Stefan Mauss specialized in internal medicine and gastroenterology at the Heinrich-Heine University in Duesseldorf. He is a founding member of the Center for HIV and Hepatogastroenterology, an outpatient clinic and privately based research centre. His primary research interests are complications of antiretroviral therapy and their management In addition he focuses on treatment of viral hepatitis B or C in mono- or HIV-coinfected patients. He has published numerous original articles and reviews in international journals.

Stefan Mauss serves as a reviewer for AIDS, Hepatology, J Hepatology, JAIDS, Antiviral Therapy and other journals. He is a member of the National Steering Committee for Hepatitis Research (Kompetenznetz Hepatitis) and of the foundation board of the German Liver Foundation, a member of the organising committee of the International Workshop on Lipodystrophy and Adverse Drug Reactions and was a member of the Scientific Committee of the 1st European Consensus Conference on the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B and C in HIV Co-infected Patients which was held in Paris in spring 2005.

Günther Schmutz is specialized in Haematology and Internal Oncology (blood and tumor diseases) and Infectiology (DGI). Through his work at the university clinic of the St. Josef Hospital in Bochum he has more than 15 years experience in the field of internal medicine, haematology, oncology, and infectious diseases.

Dr. Petra Hegener is a specialist for internal medicine as well as for blood diseases and cancer (Hemato-oncology). Having worked at the university clinic in Cologne she has more than 10 years experience in the field of internal medicine, hemato-oncology, and infectiology/HIV. Due to several stays abroad in the United States and in India she has put an emphasis on her further training in infectious diseases and HIV. Dr. Hegener worked scientifically in the working group on HIV at the University of Cologne.

Dr. Christoph Athmann is an internist specialized in gastroenterology (diseases of the stomach, the bowel and the liver). Due to his occupation at the Medical School Hannover he has had experience in internal medicine and gastroenterology for ten years now. His scientific work during a two-year stay abroad at the University of Los Angeles dealt with the mechanisms of acid secretion of the stomach and with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. He continued these scientific studies in Hannover, amongst others in a so-called "Sonderforschungsbereich" (collaborative research centre).