Elena Zakharova was born on October 14 1957 in Moscow, graduated from Moscow School N61 in 1974, studied General Medicine in Moscow Medical Institute named after N.A. Semashko 1975-1981. Graduated 2-years residency in Nephrology (1981-1983) in the Nephrology Department of Research Institute of Transplantology and Artificial Organs in Moscow, and worked the same Department as a nephrologist and a research assistant till 1987. Since 1987 worked as a nephrologist in the Nephrology Department of Moscow City Clinical Hospital named after S.P. Botkin, in 1992 became a head of named Department, and keep this position till present time. In 2005 defended PhD Thesis "Prognostic factors of outcome in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Systemic Vasculitis with Kidney Involvement", same year became an associate professor of Nephrology Chair of Russian Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education, and in 2008 – an associate professor of Nephrology Chair of Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, keeping both positions till now days. Member of several professional societies: Russian Dialysis Society (vice-president), Scientific Society of Nephrologists of Russia (Executive Committee member), International Society of Nephrology (Regional Board Chair, EAP and SRC committee member), European Renal Association (CME committee member), American Society of Nephrologists, KDIGO (Executive Committee member), World Kidney Day Steering Committee member, ERA-EDTA/EULAR Working Group member. Member of editorial boards of several professional journals: Russian journal Nephrology and Dialysis (Deputy Editor), Case Reports in Nephrology and Dialysis Journal (Editorial Board Member), Journal Nephrology Reviews (Associate Editor).
Costas Fourtounas is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine-Nephrology in the Faculty of Medicine of the School of Health Sciences of the University of Thessaly in Larissa Greece. He received his medical degree from the Medical School of the Aristotelian University in Thessaloniki. He completed his fellowship training in Nephrology in Athens Greece and had extra training in UK and USA. He has published more than 130 papers in national and international peer-reviewed medical journals and has contributed with chapters in more than 10 medical books. He has been an editorial board member of 10 International Journals and has served as a reviewer for more than 50 medical journals.