Graduated in Medicine in 1979 at the University of Palermo, Italy. Specialist in Cardiology (1982, University of Palermo), Specialist in Respiratory Medicine (1988, University of Pisa). Full Professor in Respiratory Medicine, University of Palermo Since 2006, Research Associate at National Research Council (CNR), Palermo, Italy 2005-2009: Director of the Residency Program in Respiratory Medicine, University of Palermo. Is currently Director of the Pulmonary Division, and of the Cardiovascular and Respiratory Department, Ospedali Riuniti Villa Sofia-Cervello, Palermo, Italy, Young Investigator Award, European Respiratory Society in 1991. Fellow of ERS since 2018. Sadoul Lecture, ERS Congress 2020 Keynote speaker at the British Sleep Society meeting, Leeds, UK, 2023 Keynote speaker at the next ESRS meeting, Seville, Spain, 2024 Has spent several periods abroad (1983-1986 University of California, San Francisco, USA; 1999 University of Toronto, Canada; 2001: University of Madison, Wisconsin, USA; 2009: sabbatical year at the University of Barcelona, Spain). 2004-2014: Italian representative in the Domain Committee Biomedicine and Biomolecular Sciences (BMBS) of the EU program COST. In 2005 started the COST Action B26 on Obstructive Sleep Apnea, currently continuing as the ESADA ERS Clinical Research Collaboration. Author of 174 full papers on peer-reviewed International journals (Scopus H-Index 48, Jan 2024). Active member of International (APS, ATS, ERS, AASM) and National (AIMS) Scientific Societies. Past member of the Editorial Board of Chest, and current member of the Editorial Board of the ERJ and COPD Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, is reviewer for several journals in Respiratory and Cardiovascular Medicine and Physiology.

A/Prof Vakulin leads the “Neuroscience including novel Biomarkers” research theme ay FHMRI Sleep Health. He investigates the impact of sleep loss and sleep disorders on daytime sleepiness, sleep neurobiology and neurobehavioral function, particularly in relation to operational performance and accident risk. His research focuses on biomarker discovery and validation to develop innovative ways to assess fitness to drive/work in patients with sleep disorders. He has also led the development of innovative online sleep health decision support tools and digital sleep health solutions, utilising new sleep monitoring technologies for simplified screening, diagnosis and management of sleep disorders in the community and primary care.

Prof Howard is Director of the Victorian Respiratory Support Service, and Deputy Director Department of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine at Austin Health. He is a board member for the Institute for Breathing and Sleep, Adjunct Associate Professor at Monash University and Clinical Professor at The University of Melbourne. With more than 200 research publications, his research has addressed improving sleep health in road safety and occupational settings and trials to optimise management of acute and domiciliary respiratory failure and ventilation.

Dr Dunbar is a Research Associate and Psychologist at the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute - Sleep Health. Her primary interests include the behavioural treatment of sleep disorders. Her current research focuses on performance impairment as a result of sleep deprivation, improving the understanding and treatment of circadian and phase disorders in clinical populations and shift work personnel, and improving the recognition and treatment of sleep difficulties in young adults.