Our 72nd Keynote Speakers

Dennis Mazingi

Hugh Greenwood Global Surgery Lecturer

Dr Mazingi holds a DPhil in Surgical Sciences and an MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine from the University of Oxford, as well as surgical fellowship training through the College of Surgeons of South Africa.

Dr Dennis Mazingi is a Zimbabwean surgeon and global health researcher specialising in paediatric trauma, child injury prevention, and the strengthening of trauma and burns systems in low- and middle-income countries. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher and programme manager in a combined role with the University of Zimbabwe and the University of Oxford, contributing to major NIHR-funded work on road traffic injury prevention among primary school children in Zimbabwe and Tanzania.

His research focuses on injury surveillance, paediatric trauma registries, safe school journeys, trauma data governance, and health systems strengthening across Africa. He has worked with governments, UNICEF, WHO-linked initiatives, and international partners to translate research into policy and practical injury-prevention strategies.

Dr Mazingi holds a DPhil in Surgical Sciences and an MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine from the University of Oxford, as well as surgical fellowship training through the College of Surgeons of South Africa. He has published widely in global surgery, paediatric surgery, trauma, and injury prevention, and remains committed to advancing equitable, African-led approaches to improving outcomes for injured children globally.

Prof. Arnaud Bonnard

KARL STORZ State-of-the-Art Lecturer

Paediatric Surgeon, Université Paris Cité, Hôpital Robert Debré, Paris, France

Arnaud Bonnard is currently a Professor in Paediatric Surgery at the Robert Debré Children University Hospital and Chief of the Paediatric Surgery department in Paris, France. His main interests are minimally invasive surgery, neonatal surgery and thoracic surgery with a special focus on congenital malformations. He’s involved in many teaching courses on behalf the EUPSA educational office board and other society such as ESPES and the French Paediatric Surgery Society. He has been involved in the EUPSA society as treasurer for 6 years. He is the course director of IRCAD Minimally invasive and robotic pediatric surgery program and he is also the program director for the paediatric surgery residency in Paris. As a professor, he’s still doing basic research on a mouse model of NEC testing the effect of CO2 insufflation on the intestinal lesion and on cerebral induced lesions.

Marie-Klaire Farrugia

BAPU Urology Lecturer

Consultant Paediatric Urologist, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, London

Marie-Klaire Farrugia MD MD(Res) FRCSEd(Paed.Surg) is a Consultant Fetal and Paediatric Urologist at the Chelsea and Westminster (C&W) and Imperial College Hospitals; and Honorary Senior Lecturer, Imperial College London. Miss Farrugia’s clinical and research expertise includes antenatally-diagnosed urinary tract conditions, in particular fetal bladder outlet obstruction and in-utero intervention outcomes; vesico-ureteric reflux and obstructive megaureter. She is a keen minimally-invasive surgeon and is amongst the first paediatric robotic surgeons in the UK. The robotic urology program in C&W was set up in 2014 following a remarkable charity initiative, the “Pluto Appeal” that contributed to the Trust’s first Da Vinci: the program has since expanded to include other specialties and the purchase of 2 further robotic platforms. Miss Farrugia is now involved in training the next generation of robotic surgeons and is part of Faculty on the European Promaster course in robotic-assisted surgery and ESPES minimally-invasive surgery courses. Miss Farrugia is the Fetal and Perinatal section editor of the Journal of Pediatric Urology; Treasurer-elect of the European Society for Pediatric Urology; member of the European Reference Network/ eUROGEN obstructive megaureter guidelines panel; and the paediatric representative on the GIRFT Robotic-assisted surgery pathways panel. She has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles, invited reviews, educational modules and book chapters and has delivered invited talks world-wide. Her favourite locations outside paediatric theatres will usually include a Crossfit Box or a sailing boat.

Shawn St Peter

Journal of Pediatric Surgery Lecturer

Senior Vice President and Chair, Department of Surgery, Children's Mercy, USA

Shawn D. St. Peter, MD, joined the Children’s Mercy Department of Surgery in 2006 and now serves as Senior Vice President, Chair of the Department, Associate Program Director of the Pediatric Surgery Fellowship, and Director of the Center for Prospective Trials. He also holds the Thomas Holder and Keith Ashcraft Endowed Chair of Surgical Research.

Dr. St. Peter earned a Zoology degree from the University of Idaho and his medical degree from the University of Washington. He completed surgical residency at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, including a research year at Oxford University, followed by a pediatric surgery fellowship at Children’s Mercy.

He has held numerous national and local leadership roles and currently serves on committees for APSA, IPEG, AAP, and ACS. His honors include six Golden Apple Mercy Mentor Awards.

A prolific researcher, Dr. St. Peter has co-authored more than 400 original publications, multiple reviews and chapters, and two textbooks. He is frequently invited to speak nationally and internationally. His work focuses on comparative effectiveness trials, reducing the impact of surgical care on children, and lowering healthcare costs for pediatric surgical conditions.