Professor Eckstein has been Director of the Institute of Anatomy at Paracelsus Private Medical University, Salzburg, since 2004. His research focuses on imaging methods for musculoskeletal diseases, particularly osteoarthritis. In 2010, he received the Clinical Research Award of OARSI. He studied Medicine in Freiburg and Heidelberg, with scholarships at Bristol and Innsbruck, and worked at LMU Munich (1991-2004), earning his "Habilitation." He was President of the German Society of Biomechanics (2002-2003) and served on the boards of DGfB and OARSI. In 2003, he founded Chondrometrics GmbH, specializing in cartilage and tissue analysis software. As an OARSI board member, he launched the International Workshop on Imaging in Osteoarthritis in 2007 and organized several global workshops. He has authored over 150 peer-reviewed articles and serves as Associate Editor for Cell Tissue Organs and Annals of Anatomy.

Dr. Guermazi, Professor of Radiology & Medicine at Boston University, is a co-founder of the International Workshop on Osteoarthritis Imaging. His research focuses on MRI and X-ray assessment of osteoarthritis, particularly meniscus, cartilage, synovitis, and bone marrow lesions. He has been an MRI reader for major NIH-funded studies, including OAI, MOST, and the Framingham Study, and serves as a principal investigator for several OAI ancillary projects. Recognized for contributions to MRI-based diagnosis and disease progression, he is highly experienced in optimizing imaging techniques for osteoarthritis assessment. His work also explores MRI’s role in sports medicine, particularly in preventing injuries and predicting return-to-play outcomes.

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Professor Hunter is the Florance and Cope Chair of Rheumatology at the University of Sydney and a Staff Specialist at Royal North Shore Hospital. His research focuses on osteoarthritis, including epidemiology, imaging, novel therapies, and healthcare delivery. Originally from New Zealand, he earned his medical degrees from UNSW and completed a Rheumatology fellowship, a Master’s in Sports Medicine, and a PhD in 2001. Dedicated to medical research since 1999, he has played a key role in advancing osteoarthritis studies. He organized the 2nd International Workshop on Imaging in Osteoarthritis (2008, Boston) and the 6th workshop (2012, Hilton Head), contributing significantly to the field’s global collaboration.

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