EPN 2026

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Ann L Smith

Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center, United States

Biography:

Ann L. Smith, DNP, MSN, NNP-BC, NE-BC has over 40 years of nursing experience in a variety of Women's and Children's roles. She graduated with her BSN in 1987, her Masters in Neonatal Nursing in 1996 from the University of Florida, then her DNP from East Carolina University in 2018. She is a certified Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, practicing for the past 32 years in level 3 or 4 NICUs. For the past 16 years, she has served as the Director of Women's and Children's Health in a large birthing facility in southeastern United States while still working as an NNP. Her passion is servant leadership while leading quality initiatives to achieve the best outcomes for mothers and babies. She also leads corporate teams and drives evidence based practice and consistency for all 10 birthing facilities in the system

David J R Hutchon

Memorial Hospital, United Kingdom

Biography:

Dr David Hutchon, a fellow of the Royal College of Obstetricitians and Gynaecologists, has 30 years experience as a consultant obstetrician in the UK. For the past 15 years he has been researching and teaching about the harm of early cord clamping, organizing conferences on the subject, publishing over 40 papers, speaking at neonatology meetings and ran an international workshop in Edinburgh on motherside neonatal resuscitation with an intact cord. He recently co-authored the chapter on cord clamping in the second edition of Golden Hours, Care of the Very Low Birth Weight Neonate.

Renee J Dufault

Food Ingredient and Health Research Institute, United States

Biography:

Dr. Dufault completed her PhD at A.T. Still University. She retired early from her position as a US Public Health Service officer at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to publish her findings of mercury in high fructose corn syrup. As an FDA whistleblower, she could not find employment as a researcher, so she founded the non-profit Food Ingredient and Health Research Institute where she works as a volunteer. She supplements her income working as a licensed special education teacher. Dr. D is considered a leader in the field of nutritional epigenetics with 726 citations according to Google Scholar.

Hanna Alonim

The Mifne Center for Treatment Research and Training, Israel

Biography:

Dr. Hanna A. Alonim, Ph.D in Mental Health is an expert and researcher in the autism spectrum in infancy. Founder and Head of the Mifne Center, for Treatment, Training, and Research, since 1987. Head of the Therapists’ Training School for Autism at the Bar Ilan University. She developed the ESPASSI © screening scale for the detection of the autism prodrome in first year of life. Dr. Alonim is a committee member of the ICF Core Set for ASD, Stockholm 2016.

Zhenhuan Liu

Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, China

Biography:

He has been engaged in pediatric clinical and child  rehabilitation for 40 years. Led the rehabilitation team to treat more than 40,000 cases of children with intellectual disability, cerebral palsy and autism from China and more than 20 countries including France, the US, Japan, UK, Germany, etc. More than 26800 children’s deformity returned to school and society and became self-sufficient. The rehabilitation effect ranks the international advanced level. He is one of the most famous pediatric neurological and rehabilitation specialists in integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine in China. He has been influential in pediatric neuroscience, pediatric rehabilitation, and traditional medicine throughout the world. Since 1993, I have given lectures at invitation in 30 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, Norway, Germany, Brazil, Turkey, Singapore, Portugal, Indonesia and Malaysia. Most sponsors will pay for my keynot speaker. He has great influence in the international pediatric neurology and traditional medicine community and is a very famous pediatric neurorehabilitation expert in the world.
Scientific research Achievements: He presided over 1 National Natural Science Foundation project and participated in 8 major projects of the Ministry of Science and Technology and provincial projects. He has won 6 provincial and ministerial science and technology awards.
Chief monograph: He has edited 10 books, including Early Intervention Training for Children's Brain Development, Rehabilitation Training Atlas for Children with Motor Retardation, Practical Acupuncture and moxibustion Science Atlas for Children (Chinese-English control), and Family Rehabilitation Guide for Children with Cerebral palsy. He has published 268 papers in international and Chinese medical journals.