Aline Desmedt is a professor of neuroscience at the University of Bordeaux and team leader at the Neurocentre Magendie ("Physiopathology of declarative memory", INSERM U1215). Her research focuses in particular on the neurobiological bases of traumatic memory. After obtaining a doctorate in neuroscience at the University of Bordeaux, A. Desmedt completed postdoctoral training at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. Laureate of 2 scientific awards, she coordinates several scientific projects dedicated to the brain bases of post-traumatic stress disorder and is the author of numerous scientific articles on this topic and more than 70 invited conferences. After having developed the first animal (mice) model of traumatic memory (Kaouane et al., Science, 2012), she recently demonstrated that a re-contextualization of traumatic memory can «normalize» this pathological memory (e.g. Al Abed et al., Nature Com, 2020).

Maria-Magdalena Macarenco is doctor in Psychology, clinical psychologist, psychotherapist, EMDR consultant, supervisor, and trainer. With over 20 years of experience in clinical practice, she specializes in trauma and psychological trauma therapy. Since 2013, she has been offering continuing education courses in psychotraumatology. Her areas of professional interest include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD; Dissociation and psychotraumatic mechanisms; Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs); The connection between trauma and autoimmune diseases; Trauma-oriented psychotherapy.

Prof. Richard Contrada is a health psychologist, professor in the Department of Psychology and member of the Institute for Health, Healthcare Policy, and Aging Research at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (U.S.A.). He has conducted biopsychosocial research on cardiovascular disorders and other medical conditions, represented in over 100 publications. Prof. Contrada’s work has been supported by the National Institutes for Health (NIH), American Heart Association, Charles A. Dana Foundation, and the Fetzer Institute. He also served as Co-Investigator and Project Director of an NIH Center on promoting health in African Americans, and Co-Director of an NIH Mind-Body Center. Prof. Contrada is a Fellow of the Society for Biopsychosocial Science and Medicine (formerly the Psychosomatic Society), Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research, and American Psychological Association, among other scientific organizations.

Dr. Zoe Wyatt-Potage is a Clinical Social Worker (PhD) and global consultant in trauma and wellbeing. With over a decade of experience across Southeast Asia, Africa, and Australia, her work bridges neuroscience, trauma-informed care, and organisational practice. Her doctoral research focused on trauma and resilience, and she continues to publish and present internationally on vicarious trauma, burnout and the neuroscience of wellbeing.

Dr. Karla L. Sapp, LPC-S, LMHC-S, LCMHC-S, RYT-500, is a licensed psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, and registered yoga teacher with over 15 years of experience working at the intersection of mental health, trauma recovery, and criminal justice reform. Her clinical expertise centers on the treatment of developmental trauma, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and their long-term impact on neurodevelopment, emotional regulation, and behavioral health.

Dr. Sapp has served diverse populations, including justice-involved individuals, survivors of complex trauma, and at-risk youth, blending evidence-based psychotherapeutic approaches with mindfulness, breathwork, and somatic practices to promote resilience and healing. Her work integrates neuroscience, psychology, and criminology to create trauma-informed frameworks that disrupt cycles of harm and reduce recidivism.

An advocate for systemic change, Dr. Sapp has provided training and consultation for mental health professionals, educators, and justice system stakeholders on implementing neurodevelopmentally informed interventions. Her research and presentations emphasize the ethical and practical applications of neuroscience in policy reform and rehabilitation programs.

In addition to her clinical and consulting work, Dr. Sapp is an active contributor to professional publications and conference proceedings, focusing on the intersection of trauma, neurobiology, and justice. She brings both academic rigor and compassionate insight to her work, fostering dialogue that bridges science and practice.

Judith Daniels is a PhD, is a scientist-practitioner at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands. She studied psychology at the universities of Giessen and Bielefeld (Germany) and received a PhD from the University of Bielefeld. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Western University in London, Canada, she headed a research group at Charite Berlin, Germany. She then became assistant professor at the Department of Psychosomatics at the University of Magdeburg, Germany. Since 2015, she has been a professor at the Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the University of Groningen, where she holds a chair in Clinical Psychology. She is also the head of the research department at Traumacentrum Beilen, GGZ Drenthe, The Netherlands, which is a specialized treatment facility for complex cases of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. In the last 20 years, she has conducted research on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Dissociative Disorders.

Dr. Tomas Ros is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience at the University of Geneva, specializing in the methodological development of EEG neurofeedback for psychiatric and neurological conditions. His research is driven by a fascination with the link between brain function and human behaviour, a passion he pursued through his PhD in Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London (2010).
As a postdoctoral fellow at Western University in Canada, he investigated neurofeedback as a potential treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), work that earned him the Brain Star Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. At the University of Geneva, he has expanded these applications to pioneer new therapies for post-stroke rehabilitation and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Dr. Ros holds a PhD from Goldsmiths College, an MSc in Neuroscience from Louis Pasteur University, and a BSc in Physics from Imperial College of Science and Technology.

Professor of Psychobiology at the University of Malaga, she specializes in Neuroscience research and teaching. She holds both a BA and PhD in Psychology from the same institution, where she earned the Extraordinary Doctoral Award. Her academic journey began with a collaboration grant, followed by several roles within the university, which have enabled her to develop a robust research focus on the role of lipid transmitters in neurogenesis and behavior. Recently, her work has expanded to exploring the intersection of stress, neuroinflammation, neuroplasticity, and, more recently, the gut microbiome, particularly in relation to depressive disorders.
Over the course of her career, she has led numerous research projects funded through competitive calls and has collaborated with national and international research teams. Her findings have been published in over 70 indexed scientific articles. Some of her work has received awards from the General Foundation of the University of Malaga, and several of her publications have been recognized for their significant contribution to understanding human diseases, with notable mentions in Global Medical Discovery and World Biomedical Frontiers. In addition to research, she teaches at undergraduate, master's, and doctoral levels and supervises doctoral theses. She also participates in academic management and knowledge transfer initiatives with industry, seeing the university as a hub for dialogue between science, education, and society.

Prof. Dr. Inga Schalinski is a researcher and licensed psychological psychotherapist with expertise in trauma-related fields. She holds a full professorship at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich (Germany). Her research focuses on childhood maltreatment and its impact on both mental and physical health, with a particular emphasis on the neurobiology and treatment of dissociative symptoms. She has published numerous research papers in leading academic journals, advancing knowledge on the long-term consequences of childhood maltreatment.

Andrei C. Miu is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Behavioral Genetics and founding Director of the Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory (http://www.cognitive-neuroscience.ro/) in the Department of Psychology at Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. He holds a B.A. in Psychology, an M.Sc. in Neuroscience and Molecular Medicine, and a Ph.D. in Psychology with an interdisciplinary thesis on emotion and cognition. His research examines individual differences in emotion — including their neural and genetic underpinnings — and their impact on cognition and risk for psychopathology. Recently, his work has focused on emotion regulation as a mechanism linking childhood maltreatment to psychopathology, using behavioral, neurophysiological, neuroendocrine, and genetic methods.
Dr. Miu has authored over 80 peer-reviewed articles, several designated Highly Cited Papers (top 1% in Psychiatry/Psychology) on Web of Science. He has received fellowships and awards from Fulbright, Go8 Future Research Leaders (Australia), and SEMPRE (UK), among others

Dr. Dylan Gee is a Professor of Psychology at Yale University, where she directs the Clinical Affective Neuroscience and Development Laboratory (CANDLab). Dr. Gee received her bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College, her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of California Los Angeles, and completed her clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship at Weill Cornell Medical College. Her lab’s research focuses on neurodevelopmental mechanisms of early adversity and risk for psychopathology in childhood and adolescence, with a translational focus to inform interventions and policy related to youth well-being. In addition to her lab’s research, she serves as a co-principal investigator at the Yale site of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Dr. Gee was selected as a World Economic Forum Young Scientist and her work has received broad recognition, including the American Psychological Association’s Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contributions to Psychology, the Janet Taylor Spence Award for Transformative Early Career Contributions from the Association of Psychological Science, and the American Psychological Association’s Early Career Award for Outstanding Contributions to Children, Youth, and Families. Dr. Gee frequently gives talks to parents and educators, and her lab’s work has had a notable impact on public policy related to child development and mental health.

Simona Miron is currently a clinical psychologist at the PsyTech University Clinic and a doctoral student at the Doctoral School of Evidence-Based Assessment and Psychological Interventions at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca. She completed her undergraduate program with a specialization in Forensic Psychology at Tilburg University and her master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, Psychological Counseling, and Psychotherapy at Babeș-Bolyai University. Her main research interests focus on the development of disruptive behaviors in children and adolescents and their connection to juvenile delinquency, as well as effective therapy for individuals with personality disorders and aggressive behaviors within couple relationships.