Dirk De Ridder, MD, PhD, is professor of Neurosurgery at the Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago in New Zealand and runs a private neuromodulation clinic in Belgium. He is also associated with Manipal University in India, Trinity College in Dublin, and teaches at the University of Bonn in Germany. He has developed “burst” and “noise” stimulation as novel stimulation designs for implants, and is currently working on multifocal or network stimulation, as well as reconditioning stimulation. Burst stimulation is commercialized by Abbott as BurstDR = Burst D(e)R(idder) stimulation. He has written 40 book chapters and more than 300 pubmed listed journal articles, of which more than 100 on pain. This has resulted in a Google Scholar H-index of 78, with more than 23,000 citations and an i10 index of 268.

David is a Distinguished Scientist for Medtronic in the Neuromodulation Research & Technology group. His interests include electrostimulation, biopotential acquisition and processing, and physiologic control systems.

Study coordinator in the Functional Neurosurgery and Stereotaxy Section of the University Hospital Düsseldorf.

Colorectal surgeon with a special interest in functional gastroenterology and proctology. With more than 15 years of research experience within diagnostic and treatment of faecal incontinence and proctology. In 2022 awarded the highest academic title in Denmark with the defence of the thesis – Treatment of Faecal incontinence with special focus on Sacral Nerve Stimulation.

Anesthesiologist at the Institut de Cancerologie de L’Ouest (I.C.O.) in Angers France, I soon became aware of the burden of cancer pain and how managing these patients was challenging. I thereafter devoted much of my time to cancer pain management. I initiated intrathecal treatments for patients within the ICO as part of clinical research. To improve the safety and accuracy of TDD, we developed a prescription software now used in many hospitals in France. We also developed a clinical research program focused on Intrathecal treatments. First, we evaluated the use of Ziconotide for cancer patients, Then, we launched studies on Ziconotide stability in pumps and on the relevance of prospective assays in intrathecal mixtures, to improve accuracy and thus reduce the adverse events rate. In addition, the research focused on overall effectiveness, and then specifically on effectiveness in Pancreatic cancers. More recently, we developed a preventive treatment of Post Dural Puncture Headache using Fibrin glue injections into the epidural space just after lumbar puncture. Teaching and training in IT treatments has also been a priority to ensure the future of this therapy; Institutionally, I am a member of the IASP, the INS, and of the Cancer Pain Research Consortium.