Ignacio del Moral Vicente – Mazariegos

Ignacio (Nacho) del Moral, MD, PhD, is a consultant anesthesiologist at the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital in Santander, Spain.

He has been director of the Valdecilla Virtual Hospital (HvV), where he has led initiatives to improve the training of healthcare professionals through simulation.

He is recognized for his energy and enthusiasm in implementing organizational and educational changes in the field of simulation.

Marcia Maldonado Holtheuer

A registered nurse from the University of Chile, with a master’s degree in Higher Education from the Andrés Bello University (UNAB). She works as an assistant professor in the Nursing and Medicine programs at Diego Portales University, where she also serves as director of the Center for Simulation, Innovation, and Interdisciplinary Training (CESIFI, by its Spanish acronym) in the Faculty of Health and Dentistry.

She has a Diploma in Simulation-Based Teaching and is a certified clinical simulation instructor at the Center for Medical Simulation, Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. She is also a Level 1 and Level 2 EUSIM instructor, a Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) instructor for the American Heart Association, and a TALK debriefing instructor. She currently serves as secretary general of the LATAM division of the TALK Foundation and is president of the Chilean Society of Clinical Simulation (SOCHISIM, by its Spanish acronym).

Paul A. Iaizzo

Paul A. Iaizzo, PhD FHRS, professor in the Departments of Surgery, Integrative Biology and Physiology, and the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. He also serves on several graduate faculty and directs the Malignant Hyperthermia Diagnostic Center and the Visible Heart^®️ Research program.

He is associate director and Medtronic chair at the Institute for Engineering in Medicine. He earned his MS and PhD in physiology/neurophysiology from the same university.

He has trained over 200 students and published over 290 articles and 100 book chapters. He has received multiple honors, including being named a Fellow of the AIMBE, the Heart Rhythm Society, and a Senior Fellow of the IEEE. In 2023, he was recognized for excellence in teaching by the School of Medicine.

Donia Bouzid

Donia Bouzid, MD, PhD, associate professor at Université Paris Cité with extensive research in medical education and competency-based assessment.

José María Maestre

José María Maestre, MD, PhD, is the teaching director of the Valdecilla Virtual Hospital (HvV). He has played a key role in implementing and promoting simulation as an educational tool, leading courses such as “Simulation as a Teaching Tool” (SATT) in collaboration with the Center for Medical Simulation.

His work focuses on providing innovative simulation-based education to educators around the world.

Demian Szyld

Director of Innovation in Education – Boston Medical Center (USA). Vice President of Faculty Affairs – Emergency Medicine, Boston University

Dr. Demian Szyld is an emergency physician and educator with extensive experience in clinical simulation. He is Vice President of Faculty Affairs in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Boston Medical Center and Associate Professor at Boston University.

He has served as Founding Medical Director of NYSIM in New York and Senior Director of the Institute for Medical Simulation at the Center for Medical Simulation (Harvard), where he has led international instructor training programs. Trained at the University of Pennsylvania and with a Master’s degree in Education from Harvard, he has focused his work on debriefing, reflective learning, and faculty development. He has held positions in the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) and is the author of key publications in the field.

Claudia Arancibia Salvo,

Claudia Arancibia is a speech therapist and associate professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Chile. She holds a master’s degree in Health Sciences Education, is a Fellow in Clinical Simulation from the University of Connecticut (USA), and has completed advanced training in simulated patients at Maastricht University (Netherlands).

She currently directs the Clinical Skills Center at her faculty, where she has developed pioneering initiatives in the use of standardized patients and formative assessment. She is a member of the International Committee of ASPE, a leading organization in simulated patient education, and an active promoter of student-centered learning.

Soledad Armijo

Soledad Armijo, MD, MgEd, CHSE-A. Professor and Researcher in Medical Education and Simulation at the Faculty of Clinical Medicine of the Universidad del Desarrollo (UDD) in Santiago, Chile. She is a EuSIM Faculty Member, CORE Debriefing Instructor, and Chair of Research at the TALK Foundation. She holds a Master’s Degree in Education and is a candidate for a Doctorate in Translational Medicine from the University of Barcelona. She has published more than 40 scientific articles and has been cited 132 times, with a focus on topics such as simulation, medical education, and patient safety.

Matthew Weinger

Matthew Weinger, MD, MS, is an expert in human factors, patient safety, and medical simulation, with more than three decades of experience. He is a professor of anesthesiology, biomedical informatics, and medical education at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and a professor of civil and environmental engineering.

His work focuses on designing technologies to improve individual and population health. He has published over 200 scientific articles and led numerous research projects. He has been honored with major awards, including the A. R. Lauer Safety Award and the Laufman-Greatbatch Award, for his leadership in patient safety and the use of medical technologies. His background includes studies in electrical engineering, biology, and medicine, solidifying his influence on the advancement of technology and safety in healthcare.

Carlos Serrano

Researcher and Educator in Dental Simulation – Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (Netherlands)

Dr. Carlos Serrano is a leading researcher and educator in the field of dentistry, specializing in the application of extended reality (XR) and haptic simulation technologies to improve the transition of students from pre-clinical training to clinical practice. He obtained his PhD from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where he developed patient-centered training modules using virtual reality, allowing students to practice specific procedures on realistic digital models before facing real clinical situations. His work has been instrumental in integrating advanced digital simulations into dental education, facilitating safer and more effective training for future oral health professionals.

Johanna Marjoke Vervoorn

Principal Investigator in Dental Education and Simulation – Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Netherlands

Dr. Johanna M. Vervoorn is a renowned researcher in dental education, with a focus on the implementation of patient-based simulation and the use of digital technologies in dental education. She has published more than 17 scientific articles, accumulating over 447 citations, and has collaborated on international projects that promote innovation in dental education. Her research covers areas such as innovative medical education and health simulation, contributing significantly to the advancement of pedagogical methodologies that improve students’ clinical competence.

Jose Saavedra

Dr. José Saavedra is a kinesiologist and coordinator of the Veterinary Simulation Center at Santo Tomás University in Chile. His focus is on implementing clinical simulation strategies adapted to the veterinary context, promoting professional ethics, animal welfare, and technical competence among students.

He has led the development of simulated models for practical teaching in veterinary medicine, bringing an interdisciplinary perspective to healthcare simulation. His participation in this conference represents a valuable bridge between human and veterinary simulation.

Maria Paz Rodriguez Hopp

Maria Paz Rodriguez Hopp, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Dentistry at Diego Portales University. Her career focuses on education, with particular expertise in clinical simulation and the development of innovative teaching methodologies for healthcare professionals.

She has also been actively involved in applied research in teaching and has collaborated on continuing education projects that promote training and knowledge updating in medicine.

Her work at Diego Portales University has been aimed at strengthening educational programs in the area of health, contributing to the training of professionals who are better equipped to face the clinical challenges of today’s world.

Mario Zuñiga Mogollones

Mario Zuñiga Mogollones, director of graduate studies at the Faculty of Health and Dentistry at Diego Portales University. He has established himself as a leader in the implementation of student-centered teaching strategies, using simulation and scientific research as fundamental pillars for improving the quality of education in health sciences. He is currently treasurer of the Chilean Society for Simulation (SOCHISIM).