco, and a greater separation of church and state. She currently sits on a variety of health and justice boards. Fiona is passionate about tobacco harm reduction and constantly disappointed with her own country’s approach to it. In 2018 she published her autobiography -‘Sex, Drugs and the Electoral Roll’. She is the owner of a registered wildlife sanctuary.

Grzegorz Król, Ph.D. is a Director at Knowledge•Action•Change, the sister company to KAC Communications which runs GFN. Social psychologist & IT specialist, author of publications on psychology, data analysis and harm reduction. Since 2003 Grzegorz has managed international projects in the area of public health, drugs and tobacco harm reduction. Between 2012 and 2018, he was lecturer at the Faculty of Management and MBA School, University of Warsaw. Since 2016, Grzegorz has been a member of the European Network for Research Evaluation in the Social Sciences and the Humanities (ENRESSH), part of the COST Action: European Cooperation in Science and Technology. Grzegorz is also Co-founder of a harm reduction knowledge hub at harmreduction.eu.

Andrzej Fal graduated from the Medical University and the University of Economics in Warsaw. He followed post-doctoral studies at Johns Hopkins University, USA and has also been trained at the National Heart and Lung Institute, in London. Prof. Fal is head of the Department of Allergy, Lung Diseases and Internal Diseases, National Institute of Medicine in Warsaw. He has published over 350 papers on allergy, pulmonology, public health, and is the founder and Editor in Chief of “Public Health Forum”. Prof. Fal is a member of the Board of Directors of the GLIMMER Initiative, and on behalf of the Polish Ministry of Science was a member of the Board of the Polish-American Fulbright Commission. He was also a member of the European Medicinal Agency of the Committee for Advanced Therapies. Since November 2014 he has been the President of the Polish Society of Public Health.

Michelle Minton is a senior policy analyst at the Reason Foundation specializing in consumer policy, covering regulatory issues around gambling, tobacco harm reduction, cannabis legalization, alcohol, and nutrition. The author of numerous studies, her analyses have been published and cited in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and USA Today and peer-reviewed journals, and Michelle regularly appears in news media to discuss the unintended effects of laws designed to save adults from their own choices which not only conflicts with the principle of individual liberty, but often the goals of public health. She holds a BA from Johns Hopkins and an MSc from the University of New England.

Kasia runs the Global Public Health Foundation, which aims to share research and experience in public health across all relevant sectors. She is also a lecturer at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Kasia's area of experience includes harm reduction, public health and event management.

Alla Bessonova is a coordinator of the Expert Feminist Council of Eurasian Network of People Who Use Drugs (ENPUD), she's a narcofeminist, activist and co-author of scientific articles on women who use drugs. She coordinates ENPUD's EFC and has influenced ENPUD's tactical plan to make the development of narcofeminism one of the main objectives for 2024-2026. Alla is also a co-founder and a Chairwoman of the Board of the Women's Network of Key Communities in Kyrgyzstan. She is a member of the Secretariat of the Eurasian Women's Network on AIDS. This year she recived a nomination for theThe Jude Byrne Emerging Female Leader Award. She is well known as a narcofeminist in the EECA region dedicated to advancing women's activism.

Gintautas-Yuozas Kentra graduated from Almaty State Medical Institute as a general practitioner. He has since completed advanced training in cardiology, public health, healthcare management, and healthy lifestyle development. Beginning his career as an emergency medical specialist, Dr. Kentra then served in the therapeutic department of Almaty City Hospital as a physician and deputy chief physician. From 1996 to 2000, he worked at the Kazakhstan Embassy in the UK as a medical doctor. He later headed the medical service of the Criminal Executive System of the Ministry of Justice in Almaty. Since 2020, Dr. Kentra has been with the Harm Reduction Association – Densaulyk, focusing on public health projects related to lifestyle risks. He has led community studies on health behaviors and co-introduced methadone replacement therapy in Kazakhstan. Dr. Kentra has also contributed to documenting violence-related injuries and implementing the opioid agonist maintenance therapy (OTMA) program in medical organizations across Kazakhstan.

Uladzimir Pikirenia is a psychiatrist specializing in public health. He graduated from Belarusian State Medical University in 2010 and gained experience in substance abuse treatment at the Minsk City Clinical Narcological Centre. From 2014 to 2023, he served at his alma mater's Psychiatry and Medical Psychology department, advancing from assistant professor to associate professor, and completed his dissertation on methadone substitution therapy. Uladzimir also worked with the NGO "Positive Movement" as an advocacy coordinator and expert in Opioid Agonist Treatment. He played a key role in developing opioid agonist therapy policies, educating healthcare providers, and conducting effectiveness research. His expertise extended to projects with UNAIDS, WHO, UNDP, and UNODC, where he contributed to harm reduction and substance abuse treatment. Actively involved in community outreach, Uladzimir advocates for improved mental health care and substance abuse treatment.

Jarkyn Shadymanova is an associate professor at the American University of Central Asia and holds a PhD degree in Sociology. Her research interests include qualitative and quantitative research methods, sociology of gender and sociology of deviant behavior. From 2002-2020 she worked at the sociology department, Bishkek State University. Her teaching courses were sociology of gender, sociology of deviant behavior, qualitative and quantitative research methods, academic writing etc. Jarkyn was a research fellow of The Global Dialogues & Women’s Empowerment in Eurasian Contexts Feminist Mentoring (WEF) Fellowship Programme, IGS, LMH, Oxford University, January-July 2018. She was a postdoctoral researcher at the Sociology Consumption and Household Group, Wageningen University and Department of Anthropology, University of Amsterdam. Jarkyn is an author and co-author of numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters on social issues.

Martin Cullip is a former company director and International Fellow of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, who has written and blogged on free market and lifestyle consumer issues for over a decade. As a user of e-cigarettes and other safer nicotine products, he is a particularly passionate consumer advocate for all forms of tobacco harm reduction and has a keen interest in the rapidly-evolving nicotine market and the politics surrounding it. Martin is a former Chair of UK educational charity The New Nicotine Alliance and has taken part in parliamentary evidence sessions and consumer, industry, and political events on the subject domestically and internationally.

Ian Jones is the R&D Scientific Product Assessment Center Vice President at Japan Tobacco International (JTI), based in Kanagawa Japan, and is responsible for leading JTI R&D’s fundamental chemical, material and biological research activities. Ian joined JTI in 2006 from the University of Bath, UK, where he was a lecturer in Developmental Neuroscience at the Department of Biology and Biochemistry. Since then, Ian has held several regulatory science-related roles in the company, including Reduced-Risk Science Vice President and R&D Principal Scientist. Ian has a particular interest in the harm reduction potential of oral tobacco- and nicotine-containing products and has participated in several cross-industry activities to develop, for example, harmonized terminology and product standards for smokeless tobacco products. Ian holds a PhD in cell physiology, completed at Imperial College, London (1995).

Carrie Wade is Senior Manager of Global Scientific Engagement at Philip Morris InternationaI (PMI). She leads her team in developing strategies to realize the company's mission of a smokefree future.

Carrie obtained a PhD in Pharmacology and Neuroscience and pursued an MA in Public Health following a postdoc at The Scripps Research Institute. Prior to her role at PMI, she worked as the Principal Scientist in Scientific Affairs at JUUL Labs, where she engaged with lawmakers and stakeholders on U.S. FDA’s regulatory processes.

Karin Jacobson is Science Engagement Director at Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and based in Geneva, Switzerland. In her role, Karin leads scientific engagement activities, develops external scientific messaging and drives understanding of tobacco and nicotine product science. Prior to joining JTI in 2017, Karin built extensive experience in pharmaceutical science. She worked as a research scientist in pharmacology at the University of Geneva and in the biotechnology company NovImmune before transitioning to the consulting company NeuroAssets, specialized in neuroscience. As a senior consultant, she provided expertise and guidance on research strategy, preclinical study design and scientific communication. Originally from Sweden, Karin holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Science from the University of Basel, Switzerland.

Professor Marewa Glover is one of New Zealand’s leading tobacco control researchers. She has worked on reducing smoking-related harm for 31 years. She is recognized internationally for her advocacy on tobacco harm reduction; and locally was a Finalist in the New Zealander of the Year Supreme Award in 2019 recognising her contribution to reducing smoking in NZ. In 2018, Dr Glover was appointed Tobacco Section Editor for the Harm Reduction Journal. In that year she also established the Centre of Research Excellence: Indigenous Sovereignty & Smoking, an international program of research aimed at reducing smoking-related harms among Indigenous peoples globally. The Centre’s research was funded with grants from the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, Inc. (“FSFW”), a US nonprofit 501(c)(3) private foundation.

Dr Roberto A Sussman (PhD University of London) is a full time senior researcher and lecturer at the Institute for Nuclear Sciences of the National University of Mexico. His main research areas are General Relativity and Cosmology, but he has conducted research in other areas of Physics, including peer reviewed publications on e-cigarette aerosols. He is also the founder and Director of Pro-Vapeo Mexico, an association representing Mexican consumers of noncombustible nicotine products and is a member of INNCO. He is actively advocating for an appropriate regulation of Tobacco Harm Reduction products in Mexico. He directs and supervises the effort to spread scientific information on these products, as well as advising consumers on how to counter the governmental misinformation and prejudice about them that is rampant throughout Latin America.

Dr Sudhanshu Patwardhan (“Sud”) is a licensed medical doctor and healthtech entrepreneur. Sud qualified as a doctor from India, did post graduate studies at the Keck Graduate Institute, California, USA, and holds an MBA from the London Business School, UK. For the past two decades, he has lived and worked in three continents, doing senior roles in research, strategy and policy in the pharmaceutical and tobacco industries. In 2018, Sud co-founded the Centre for Health Research and Education (CHRE), an independent healthcare company working globally in cancer prevention. CHRE has received grants from the Global Action to End Smoking for smoking cessation projects. Sud now splits time between the U.K. and South Asia on projects that address the needs of the most disadvantaged tobacco users. He also consults for companies on tobacco harm reduction. Since 2021, Sud is working with digital tech partners for innovating in oral cancer screening.

Nancy Loucas' THR advocacy began in 2015 as one of the founders/co directors of Aotearoa Vapers Community Advocacy (AVCA) in New Zealand, doing battle for the rights of vapers to be able to access what they need to become/remain smoke free. Nancy is also the founder and Executive Coordinator for the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA). CAPHRA supports consumer THR advocacy organisations and activities throughout the Asia Pacific region and beyond, and has developed various programmes for consumers including the Voices4Vape online seminar series, sCOPe consumer livestream, and the recurring stream that runs during the FCTC COP. Nancy also writes and produces the Advocates Voice online newscast and the Advocates Voice Live sessions. CAPHRA, under Nancy’s leadership, also established the collaborative “Right2Vape” testimonial database with CASAA in the USA, and the “Right to Switch” change.org petition, both featuring thousands of consumer testimonials from across the world.

Heneage Mitchell, commonly known as ‘H’, has been resident in Asia for over 40 years. He spent most of those decades working in regional media, including as managing editor and co-publisher of Tobacco Asia, a trade publication reporting on the regional tobacco industry. In 2012, he established factasia, an independent, not-for-profit, consumer-oriented regional advocacy for rational debate about – and sensible regulation of – the rights of adult citizens throughout the Asia-Pacific region to choose to use tobacco or other nicotine-related products. Heneage smoked for over 45 years before switching to vaping in 2016, since when he has never touched a cigarette.

Lindsey Stroud is a Senior Fellow at the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, which provides data and analysis to inform and assist policymakers when addressing consumer products. Her main areas of focus are goods including alcohol, tobacco and vapor products, and regulatory policies that affect adult access, including harm reduction, technology, innovation, antitrust and privacy. At The Heartland Institute, she authored policy resources and hosted a podcast on tobacco harm reduction, and has also worked for state lawmakers in two states. Creator and manager of Tobacco Harm Reduction 101 (thr101.org), she holds senior positions at the American Vapor Manufacturers Association and the Independent Women's Forum.

Professor Marewa Glover is one of New Zealand’s leading tobacco control researchers. She has worked on reducing smoking-related harm for 31 years. She is recognized internationally for her advocacy on tobacco harm reduction; and locally was a Finalist in the New Zealander of the Year Supreme Award in 2019 recognising her contribution to reducing smoking in NZ. In 2018, Dr Glover was appointed Tobacco Section Editor for the Harm Reduction Journal. In that year she also established the Centre of Research Excellence: Indigenous Sovereignty & Smoking, an international program of research aimed at reducing smoking-related harms among Indigenous peoples globally. The Centre’s research was funded with grants from the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, Inc. (“FSFW”), a US nonprofit 501(c)(3) private foundation.

Martin Cullip is a former company director and International Fellow of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, who has written and blogged on free market and lifestyle consumer issues for over a decade. As a user of e-cigarettes and other safer nicotine products, he is a particularly passionate consumer advocate for all forms of tobacco harm reduction and has a keen interest in the rapidly-evolving nicotine market and the politics surrounding it. Martin is a former Chair of UK educational charity The New Nicotine Alliance and has taken part in parliamentary evidence sessions and consumer, industry, and political events on the subject domestically and internationally.

Joseph Magero is a dynamic public policy expert and dedicated harm reduction fellow committed to pioneering progressive solutions in the field of public health. With a keen focus on evidence-based strategies, Joseph has emerged as a trailblazer in advocating for pragmatic policies that mitigate the adverse effects of various societal challenges. Driven by a passion for public health and a desire to effect meaningful change, Joseph has been instrumental in raising awareness and championing evidence-based strategies for tobacco harm reduction. His advocacy efforts have extended beyond borders, engaging with policymakers, health organizations, and local communities to promote pragmatic solutions aimed at reducing the prevalence of smoking and its associated health risks. In 2019, the International Network of Nicotine Consumer Organizations (INNCO) awarded him advocate of the Year.

Ignacio Leiva is a journalist specialized in informatics and multimedia platforms. In 2010, he led the communication campaign to prevent the vaping ban in Chile. Since then, he has focused on strengthening the community of electronic cigarette users, making them more informed and aware. He is the founder and current president of the Association of Vaporizer Consumers of Chile (ASOVAPE) and serves as the secretary of ARDT Iberoamerica. He organized the first pro-vaping public demonstration in Latin America and promotes communication campaigns for tobacco harm reduction in Chile and worldwide. Ignacio has been an active and relevant actor in the legislative process concerning electronic cigarettes in Chile, significantly contributing to policy discussions. He is also the manager of the broadcasts for World Vaping Day (WVD) and Vapefest Online. Currently, he is the general content editor and activities coordinator for the campaign "Vaping is not Smoking," a multimedia communication effort carried out in Chile and aimed at Latin America.

Carissa Düring is the Director of Considerate Pouchers in Sweden, a global consumer advocacy group dedicated to promoting a smoke-free world and consumers' rights to alternative nicotine products. She studies clinical psychology at Uppsala University in Sweden. As an advocate, she writes and speaks about tobacco harm reduction from the consumer's perspective and their right to alternative nicotine products. She highlights how successful nicotine pouches have been in helping Sweden achieve the lowest smoking rates in the EU, and how the rest of the world can follow in its footsteps. Carissa has also been featured in the documentary How Sweden Quit Smoking.

Education – High School from England; Bachelor from Assumption University, Thailand; Master from Avila University, USA Social – Past President of Rotary club, committee of the Federation of the Thai Industries, etc. Works –Intertrade Manager at Probiotic and Herbal manufacturing company. Present – Director / founding member of ENDs Cigarette Smoke Thailand (ECST). Also, member of the Parliament's committee on Laws and Regulations of E-Cig. Asa was a former smoker who smoked for over 37 years and had tried almost all quit methods until he found vaping in 2005 and completely switched over 15 years ago (there were some years of dual-use) which made him successfully quit smoking ever since. Asa is an avid advocate for Tobacco Harm Reduction who resides in Thailand, the country that prohibits importation, distribution and manufacturing of vape products. ECST is a consumer group that was founded almost 10 years ago when vaping became illegal. We have sent petition letters to various governmental and related entities asking for the right to choose. Our aim is to legalize THR as an alternative for those who want to quit smoking.

Summer Hanna, PhD serves as Head of Scientific Regulation on behalf of BAT. She is responsible for Group-wide scientific engagement to drive the awareness and acceptance of Tobacco Harm Reduction and the development of science-based regulatory approaches for reduced risk products globally. Dr. Hanna has held a variety of US and Global roles across Scientific Research & Development and Regulatory Affairs. She most recently led the development of the cannabinoid discovery science programme as part of BAT’s Beyond Nicotine strategy. Previously, Summer led teams within Reynolds’ FDA Submissions & Engagement team focused on their smokeless tobacco portfolio, along with previous roles in Analytical Research. Before joining Reynolds American in 2011, Hanna received her PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Wake Forest University. She currently serves as treasurer to the US Technical Advisory Group for ISO/ TC 126.

Ondrej is the Director of External Affairs at Philip Morris International (PMI), based in Lausanne, Switzerland. Over the past 20 years, he’s held numerous roles, primarily in PMI’s external affairs function, in the Czech Republic, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. He has been involved in the science around smoke-free products since 2012, when he supported the joint venture between PMI and Swedish Match, which was in place between 2009 and 2015. Today, he works at the intersection of science, policy, and communications, focusing on the evidence around the role that smoke-free products can play in addressing individual and population-level harms associated with smoking.

Sociologist and data scientist at The Robert B. Zajonc Institute for Social Studies University of Warsaw, Poland and Knowledge•Action•Change, London, UK. Co-founder and member of the Polish Social Data Archive team. (www.ads.org.pl.) Head of Centre for Sociological Research at The Robert B. Zajonc Institute for Social Studies University of Warsaw. Co-author in a team of Polish General Social Survey (PGSS). Co-author in a team of a Polish edition of International Social Survey Programme (ISSP).

Andrea Patton, PhD is a behavioural epidemiologist and Head of Prevalence Research at the Centre for Substance Use Research (CSUR). At CSUR, Andrea leads the Tobacco Product Prevalence Study (TPPS) a national study estimating the prevalence of underage use of tobacco products in the United States. Andrea’s primary research interest lies in designing studies among underage populations to support regulatory submissions in the United States and Europe. Andrea has previously led a behavioural research programme at the University of Edinburgh, and has also worked for the Scottish Government, healthcare regulatory agencies within the UK and the Royal College of Physicians.

Dr Roberto A Sussman (PhD University of London) is a full time senior researcher and lecturer at the Institute for Nuclear Sciences of the National University of Mexico. His main research areas are General Relativity and Cosmology, but he has conducted research in other areas of Physics, including peer reviewed publications on e-cigarette aerosols. He is also the founder and Director of Pro-Vapeo Mexico, an association representing Mexican consumers of noncombustible nicotine products and is a member of INNCO. He is actively advocating for an appropriate regulation of Tobacco Harm Reduction products in Mexico. He directs and supervises the effort to spread scientific information on these products, as well as advising consumers on how to counter the governmental misinformation and prejudice about them that is rampant throughout Latin America.

Described by Rolling Stone as "the point man" for drug policy reform efforts and “the real drug czar,” Ethan Nadelmann, JD, PhD is widely regarded as the outstanding proponent of drug policy reform in the United States and abroad. After teaching politics and public affairs at Princeton University (1987-1994), he founded and directed first The Lindesmith Center (1994-2000) and then the Drug Policy Alliance (2000-2017). He also co-founded the Open Society Institute’s International Harm Reduction Development program. Ethan has published extensively and spoken publicly in roughly forty states and forty countries. His TED Talk has over two million views. Ethan and his colleagues were at the forefront of dozens of successful campaigns to legalize marijuana, reduce the incarceration of drug law offenders, advance harm reduction approaches to drug use and addiction, and otherwise promote alternatives to the war on drugs. Ethan hosts the leading podcast about all things drugs: PSYCHOACTIVE, and he has become increasingly engaged in the debate over tobacco harm reduction.

Fiona Patten was a member of the Victorian parliament from 2014 to 2022. She campaigned on harm reduction policies for 30 years and ran the Australian adult industry association (Eros) for 20 years. She initiated and delivered reforms including voluntary assisted dying, abortion law reform, the decriminalisation of sex work and drug law reform. Since leaving parliament she has continued to work on social reform issues including criminal justice reform, regulating adult use of cannabis, access to medicinal cannabis, drug harm reduction including for tobacco, and a greater separation of church and state. She currently sits on a variety of health and justice boards. Fiona is passionate about tobacco harm reduction and constantly disappointed with her own country’s approach to it. In 2018 she published her autobiography -‘Sex, Drugs and the Electoral Roll’. She is the owner of a registered wildlife sanctuary.

Lindsey Stroud is a Senior Fellow at the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, which provides data and analysis to inform and assist policymakers when addressing consumer products. Her main areas of focus are goods including alcohol, tobacco and vapor products, and regulatory policies that affect adult access, including harm reduction, technology, innovation, antitrust and privacy. At The Heartland Institute, she authored policy resources and hosted a podcast on tobacco harm reduction, and has also worked for state lawmakers in two states. Creator and manager of Tobacco Harm Reduction 101 (thr101.org), she holds senior positions at the American Vapor Manufacturers Association and the Independent Women's Forum.

Professor Dr. Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh is the Chairman of the Malaysian Society of Harm Reduction. As Professor of Public Health (Health Management and Health Economics) at National University of Malaysia, she is well-versed with the burden of non-communicable diseases on Malaysia’s health system and recognised as a prominent figure in public health, specialising in policy, economics, and medicine. As the Chairman of MSHR, she brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the table, particularly in advocating for tobacco harm reduction and abstinence from nicotine addiction. Professor Dr. Sharifa earned her postdoctoral degree in Health Economics from the United Nations University-International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH). She has served in significant roles including as Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Medicine for International Relations, President of Malaysia's Society of Harm Reduction (MSHR), and as a consultant to governmental bodies on various health-related matters, including occupational diseases and hospital efficiency.

Harry Shapiro is Director of DrugWise – an online drug information service - and Managing Editor of DS Daily - the daily online drug, alcohol and tobacco news service. He has worked in the drugs field for over 40 years, first with the Institute for the Study of Drug Dependence and then from 2000 with DrugScope where he was Director of Communications until the charity folded in 2015. Since 2015, he has been working with Knowledge-Action-Change promoting public health through harm reduction. He is the author and Executive Editor of the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction report, contributes a blog to Nicotine Science and Policy and is one of KAC’s media spokespeople.

David MacKintosh has over 25 years’ experience of working on alcohol and drug policy, which has included working within the UK Cabinet Office (UKADCU), heading up the London Drug and Alcohol Policy Forum (LDAPF) and providing specialist advice to the Greater London Authority. He also spent six years as Head of Community Safety for the City of London and has served as a trustee of a number of charities addressing substance use problems. He has helped deliver a range of innovative campaigns and national best practice guidance, which have all had one common purpose, to reduce harm to individuals and communities. In 2020 he began working as an independent consultant and now helps Knowledge•Action•Change deliver the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction and THR Scholarship programmes.

Cliff Douglas, president and CEO of Global Action to End Smoking, has dedicated his 36 year career to eradicating death and disease related to tobacco use by promoting science-based policies and education. Prior to Global Action, Douglas taught a tobacco policy course at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and directed the university's Tobacco Research Network. Last year, he produced an online tobacco course that is available globally. Douglas served as the American Cancer Society's Vice President for Tobacco Control and as Tobacco Control Policy Advisor to the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health and the U.S. Surgeon General. His career highlights include leading the campaign to prohibit smoking on airplanes in the U.S., serving as an attorney in landmark lawsuits against cigarette manufacturers on behalf of state attorneys general and individual smokers, and successfully defending Uruguay against Philip Morris International’s international trade action seeking to block that nation's tobacco control laws.

Professor Gerry Stimson is a leading advocate for tobacco harm reduction and an Emeritus Professor at Imperial College London. A public health social scientist, with over 50 years’ experience of research and advocacy, he was one of the founders of drugs harm reduction in the 1990s, helping to develop and evaluate harm reduction in the UK as a response to HIV/AIDS. Gerry has advised the UK Government, WHO, UNAIDS, UNODC, the World Bank and numerous governments around the world on issues relating to drugs, HIV infection and AIDS, and alcohol. He has also published over 220 scientific publications and several books. Currently, Gerry is advisor to Knowledge•Action•Change, and is involved in the FSFW-funded Global Tobacco Harm Reduction Initiative. He is also a co-founder of the Global Forum on Nicotine, which has been delivered by KAC Communications since 2014.

Sarah Cooney is a science engagement specialist, advises on harm reduction, science communication, and regulatory affairs. For over a decade at British American Tobacco, she spearheaded the company’s science engagement, helping pave the way for less-risky nicotine products. Sarah reshaped BAT’s publishing strategy, crafting award-winning reports to demystify reduced risk research. Her knack for making science accessible extends from boardrooms to public forums, bridging the gap between scientists, regulators, and the media. With editorial roles at Nature, Elsevier, and BioMedCentral, Sarah brings a wealth of publishing expertise. As a published scientist (with a BSc and an MSc from the University of Toronto) she understands the need for commitment to scientific accessibility and innovation.

Dr McGovern qualified in Medicine in 1995 from Trinity College Dublin and has worked as a GP specialising in the treatment of substance misuse since the implementation of the methadone treatment protocol in 1998. He is Medical Director of the Priority Medical Clinic, a private addiction treatment programme located in South County Dublin. In January 2022 he was appointed Clinical Lead for the HSE Addiction Services in Louth Meath & The Midlands. Dr McGovern holds a Master’s degree in Clinical and Public Health Aspects of Addiction from The National Addiction Centre, King’s College London, is a Diplomate of the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM) and holds a Professional Diploma in Clinical Leadership from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He is also one of the first members of the International Doctors for Healthy Drug Policies (IDHDP),an international group of medical addiction experts aiming to promote sensible drug policies. Dr McGovern is also a member of the Irish Chapter of the New Nicotine Alliance.

Ian is an independent consultant with expertise in regulatory and scientific aspects of nicotine and tobacco products. His consulting work encompasses clinical and behavioural studies of tobacco and nicotine products for regulatory submissions in the US and Europe, and he has a wealth of experience of both consumer goods and medicinal licensing submissions. His 16 years working in the Tobacco Harm Reduction arena has included roles as Senior Director of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs EMEA with JUUL Labs, Director of Tobacco Research with Celerion, and Principal Scientist and Head of Clinical Research at British American Tobacco. As well as his consulting, Ian is a Scientific Advisory Board Member with Qnovia, a medtech startup seeking authorisation for a novel NRT in the UK and the US, and is also an Independent Non-Exec Director with Advanced Inhalation Rituals (AIR), a global shisha manufacturer.

Professor Marewa Glover is one of New Zealand’s leading tobacco control researchers. She has worked on reducing smoking-related harm for 31 years. She is recognized internationally for her advocacy on tobacco harm reduction; and locally was a Finalist in the New Zealander of the Year Supreme Award in 2019 recognising her contribution to reducing smoking in NZ. In 2018, Dr Glover was appointed Tobacco Section Editor for the Harm Reduction Journal. In that year she also established the Centre of Research Excellence: Indigenous Sovereignty & Smoking, an international program of research aimed at reducing smoking-related harms among Indigenous peoples globally. The Centre’s research was funded with grants from the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, Inc. (“FSFW”), a US nonprofit 501(c)(3) private foundation.

Sarah Cooney is a science engagement specialist, advises on harm reduction, science communication, and regulatory affairs. For over a decade at British American Tobacco, she spearheaded the company’s science engagement, helping pave the way for less-risky nicotine products. Sarah reshaped BAT’s publishing strategy, crafting award-winning reports to demystify reduced risk research. Her knack for making science accessible extends from boardrooms to public forums, bridging the gap between scientists, regulators, and the media. With editorial roles at Nature, Elsevier, and BioMedCentral, Sarah brings a wealth of publishing expertise. As a published scientist (with a BSc and an MSc from the University of Toronto) she understands the need for commitment to scientific accessibility and innovation.

George Hardie is Executive Director of tobacco harm reduction research for Dr Vince Clinical Research based in Kansas City. He has over 37 years in the science arena, with 23 years as a pre-clinical toxicologist where he holds an MSc in Applied Toxicology. He has an extensive background in the respiratory field where he was previously Head of Inhalation Toxicology for Pfizer. George migrated into clinical research 13 years ago and has participated in pharmaceutical studies with Astrazeneca and consumer healthcare studies with GSK. More recently he was the head of clinical research for British American Tobacco. He is highly regarded in the harm reduction field, where he has extensive knowledge and experience in all aspects of nicotine and tobacco harm reduction. George has contributed to multiple PMTA and MRTPA projects and has also authored/co-authored 20 peer-reviewed papers in tobacco harm reduction.

Colin Mendelsohn worked as a medical practitioner, academic and researcher in smoking cessation and tobacco harm reduction for 40 years. He is the Founding Chairman of the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association and was a Conjoint Associate Professor in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at the University of New South Wales. He was a member of the expert advisory group that develops the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ national smoking cessation guidelines. He is actively involved in teaching, writing, and advocating for tobacco harm reduction.

Karin Jacobson is Science Engagement Director at Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and based in Geneva, Switzerland. In her role, Karin leads scientific engagement activities, develops external scientific messaging and drives understanding of tobacco and nicotine product science. Prior to joining JTI in 2017, Karin built extensive experience in pharmaceutical science. She worked as a research scientist in pharmacology at the University of Geneva and in the biotechnology company NovImmune before transitioning to the consulting company NeuroAssets, specialized in neuroscience. As a senior consultant, she provided expertise and guidance on research strategy, preclinical study design and scientific communication. Originally from Sweden, Karin holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Science from the University of Basel, Switzerland.

R. Emma, PhD in Translational Biomedicine, is assistant professor of Internal Medicine at the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine of the University of Catania. She is also a researcher of the Center of Excellence for the acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) of the University of Catania. Her research activity deals with respiratory diseases, harm of cigarette smoking and health benefits of quitting. She has experience in toxicological in vitro studies and in exposure methods to smoke/aerosol using automated instruments (smoking/vaping machines).

Konstantinos Farsalinos, MD, MPH, is a physician and senior researcher specialising in Public Health at the Universities of Patras and West Attica in Greece. He has conducted extensive research on smoking, tobacco harm reduction, and vaping since 2011, publishing over 90 studies and articles. Notably, he authored the first systematic review on the safety and risk profile of e-cigarettes in 2014; his research was influential in shaping the EU’s regulatory framework on vaping. In 2020, he was recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher for his significant impact in global science. During the pandemic, he published studies exploring the relationship between smoking, nicotine, and COVID-19.

Anna Masser works as a Scientific Writer in the Product Science group at Swedish Match. In this role, Anna focuses on scientific publishing as well as aiming to make the company’s science understandable for everyone. She holds a PhD in Molecular Biosciences from Stockholm University, where her research centered on understanding how cells regulate protein homeostasis.

Elaine Round is currently Group Head of Life Science at BAT, based in Southampton, U.K.. She’s responsible for BAT’s global science programme for New Category products, and the global science engagement plan. Prior to her current role, Elaine was the global head of toxicology at BAT where she has led the team responsible for safety assessments across product categories.

Barnaby Page is editorial director of Tamarind Intelligence, the publisher of ECigIntelligence, TobaccoIntelligence and CannIntelligence. As a journalist he has been covering the worldwide reduced-risk nicotine sector since 2014, with a particular focus on public health and regulatory issues; in his current role he manages Tamarind’s editorial and reporting teams, producing a wide range of nicotine-related content. He has been participating in the Global Forum on Nicotine since its inception. Before coming into this field, Barnaby spent 30 years as a reporter and editor for newspapers, magazines and online services, specialising in technology and business. He is based near London.

Michael Landl is the Director of the World Vapers' Alliance (WVA), a global advocacy organization dedicated to representing the interests of nicotine consumers and promoting harm reduction through vaping. He is a staunch advocate for vaping as a safer alternative to smoking and works tirelessly to raise awareness about its public health benefits. In his role, Landl leads the WVA's support for vaping advocacy groups worldwide, engages with policymakers and regulators to foster sensible vaping regulations, and frequently provides expert commentary on vaping-related issues in the media. He is also a regular speaker at various conferences and events. Prior to his tenure at the WVA, Landl studied at the University of St. Gallen and gained experience in public affairs, including working in the German Parliament.

Peter Beckett is co-founder of Clearing the Air (www.clearingtheair.eu), an information resource that helps users of safer nicotine products become advocates. Clearing the Air launched in February 2024 and covers campaigns across Europe and Latin America in both English and Spanish. In addition to the site, Clearing the Air offers free campaigning and lobbying help to organisations advocating for safer nicotine products. Before that, Peter spent ten years across a variety of political and regulatory roles in the vaping industry, starting as the campaign lead for the then-nascent vaping industry during the revision of the EU Tobacco Products Directive in 2013. He is a partner at EU public affairs firm Three Six One.

Lindsey Stroud is a Senior Fellow at the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, which provides data and analysis to inform and assist policymakers when addressing consumer products. Her main areas of focus are goods including alcohol, tobacco and vapor products, and regulatory policies that affect adult access, including harm reduction, technology, innovation, antitrust and privacy. At The Heartland Institute, she authored policy resources and hosted a podcast on tobacco harm reduction, and has also worked for state lawmakers in two states. Creator and manager of Tobacco Harm Reduction 101 (thr101.org), she holds senior positions at the American Vapor Manufacturers Association and the Independent Women's Forum.

As an entrepreneur in the tobacco industry, Alan and his partner Echo founded 2firsts.com, the world's leading new tobacco website.

As a tobacco industry expert, Alan has led multiple research projects and has long-term research in the fields of regulatory policy, industrial economics, technology, ESG, etc.

Alan has been invited to conduct policy and industry development training for regulators and entrepreneurs in many countries.

Before entering the tobacco industry, Alan had 10 years of work experience in a well-known Internet media in China.

Emmanuel Mwape, a Zambian filmmaker born in Lusaka in 1992, is renowned for his impactful storytelling on tobacco harm reduction. He's an alumnus of the Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship program and a Kevin Molloy Fellow. Experienced in both fiction and non-fiction, Mwape employs film to spark conversations and effect social change. His award-winning works include "Saving Chalo" and "Helping Chalo," which delve into the complexities of tobacco harm reduction. Mwape's films not only captivate audiences but also serve as catalysts for advocacy, prompting reflection and dialogue. Through his dedication to amplifying marginalized voices, Mwape has become a luminary in the Zambian film industry, utilizing his craft to shed light on pressing social issues and inspire action worldwide.

Professor Marewa Glover is one of New Zealand’s leading tobacco control researchers. She has worked on reducing smoking-related harm for 31 years. She is recognized internationally for her advocacy on tobacco harm reduction; and locally was a Finalist in the New Zealander of the Year Supreme Award in 2019 recognising her contribution to reducing smoking in NZ. In 2018, Dr Glover was appointed Tobacco Section Editor for the Harm Reduction Journal. In that year she also established the Centre of Research Excellence: Indigenous Sovereignty & Smoking, an international program of research aimed at reducing smoking-related harms among Indigenous peoples globally. The Centre’s research was funded with grants from the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, Inc. (“FSFW”), a US nonprofit 501(c)(3) private foundation.

Jeffrey Zamora is President of Asovape Costa Rica, President of ARDT Iberoamerica, Social Media Director and Audiovisual Producer for INNCO, recipient of the Enhanced KAC THRSP Scholarship with a project on a documentary series called #Safer, and Project Leader for the Veritas Study of ECLAT (Spin-off of the University of Catania, Italy). Jeffrey Zamora has worked in Social Media and Marketing with NGOs, Governmental Entities, and Commercial Brands.

Jeffrey Zamora es Presidente de Asovape Costa Rica (organización de consumidores adultos Pro Reducción de Daños para personas que no quieren o pueden dejar de fumar), Presidente de ARDT Iberoamérica, Director de Redes Sociales y Productor Audiovisual para INNCO, recipiente de la Enhanced Scholarship de KAC THRSP con un proyecto sobre una serie documental llamada #Safer, y Líder de Proyecto para el estudio Veritas de ECLAT (Spin off de la Universidad de Catania, Italia). Jeffrey Zamora ha estado trabajando en Redes Sociales y Marketing con ONGs, Entidades Gubernamentales y Marcas Comerciales.

Jeffrey Zamora is President of Asovape Costa Rica, President of ARDT Iberoamerica, Social Media Director and Audiovisual Producer for INNCO, recipient of the Enhanced KAC THRSP Scholarship with a project on a documentary series called #Safer, and Project Leader for the Veritas Study of ECLAT (Spin-off of the University of Catania, Italy). Jeffrey Zamora has worked in Social Media and Marketing with NGOs, Governmental Entities, and Commercial Brands.

Jeffrey Zamora es Presidente de Asovape Costa Rica (organización de consumidores adultos Pro Reducción de Daños para personas que no quieren o pueden dejar de fumar), Presidente de ARDT Iberoamérica, Director de Redes Sociales y Productor Audiovisual para INNCO, recipiente de la Enhanced Scholarship de KAC THRSP con un proyecto sobre una serie documental llamada #Safer, y Líder de Proyecto para el estudio Veritas de ECLAT (Spin off de la Universidad de Catania, Italia). Jeffrey Zamora ha estado trabajando en Redes Sociales y Marketing con ONGs, Entidades Gubernamentales y Marcas Comerciales.

Jeffrey Zamora is President of Asovape Costa Rica, President of ARDT Iberoamerica, Social Media Director and Audiovisual Producer for INNCO, recipient of the Enhanced KAC THRSP Scholarship with a project on a documentary series called #Safer, and Project Leader for the Veritas Study of ECLAT (Spin-off of the University of Catania, Italy). Jeffrey Zamora has worked in Social Media and Marketing with NGOs, Governmental Entities, and Commercial Brands.

Jeffrey Zamora es Presidente de Asovape Costa Rica (organización de consumidores adultos Pro Reducción de Daños para personas que no quieren o pueden dejar de fumar), Presidente de ARDT Iberoamérica, Director de Redes Sociales y Productor Audiovisual para INNCO, recipiente de la Enhanced Scholarship de KAC THRSP con un proyecto sobre una serie documental llamada #Safer, y Líder de Proyecto para el estudio Veritas de ECLAT (Spin off de la Universidad de Catania, Italia). Jeffrey Zamora ha estado trabajando en Redes Sociales y Marketing con ONGs, Entidades Gubernamentales y Marcas Comerciales.

Carmen Escrig received a PhD. in Cell Biology and Genetics from the Autonomous University of Madrid, and is the founder, coordinator, and/or scientific advisor of different organisations related to smoking harm reduction, such as the Spanish Medical Platform for Smoking Harm Reduction, composed of about 30 doctors, professors, and health professionals, as well as the Spanish Association of Personal Vapourisers Users (ANESVAP). She is the organiser of THR SUMMIT SPAIN, the first scientific congress on smoking harm reduction in Spain, now in its second edition. She has attended or participated as a speaker in several congresses related to tobacco harm reduction. Carmen also collaborates actively with users and scientific organisations in Latin America.

Doctorada en Biología Celular y Genética por la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, es fundadora, coordinadora y/o asesora científica de distintas organizaciones relacionadas con la Reducción de Daños por Tabaquismo, como la Plataforma Médica Española por la Reducción de Daños por Tabaquismo, compuesta por cerca de 30 médicos, catedráticos y profesionales sanitarios, así como de la Asociación Española de Usuarios de Vaporizadores Personales (ANESVAP). Esorganizadora del THR SUMMIT SPAIN, primer congreso científico sobre Reducción de Daños por Tabaquismo en España que ya va por su segunda edición. Ha asistido o participado como ponente en varios congresos relacionados con la THR. También colabora activamente con organizaciones de usuarios y científicos hermanas en Latinoamérica.

Jorge Palma is the president of ASOVAPE PERU, an association that represents more than 200,000 peruvian vapers who have opted for this tool to get away from smoking. He is also a member of the board of directors of ARDT Iberoamerica (Smoking Harm Reduction Association), an association that includes the different associations of tobacco harm reduction in Latin America that help their members in the fight for harm reduction. Jorge came to the world of vapers looking for a substitute to cigarettes and in this found an excellent way to quit smoking. He sees in vaping a very effective option that could save many people. This, together with his personal experience, makes him a passionate activist in the defense of harm reduction from smoking. Throughout these years Jorge has participated, as a participant and speaker, in national and international forums, spreading his vast knowledge on the subject around the world.

Diego Joaquin Verrastro graduated from U.B.A (University of Buenos Aires), and is a medical surgeon specializing in general and emergency surgery, mini-invasive surgery, ultrasonography and obesity, spokesperson and co-founder of the Latin American network for the reduction of harm associated with smoking (www.RELDAT. org), member of the Pan America Harm Reduction Alliance (PAHRA), Co-author of the latest Swedish SAVING LIVES report, Co-author of the LIVES SAVED report, and speaker at the Second African Conference for Health Harm Reduction, with the theme “Water, Environment and Food Security".

Tomás O'Gorman is a Mexican lawyer and teaches Corporation Law and Successions Law at Universidad Panamericana in Mexico City. An ex-smoker and vaper since 2016, he is co-founder of "Pro-Vapeo Mexico", a Mexican consumer association (registered in 2017), that advocates for tobacco harm reduction and non- combustible alternatives. He is a member of INNCO’s Board.

Fernando Bueno is a Lieutenant-Colonel of the Military Health Corps, currently serving as a General Surgeon at the Hospital Central de la Defensa "Gómez Ulla" in Madrid, specializing in Oncological Surgery. Fernando is an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Alcalá de Henares, and holds a PhD in Medicine from Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid. Additionally, Fernando is a spokesperson for the Platform for Smoking Harm Reduction, a pioneering initiative in Spain aimed at eradicating smoking. Fernando also directs content and presents on the popular YouTube channel MedicinaClara, which boasts over 2 million subscribers. Beyond these roles, he is the proud father of a wonderful family, blessed with a wife and three children.

Emmanuel Mwape, a Zambian filmmaker born in Lusaka in 1992, is renowned for his impactful storytelling on tobacco harm reduction. He's an alumnus of the Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship program and a Kevin Molloy Fellow. Experienced in both fiction and non-fiction, Mwape employs film to spark conversations and effect social change. His award-winning works include "Saving Chalo" and "Helping Chalo," which delve into the complexities of tobacco harm reduction. Mwape's films not only captivate audiences but also serve as catalysts for advocacy, prompting reflection and dialogue. Through his dedication to amplifying marginalized voices, Mwape has become a luminary in the Zambian film industry, utilizing his craft to shed light on pressing social issues and inspire action worldwide.

Summer Hanna, PhD serves as Head of Scientific Regulation on behalf of BAT. She is responsible for Group-wide scientific engagement to drive the awareness and acceptance of Tobacco Harm Reduction and the development of science-based regulatory approaches for reduced risk products globally. Dr. Hanna has held a variety of US and Global roles across Scientific Research & Development and Regulatory Affairs. She most recently led the development of the cannabinoid discovery science programme as part of BAT’s Beyond Nicotine strategy. Previously, Summer led teams within Reynolds’ FDA Submissions & Engagement team focused on their smokeless tobacco portfolio, along with previous roles in Analytical Research. Before joining Reynolds American in 2011, Hanna received her PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Wake Forest University. She currently serves as treasurer to the US Technical Advisory Group for ISO/ TC 126.

Mirko Casu obtained a Bachelor's degree in Sciences and Psychological Techniques of Cognitive Processes in December 2019 from the University of Sassari, completing his academic psychological training in 2023 with a Master's degree in Clinical and Rehabilitation Psychology from the University of Catania, with honors. He carried out training internships with a Lacanian psychoanalytic, cognitive-behavioral, and systemic-relational approach.

Currently, he is a Psychotherapist in training with an integrated approach. He is also a Ph.D. student in Computer Science, conducting research and application in the SiciliAn MicronanOTecH Research And Innovation CEnter – SAMOTHRACE project, particularly in developing Artificial Intelligence algorithms to be implemented in high-tech wearable devices, as well as researching cognitive biases in the forensic field.

Chase Wallace is an undergraduate student at Emory University in Georgia, U.S.A., and serves as a communications intern with Health Diplomats. He is responsible for creating digestible social media content for 18-35-year-olds to spread public health and harm reduction messages. He is pursuing a career in medicine with a potential focus in international medical policy. Chase is a registered Emergency Medical Technician, an experienced YouTube video creator with over 950,000 total views, and a sucker for good graphic design. When he's not in class or working on projects for the Student Government Association, you can find him exercising at the gym or working on a new project.

Colin Mendelsohn worked as a medical practitioner, academic and researcher in smoking cessation and tobacco harm reduction for 40 years. He is the Founding Chairman of the Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association and was a Conjoint Associate Professor in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at the University of New South Wales. He was a member of the expert advisory group that develops the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ national smoking cessation guidelines. He is actively involved in teaching, writing, and advocating for tobacco harm reduction.

Karin Jacobson is Science Engagement Director at Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and based in Geneva, Switzerland. In her role, Karin leads scientific engagement activities, develops external scientific messaging and drives understanding of tobacco and nicotine product science. Prior to joining JTI in 2017, Karin built extensive experience in pharmaceutical science. She worked as a research scientist in pharmacology at the University of Geneva and in the biotechnology company NovImmune before transitioning to the consulting company NeuroAssets, specialized in neuroscience. As a senior consultant, she provided expertise and guidance on research strategy, preclinical study design and scientific communication. Originally from Sweden, Karin holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Science from the University of Basel, Switzerland.

Pieter Vorster is the Managing Director of Idwala Research, which provides research and advisory services aimed at accelerating tobacco transformation and harm reduction. Before founding Idwala, Pieter spent 30 years as an investment analyst with global investment banks and fund managers, including Credit Suisse and UBS. During this time, he covered the tobacco sector for over 20 years, laying the foundation for his extensive expertise in tobacco transformation and harm reduction. Pieter served on the Technical Committee of the 2022 Tobacco Transformation Index. Following this, he published a series of in-depth reports and analysis tools to help investors and companies interrogate and digest the Index's underlying data.

Dr Sudhanshu Patwardhan (“Sud”) is a licensed medical doctor and healthtech entrepreneur. Sud qualified as a doctor from India, did post graduate studies at the Keck Graduate Institute, California, USA, and holds an MBA from the London Business School, UK. For the past two decades, he has lived and worked in three continents, doing senior roles in research, strategy and policy in the pharmaceutical and tobacco industries. In 2018, Sud co-founded the Centre for Health Research and Education (CHRE), an independent healthcare company working globally in cancer prevention. CHRE has received grants from the Global Action to End Smoking for smoking cessation projects. Sud now splits time between the U.K. and South Asia on projects that address the needs of the most disadvantaged tobacco users. He also consults for companies on tobacco harm reduction. Since 2021, Sud is working with digital tech partners for innovating in oral cancer screening.

Jonathan Fell has followed developments in the tobacco and nicotine industries for 30 years. He began his career as an equity research analyst covering tobacco and other consumer industries at Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank, and from 2013 to 2022 he was a founder and portfolio manager at Ash Park, an investment manager focused on investments in the fast-moving consumer goods industry. Jon now spends his time as a consultant in the tobacco and nicotine spheres and working in the not-for-profit sector, including chairing a London livery company charity, helping to run a Scout group, and serving as a director at Article 36, a UK-based organisation working to promote public scrutiny over the development and use of weapons.

Marina Murphy PhD is a scientific communications and engagement professional with more than 25 years of experience including 15 years in the tobacco and nicotine sector. With a background in chemistry, she also has broad outreach, engagement and advocacy experience. Marina has previously worked as Senior Director of Scientific and Medical Affairs at ANDS, Head of Public Health Advocacy at JUUL Labs and spent nearly ten years working for British American Tobacco , during which she held various roles, including Head of Scientific Media Relations and International Scientific Engagement Manager. Marina has also worked as a journalist, editor and columnist and has published in several high-profile publications including New Scientist, The Irish Times, BBC Science and sciencebusiness.net.

Clive Bates has had a diverse career in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Starting out with IBM, he then switched career to work in the environment movement. From 1997-2003 he was Director of Action on Smoking and Health (UK), campaigning to reduce the harms caused by tobacco. In 2003 he joined Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Strategy Unit as a civil servant and worked in senior roles in the public sector and for the United Nations in Sudan. He is now Director of The Counterfactual, a consulting and advocacy practice focussed on a pragmatic approach to sustainability and public health.

David Sweanor is an adjunct professor, Faculty of Law, and chair of the advisory board of the Centre for Health Law, Policy & Ethics at the University of Ottawa and has been actively involved in tobacco and health policy issues since the beginning of the 1980s. He has worked globally, and with numerous groups, including the International Union Against Cancer, World Health Organization, World Bank and the Pan American Health Organization and played a key role in achieving many global precedents in tobacco policy. He currently focuses much of his tobacco and nicotine related efforts on risk reduction strategies.

Konstantinos Farsalinos, MD, MPH, is a physician and senior researcher specialising in Public Health at the Universities of Patras and West Attica in Greece. He has conducted extensive research on smoking, tobacco harm reduction, and vaping since 2011, publishing over 90 studies and articles. Notably, he authored the first systematic review on the safety and risk profile of e-cigarettes in 2014; his research was influential in shaping the EU’s regulatory framework on vaping. In 2020, he was recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher for his significant impact in global science. During the pandemic, he published studies exploring the relationship between smoking, nicotine, and COVID-19.

Joe Thompson is Group Science & Regulatory Affairs Director at Imperial Brands. He is responsible for the science that substantiates Imperial Brands' next generation products as potentially reduced harm relative to continued smoking and the stewardship of Imperials products. He leads a large multi-disciplined team of 200 people, and a laboratory network spread over several countries. Joe has 24 years experience in the science of tobacco & nicotine, risk assessment and regulatory affairs. Joe is also the President of CORESTA (Cooperation Centre for Scientific Research Relative to Tobacco), a global organisation with over 170 company, institute, and laboratory members. CORESTA is an authoritative source of publicly available, credible science and best practices related to tobacco products. Joe is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and a European Registered Toxicologist (ERT) with degrees in Toxicology and Physiology.

Emmanuel Mwape, a Zambian filmmaker born in Lusaka in 1992, is renowned for his impactful storytelling on tobacco harm reduction. He's an alumnus of the Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship program and a Kevin Molloy Fellow. Experienced in both fiction and non-fiction, Mwape employs film to spark conversations and effect social change. His award-winning works include "Saving Chalo" and "Helping Chalo," which delve into the complexities of tobacco harm reduction. Mwape's films not only captivate audiences but also serve as catalysts for advocacy, prompting reflection and dialogue. Through his dedication to amplifying marginalized voices, Mwape has become a luminary in the Zambian film industry, utilizing his craft to shed light on pressing social issues and inspire action worldwide.

David Sweanor is an adjunct professor, Faculty of Law, and chair of the advisory board of the Centre for Health Law, Policy & Ethics at the University of Ottawa and has been actively involved in tobacco and health policy issues since the beginning of the 1980s. He has worked globally, and with numerous groups, including the International Union Against Cancer, World Health Organization, World Bank and the Pan American Health Organization and played a key role in achieving many global precedents in tobacco policy. He currently focuses much of his tobacco and nicotine related efforts on risk reduction strategies.

Vivien Azer has 20 years of experience in Equity Research covering Consumer Staples. Most recently, she served as Managing Director and senior research analyst at TD Cowen, specializing in the beverages, tobacco, and cannabis sectors. Vivien is the first senior Wall Street analyst to cover the emerging cannabis sector, resulting in notable global press coverage across media outlets such as CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Barron’s, and Forbes. Vivien’s coverage of the tobacco and cannabis sectors has earned her industry accolades, including a spot on Institutional Investor’s All-America Research Team on several occasions. In 2022, Vivien was selected as one of the most influential names in cannabis on Forbes’ “The Cannabis 42.0” list. She was also named to MJBiz Daily’s list of “20 Women to Watch in 2019” and selected by Business Insider as a “Rising Star of Marijuana Investing.”

Jonathan Fell has followed developments in the tobacco and nicotine industries for 30 years. He began his career as an equity research analyst covering tobacco and other consumer industries at Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank, and from 2013 to 2022 he was a founder and portfolio manager at Ash Park, an investment manager focused on investments in the fast-moving consumer goods industry. Jon now spends his time as a consultant in the tobacco and nicotine spheres and working in the not-for-profit sector, including chairing a London livery company charity, helping to run a Scout group, and serving as a director at Article 36, a UK-based organisation working to promote public scrutiny over the development and use of weapons.

Clive Bates has had a diverse career in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Starting out with IBM, he then switched career to work in the environment movement. From 1997-2003 he was Director of Action on Smoking and Health (UK), campaigning to reduce the harms caused by tobacco. In 2003 he joined Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Strategy Unit as a civil servant and worked in senior roles in the public sector and for the United Nations in Sudan. He is now Director of The Counterfactual, a consulting and advocacy practice focussed on a pragmatic approach to sustainability and public health.

Dr. Arielle Selya is a behavioral scientist at PinneyAssociates, Inc. and consults to Juul Labs, Inc. (JLI) on tobacco harm reduction. Her primary expertise is tobacco use behavior among youth and adults. She also individually consults to the Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) on e-cigarette use behavioral research. Prior to joining Pinney Associates, she spent a decade in academia studying adolescent substance use and addiction. She previously held a faculty position at Sanford Research, where she led initiatives to translate population-health research projects into clinical implementation, and to make electronic medical records available on demand. She also served as an Assistant Professor at the University of North Dakota in the Master of Public Health program. Arielle has over 60 publications to her credit in behavioral science and methodology.

Gizelle Baker is Vice President of Global Scientific Engagement leading the team in communicating Philip Morris International's (PMI's) science towards a smoke-free future. Originally from Canada, Gizelle pursued her passion for science and public health at the Medical University of South Carolina in the USA – where she obtained a PhD in Biometry and Epidemiology. Before joining PMI, Gizelle held several leadership positions at Pfizer, including Vice President of Medical Affairs for Emerging Markets and Senior Director of Worldwide Medical Operations. Now at PMI, Gizelle is responsible for the scientific engagement strategy and ensures the company's scientific communications are accurate, transparent, and always based on the latest evidence. Gizelle is a key figure in the tobacco harm reduction movement and a talented public speaker who also uses her platform to promote women in leadership.

Dr Roberto A Sussman (PhD University of London) is a full time senior researcher and lecturer at the Institute for Nuclear Sciences of the National University of Mexico. His main research areas are General Relativity and Cosmology, but he has conducted research in other areas of Physics, including peer reviewed publications on e-cigarette aerosols. He is also the founder and Director of Pro-Vapeo Mexico, an association representing Mexican consumers of noncombustible nicotine products and is a member of INNCO. He is actively advocating for an appropriate regulation of Tobacco Harm Reduction products in Mexico. He directs and supervises the effort to spread scientific information on these products, as well as advising consumers on how to counter the governmental misinformation and prejudice about them that is rampant throughout Latin America.

Will is the founding editor-in-chief of Filter, an online magazine that launched in 2018 to cover drug use, drug policy and human rights through a harm reduction lens. He's also the executive director of The Influence Foundation, the New York nonprofit behind Filter. His past work in the drugs and human rights spaces has included founding and/or editing a number of other publications, and consulting for various organizations. Originally from England, he now lives in Vermont.

Professor Marewa Glover is one of New Zealand’s leading tobacco control researchers. She has worked on reducing smoking-related harm for 31 years. She is recognized internationally for her advocacy on tobacco harm reduction; and locally was a Finalist in the New Zealander of the Year Supreme Award in 2019 recognising her contribution to reducing smoking in NZ. In 2018, Dr Glover was appointed Tobacco Section Editor for the Harm Reduction Journal. In that year she also established the Centre of Research Excellence: Indigenous Sovereignty & Smoking, an international program of research aimed at reducing smoking-related harms among Indigenous peoples globally. The Centre’s research was funded with grants from the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World, Inc. (“FSFW”), a US nonprofit 501(c)(3) private foundation.

Prof. Dr. Rohan Savio Sequeira, a distinguished Consultant Cardio-Metabolic Physician with an extensive career spanning over 25 years. He specializes in Non-Invasive Cardiology, Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Management, and holds senior consultant positions at prestigious institutions such as Jaslok Hospital, St. Elizabeth Hospital, S.L. Raheja Hospital, Holy Family Hospital, and Breach Candy Hospital in India. Dr. Sequeira's remarkable journey also includes serving as the Honorary Consultant Physician to the Governor of Maharashtra (India) and leading the Department of Health's Policy Decision-Making Committee for the Government of Maharashtra. His wealth of experience extends to cross-country healthcare implementation and the international medical and para-medical domain. With a keen understanding of addressable market needs and a vast network in the medical and pharmaceutical sectors, Dr. Sequeira plays a vital role in advancing healthcare solutions.

Maria Papaioannoy is the founder and spokesperson of Rights 4 Vapers, Canada's largest vape movement. She has organized and led protests against federal and provincial governments, ensuring the voices of people who vape are heard on policy matters. In 2014, she joined Vapor Advocates of Ontario, and in 2019, she formed the Rights 4 Vapers movement. For over a decade, Maria has passionately addressed legislative bodies, advocating against flavour bans on provincial and federal levels. Her impact has reached far beyond local boundaries. She has participated in panels across North America, proudly highlighting the significance of vaping. With a deep understanding of how to effectively advocate for the vaping community, Maria remains a steadfast advocate for the right to choose one's preferred method of consuming nicotine. Her dedication to amplifying the voices of consumers reflects a belief in the importance of personal choice in health and well-being.

Christopher Snowdon is the head of lifestyle economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs. He is a regular contributor to the Spectator, The Critic and Spiked and often appears on TV and radio discussing lifestyle regulation, prohibition and policy-based evidence. He is the editor of the Nanny State Index and the author of six books: ‘Polemics’ (2020), ‘Killjoys’ (2017), ‘Selfishness, Greed and Capitalism’ (2015), ‘The Art of Suppression' (2011), ‘The Spirit Level Delusion’ (2010) and ‘Velvet Glove, Iron Fist’ (2009). Snowdon has also written more than twenty reports for the Institute of Economic Affairs including ‘Drinking, Fast and Slow’, ‘Joint Venture’, ‘Cheap as Chips’, ‘Sock Puppets’ and ‘Death and Taxes’. He is also co-host of the Last Orders podcast.

Jessica Harding became involved in tobacco harm reduction when vapes helped her to quit smoking, in 2012. She helped to establish the political party Vapers in Power and later worked as an administrator for the New Nicotine Alliance. Jessica is a Director at Knowledge•Action•Change and its sister company KAC Communications, which runs the Global Forum on Nicotine. She previously worked as an English teacher and lives in the UK.