Mark Tyndall MD, ScD, FRCPC is a Professor at the University of British Columbia, Canada. He was formerly the Executive Director of the BC Centre for Disease Control and the Deputy Provincial Health Officer. He received his medical degree from McMaster University, his infectious diseases training at the University of Manitoba, and his doctoral degree in public health from Harvard University. He has over three decades of community-based research and advocacy experience with a focus on global health, drug use, HIV, and harm reduction. He has authored over 250 peer-reviewed publications, presented a 2017 TEDMED talk on harm reduction, and is releasing a new book; “Vaping: Behind the Smoke and Fears” at this year’s GFN. His current research and advocacy efforts are focused on innovative programs to reduce drug overdose/poisoning through safe drug supply programs and accelerating the global transition away from combustible cigarettes to vaping and other safer nicotine products.

Since graduating with a degree in Politics and Government in 1978, Paddy has worked in a number of aspects of public health and social care, including alcohol and drug services, the probation service and public health advocacy. In addition to these he has worked in event management, including directing five editions of the International Harm Reduction conference. Since 2012 he has been mainly involved in the development and promotion of Tobacco Harm Reduction, including directing the Global Forum on Nicotine.

Dr Carolyn Beaumont is an Australian general practitioner and educator, and Tobacco Harm Reduction Scholarship Programme 2023 recipient. She is a staunch advocate for the rights of adult ex-smokers to have easy legal access to good quality vaping products She has helped thousands of Australian ex-smokers remain smoke free through her online business MedicalNicotine, which allows her to provide adult vapers with their nicotine prescription that is required by law in Australia. This service began in 2020, as she developed more awareness and understanding of the plight of chronic smokers – those who desperately want to stop smoking and have tried many traditional options without success. Carolyn has been published in national newspapers, interviewed on national radio, co- authored medical journal articles and is a regular contributor to national and international tobacco harm reduction webinars and forums. She aims to educate people about nicotine addiction, and to view this condition with compassion and understanding. At the same time, Carolyn recognizes that the best option is for youth to never use tobacco or nicotine in the first place. She presents to secondary school students and parents, in which the dangers of blackmarket vaping and tobacco addiction in the young are discussed. Carolyn has GP fellowship, and holds a Doctor of Medicine, a postgraduate Diploma of Child Health, a postgraduate Diploma of Education, a Bachelor of Medical Science (top graduate) and a Bachelor of Music (first class honours). She had a previous ‘second life’ as a pianist and teacher for over a decade before embarking on medical studies in her late 30s. She has recently been recognized by her local council, having been nominated for the 2023 local council ‘Woman of the year award’ for her work in tobacco harm advocacy, support for ex-smokers and school education. Carolyn is proud to be a THRSP 2023 recipient, and she is using this opportunity to create a tobacco harm reduction educational presentation for Australian medical students.

Jeannie is founder and managing director of JCIC International Consultancy specialising since 2011 in advocating for harm reduction policy. She was also recently elected to the States of Alderney parliament, a UK Crown Dependency. Jeannie was formerly Assistant Director of the International Legal Section of the Australian Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and is a specialist in treaty law with an LLM from King’s College London including a dissertation on Emerging International Public Health Issues – Human Rights, Harm Reduction and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Jeannie attended all negotiating meetings to create the FCTC during 2001 and 2003. Jeannie is an active commentator on tobacco harm reduction, alternative nicotine product policy and the therapeutic benefits of nicotine. She has recently published an article on using optional protocols to international human rights treaties enabling individuals to take cases against domestic government policy preventing their right to the attainment of the highest level of human health.

Jeffrey Zamora is President of Asovape Costa Rica, 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 a documentary called "Love Kevin", and Project Leader for the Veritas Study of ECLAT (Spin-off of the University of Catania, Italy) and CoEHAR, and former president of ARDT Iberoamerica. Jeffrey Zamora has worked in Social Media, Audiovisual Production, and Marketing with NGOs, Governmental Entities, and Commercial Brands.

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.

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.

Anna Franzén holds an MSc in Pharmaceutical Biosciences and a PhD in Toxicology from Uppsala University, Sweden. With over 20 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry and regulatory environments such as the Swedish Medical Products Agency, Anna has developed a deep expertise in risk assessment, clinical research, and regulatory strategies. She has also worked extensively in industry-academic collaborations, supporting the development of innovative healthcare solutions. Anna joined Emplicure in 2021 and leads the company’s regulatory strategy. Passionate about innovation and safety, she is dedicated to advancing novel solutions for nicotine and drug delivery

CECILIA KINDSTRAND-ISAKSSON, SWEDEN Cecilia Kindstrand is Director of Public Affairs for Swedish Match, a company with tobacco harm reduction at the core of its business. The company divested its cigarette business in 1999 and is now offering products that are recognized as safer alternatives to cigarettes. She is based in Brussels and has worked extensively with the EU regulatory matters, especially the TPD 2014/40 a legislation banning the ‘proof of concept’ of tobacco harm reduction in 26 of the 27 Member States.

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.

Dr. Arielle Selya is a behavioral science consultant specializing in tobacco harm reduction. Through her primary role as Senior Scientist at PinneyAssociates, Inc., she supports Juul Labs, Inc. in their scientific and regulatory efforts through behavioral study protocols, statistical methodology, and scientific publishing strategy and execution. Dr. Selya is also a consultant to the Center of Excellence for the Acceleration of Harm Reduction (CoEHAR) on e-cigarette use behavioral research and critical analysis of scientific literature. She received her PhD in Neuroscience at Rutgers University and, prior to becoming a consultant, spent a decade in academia studying adolescent substance use and addiction. In addition to being a prolific contributor to the scientific literature, with over 70 scientific publications to her name, Dr. Selya is also actively engaged in both post-publication critiques of published research and in communicating scientific findings to broader audiences (see her collection of tweetorials here).

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.

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 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 advocates for an appropriate regulation of Tobacco Harm Reduction products in Mexico and Latin America and is active in spreading scientific information on these products, as well as advising consumers on how to counter the rampant governmental disinformation and prejudice about them.

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.

Riccardo Polosa is the founder of the Center of Excellence for Accelerating Harm Reduction (CoEHAR - University of Catania, Italy). Dr. Polosa is a full professor of Internal Medicine at the same University and together with the 100-member CoEHAR research team with different specializations, they conduct several high-profile clinical and behavioral research in the field of smoking-related diseases. According to a bibliometric analysis, Professor Polosa is considered the most productive scientist in the world in the field of e-cigarette research.

Dr. Thomas Nahde is the Global Head of Harm Reduction & Engagement at Imperial Brands. He leads the scientific substantiation of Imperial’s next generation product (NGP) portfolio, as the business seeks to make a meaningful contribution to tobacco harm reduction. Thomas oversees a multidisciplinary team who conduct NGP scientific research, as well as educate, engage, and communicate the scientific results to a broad range of internal and external stakeholders. He is passionate about translating complex scientific research into meaningful health outcomes that benefit consumers and public health, and inspiring and developing others through empathetic, inclusive and authentic leadership. Thomas holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Science and had previously held senior global and regional medical education & medical affairs roles at Smith & Nephew, and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare.

Maria Papaioannoy is the founder and spokesperson of Rights 4 Vapers (R4V), Canada’s largest movement advocating for access to safer nicotine products. She has led nationwide protests against restrictive policies, ensuring the voices of those who rely on these alternatives are heard. Maria’s advocacy began in 2014 with Vapor Advocates of Ontario, and in 2019, she launched R4V to push back against government overreach. For over a decade, she has engaged with legislative bodies, public health units, and media to challenge provincial and federal flavour bans. In 2024, under her leadership, R4V collected and mailed over 100,000 letters to elected officials, marking one of Canada’s largest consumer-led advocacy efforts. Maria remains a tireless champion for safer nicotine choices, driven by her belief in harm reduction, personal freedom, and public health. Her dedication ensures consumers have a voice in shaping policies that impact their lives.

Jagannath (Jaggi) Sarangapani is a passionate independent tobacco harm reduction advocate from India and a former member of the Association of Vapers India (AVI). After smoking 40 cigarettes a day for 20 years, he quit through vaping almost a decade ago and has remained smoke-free since. He strongly believes smokers should have access to safer alternatives and the right to remain smoke-free. An avid fitness enthusiast and trekking lover, Jagannath maintains an active lifestyle alongside his advocacy work. A seasoned industrialist, he has spent over 30 years managing his family business, a pioneer in cellular plastics and insulated panels in India. He holds a Master’s degree in Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and is also an alumnus of Columbia Business School.

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.

Martin Cawley joined Beatson Cancer Charity as CEO in July 2019.  Martin has been involved in the area of health and social care his entire his career.  He previously held senior positions in a number of Scotland’s charities and spent 3 years as Director of the National Lottery Community Fund in Scotland working with charities and community organisations. Martin has a comprehensive understanding of the wide-ranging challenges facing charitable organisations in Scotland.  Over the years he has been involved in a range of national forums and working groups related to areas of his work.  

Dr Christopher Snowdon is the head of lifestyle economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). He is a regular contributor to the Spectator, The Critic and Spiked, and is the author of ‘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). He is the editor of the Nanny State Index and the author of more than twenty reports for the IEA.