Ramón Isidoro Casanova Arzola, MD, PhD
Pediatric cardiologist. Dr Casanova is founding director of the National Pediatric Cardiology Program and the William Soler Children’s Heart Center, where he is currently professor, associate researcher and chair of the Medical Ethics Commission. He was the first Chief of Pediatrics at the William Soler Pediatric Teaching Hospital where he co-founded Cuba’s first rheumatic fever service, a model later extended to pediatric hospitals across the country. He went on to head Cuba’s first pediatric cardiology service at the same institution. Dr Casanova was also the first Rector of the Higher Institute of Medical Sciences of Havana and is currently distinguished professor at the Medical University of Havana. He is a member of the Cuban Academy of Sciences.

Mercedes Esquivel Lauzurique, MD, PhD
Pediatrician. Lead researcher, Human Growth and Development Department, Julio Trigo López Medical School of the Medical University of Havana. Dr Esquivel began her post-graduate career as director of the San Diego de los Baños Polyclinic in Havana Province and was a practicing pediatrician until joining the National Growth and Development Research Group in 1980. She has been awarded the National Health Sciences Prize three times since 1977. Dr Esquivel is currently conducting a study on growth and development of Havana’s population, and is a member of the research team working on a 3-year Cuban Ministry of Health–World Health Organization project on intervention strategies to enhance quality of life for infants.

Manuel Hernández-Triana, MD, PhD
Biochemist. Senior researcher and full professor of biochemistry at the Medical University of Havana. Dr Hernández-Triana heads the Biochemistry and Physiology Department and the Scientific Commission at the Nutrition and Food Hygiene Institute, Havana. His recent research focuses on dietary protein quality, energy recommendations and isotopic methods for measuring body composition, energy expenditure, and Helicobacter pylori infection. He is President of the Latin American Nutrition Society.

Albadio Pérez Assef, MD, PhD, MS
Physician with dual specialization in internal medicine and intensive care and emergency medicine. Dr Pérez is associate professor of internal medicine at the Medical University of Havana. He chairs the Clinical Sciences Department of the Enrique Cabrera Medical School of the same university, where he also serves as chair of the Scientific Commission. Dr Pérez heads the National Emergency and Intensive Care Experts Group. His current research focuses on critical maternal morbidity in intensive care and the use of prognostic models.

Priscila Torres Babié, MD
Physician with dual specialization in family medicine and oncology. Dr Torres is associate researcher in the National Cancer Registry Department of the National Oncology and Radiobiology Institute, and the National Cancer Control Unit of the Cuban Ministry of Public Health. Her current research focuses on design and implementation of epidemiological research, data quality in cancer registries, and space–time distribution of cancer incidence.