Dr. Gabriel E. Gondolesi is an internationally recognized transplant surgeon, scientist, and academic leader. Born in Argentina, he graduated from the National University of La Plata. After completing his residency in General Surgery, he pursued fellowship training in liver transplantation surgery at the Favaloro Foundation in Buenos Aires. In 1999, he continued his training at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, where he later became Head of Intestinal Transplantation.

In 2006, Dr. Gondolesi returned to Argentina to establish the first comprehensive intestinal failure and transplantation program in Latin America, while expanding the liver and pancreas transplant programs at the Favaloro Foundation. In 2024, he joined the MedStar Georgetown Transplantation Institute, where he introduced innovative approaches including multivisceral and domino liver transplantation, liver split/reduction during normothermic machine perfusion, and the use of DCD+NRP liver and liver–pancreas grafts from pediatric donors.

At The Transplantation Society (TTS) for 25 years, he has served as Latin American Councillor, Treasurer, and Vice-President. He has contributed to global initiatives addressing organ trafficking and transplant tourism through the World Health Organization and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences (2017). He promoted regional collaboration through STALYC (2018) and co-chaired the first TTS conference held in Buenos Aires in 2022. He also served in the International Intestinal Transplant Association (IIRTA) as Councillor, Secretary-Treasurer, and President, establishing 17 international chapters, founding the Intestinal Failure Journal, and strengthening its global identity.

Dr. Gondolesi has trained more than 70 professionals, directed 11 doctoral theses, and authored over 200 manuscripts, 18 book chapters, and the book Transcending. As a candidate for TTS President-Elect, he is committed to strengthening international cooperations to expand donation and transplantation worldwide.

Dr. Martí Manyalich graduated in Medicine from the University of Barcelona in 1977 and specialized in Anesthesiology, Resuscitation, and Pain Medicine. He obtained his PhD with honors and pursued further training in emergency medicine at the University of Paris Val-de-Marne, as well as in business administration at ESADE.

He played a key role in developing a leading emergency care team at Hospital Clínic of Barcelona and contributed to the creation of the Catalan Emergency Medical System. In 1985, as Transplant Coordinator, he increased organ donation rates by 400%.

In 1986, he pioneered uncontrolled donation after circulatory death (DCD), later contributing to advances such as normothermic regional perfusion and ex situ organ perfusion technologies, now applied across multiple organs. Today, donation activity in his region accounts for approximately 62% DCD and 38% DBD.

In 1991, he founded the Transplant Procurement Management (TPM) program, followed by the Transplant Service Foundation (TSF) in 1994, Europe’s first multi-tissue bank. He also contributed to the first university master’s program in donation and transplantation at the University of Barcelona, which has trained over 25,000 professionals from more than 100 countries.

He has led and contributed to several European projects (EQSTB, ETPOD, ODEQUS, EULID, ELIPSY, LIDOBS, EUDONORGAN), improving donation systems, quality, and training.

Dr. Manyalich has authored over 250 publications and held leadership roles including President of ISODP (2015–2017), Councilor of TTS (2018–2026), Chair of the TTS Committee (2020–2022), Vice President of EATB (1999–2003), and President of EDTCO (1997–2001). He has been a member of TTS since 1990.

His work focuses on strengthening global collaboration and expanding access to transplantation worldwide

Alejandro Nino Murcia, M.D., FACS, is a distinguished transplant surgeon at Colombiana de Trasplantes and a revered surgery professor at the Universidad del Rosario in Bogota, Colombia. With a medical degree from the Universidad del Rosario, a General Surgeon certification from the Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, and an honorary transplant surgeon from the University of Minnesota, Dr. Nino-Murcia has dedicated his career to advancing transplantation medicine. Additionally, he has been a fellow of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) since 2002 and holds a Master of Public Health. His public health studies have been and still are crucial for developing laws, helping programs grow and consolidating transplantation not only in Colombia but also in Latin America. In 2017, the Latin American and the Caribbean Transplant Association presented an award in Montevideo, Uruguay praising these efforts.

His leadership roles include serving as President and then Executive Director of the Colombian Transplant Association (ACTO) and as President of the Latin American and the Caribbean Transplant Association (STALYC). Furthermore, he has played pivotal roles in global initiatives, such as being a member of the board for four years and them co-chairing the Declaration of Istanbul Custodian Group (DICG) 2018-2022 and in 2022-2023 honorary member of the board and acting as the vice-chair of the World Transplant Congress TTS 2022 in Buenos Aires. Dr. Nino- Murcia's unwavering commitment to international transplantation and surgical education underscores his profound impact on the field. He was a Latin-American councilor for TTS.

Since 2025 his is the treasurer of the Colombian Academy of Medicine where he is not only a number member but also in the board of directors.

Professor Refaat Kamel, M.B.B.Ch, F.R.C.S., F.I.C.S., M.D., Hon. EBT is a distinguished Egyptian transplant and hepatobiliary surgeon with extensive leadership in liver transplantation, surgical education, and international professional societies. A graduate of Ain Shams University, he completed his residency training at Ain Shams University Hospitals and King’s College Hospital in London. He earned his M.D. in Surgery from Ain Shams University in 1991 and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the International College of Surgeons the same year. He is also an Honorary Fellow of the European Board of Transplantation.

Professor Kamel has served as Chair of the Surgical Departments at Ain Shams University, Head of the Hepato-Bilio-Pancreatic Surgery Department, and Director of the National Liver Transplant Program. Since 2001, he has been Chief Liver Transplant Surgeon in three leading liver transplant programs in Egypt, with experience in more than 1,500 living donor liver transplant cases.

He has held numerous leadership roles, including President of the Middle East Society of Organ Transplantation, President of the Egyptian Society of Organ Transplantation, President of the Egyptian Section of the International College of Surgeons, and President and Co-founder of the Egyptian French Medical Association. He also served as a TTS Councilor and contributed to national and international efforts on organ donation law, communication, and the Istanbul Declaration on organ trafficking and transplant tourism.

Professor Kamel has published more than 150 papers in local and international journals and has contributed to international books on living donor liver transplantation.