Introducing the 2025 ESAIC Trainees’ Committee

As we step into 2025, we’re thrilled to introduce the new Trainees’ Committee, a group driven not only by their dedication to building a strong network for trainees across Europe and beyond but also by a spirit of collaboration and friendship.

Please join me in welcoming our new members (in alphabetical order): Jana Aulenkamp (DE), Mirac Selcen Özkal Yalın (TR), Konrad Zuzda (PL) and Sofia Rosas (UK).

A heartfelt thank you also goes out to Georgios Karras, Diogo Mendes Morais, Alexandra Trinks, and especially our Past Chair, Igor Abramovich, for their outstanding work and invaluable support.

Education Taskforce
We are delighted to announce that Sofia Rosas will be leading the Education Taskforce this year. Originally from Porto, she moved to Scotland in 2018 to pursue postgraduate medical training and now works as a resident doctor in Anaesthetics in the West of Scotland. With a strong passion for teaching and research, she serves as an educational co-lead for the West of Scotland Anaesthetic Trainee Research Network and has also contributed to the Royal College of Anaesthetists’ Education Quality Programme Working Group. Her main research interests are regional anaesthesia, difficult airway and medical education.

As part of the Trainees’ Committee, Sofia aims to develop new study materials for the EDAIC exam and other educational projects, supporting trainees in their preparation and professional growth.

Social Media Taskforce
Taking over from George and Alexandra, our new Social Media Taskforce coordinators are Mirac Selcen Özkal Yalın and Konrad Zuzda.
Mirac is a resident doctor in the Anaesthesiology and Reanimation Department at Atatürk University, Erzurum, and has already been part of the Social Media Taskforce for the past year. Her main areas of interest are regional anaesthesia and advanced hemodynamic in anaesthesiology, which she believes are amazing ways to discover the mechanisms of the living and improve critical solutions in extreme cases. She also aspires to adapt her aesthetic vision in art into her career through medical illustrations and creative thinking. Konrad is a resident doctor at the National Medical Institute of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration in Warsaw, Poland, with a strong passion for intensive care, encompassing areas like ARDS, ECMO, and advanced patient monitoring. In addition to his clinical work, he is dedicated to advancing the field through his PhD research at the Medical University of Warsaw, focusing on novel biomarkers of AKI.

With their shared enthusiasm for technology and digital engagement, Konrad and Mirac are excited to enhance our social media presence – bringing trainees together, sharing valuable insights, and making learning more accessible across Europe.

Trainees’ Conference Programme
Starting in 2025, Jana Aulenkamp will take over from Diogo as Coordinator of the Trainees’ Conference Programme.
Jana is a trainee at the University Hospital Essen with extensive experience in clinical practice, research, and professional committee involvement. As a Steering Committee Member of the Collaborative Research Center Transregio 289 “Treatment Expectation”, she also serves as Early Career Researcher Coordinator, focusing on interdisciplinary collaboration and scientific exchange. Her commitment to medical education and networking began early, including her role as President of the German Medical Students’ Association. Since then, she has organised numerous congresses, seminars, and symposia, such as the first PainMeetup of the German Pain Society.
With her expertise, Jana will ensure that the conference sessions and booth programmes remain engaging, relevant, and valuable—offering trainees not only professional insights but also opportunities to connect with peers and experts in our field.

European Ambassador Programme
We’re delighted that Olivia Dow and Antonia Kustura will continue their fantastic work with the European Ambassador Programme, which aims to enhance trainee representation at both national levels and in ESAIC.

Olivia, a trainee at the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, UK, has a keen interest in simulation-based education and also serves as Trainee Chair of the European Airway Management Society. Antonia, based at the University Hospital Center Sestre milosrdnice in Zagreb, Croatia , is passionate about advancing patient-centred approaches in anaesthesia, with a special focus on palliative care and pain control. She is currently pursuing PhD research in end-of-life care.
Together, they are building on the efforts of Nadine van Veenendaal and Albert de Bettignies, working to foster a network of trainee representatives across Europe.

Trainees Representatives
The Trainees’ Committee has representatives on 9 ESAIC Committees and, as of this year, a new Representative on the Research Committee:
Education and Training Committee – Iulia Crisan
Accreditation of Training in Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ATAIC) Committee – Konrad Zuzda
eLearning Committee – Antonia Kustura
Simulation Committee – Olivia Dow
Guidelines Committee – Roberta Südy. Roberta is a trainee at the Geneva University Hospitals in Geneva, Switzerland. Her research interests include respiratory physiology, lung function, and mechanical ventilation. She is also an enthusiast for graphic design, which proved useful in converting the guidelines into amazing infographics.
Patient Safety and Quality Committee – Donika Borisova. Donika is a trainee from the oldest city in Europe – Plovdiv, Bulgaria. She serves as the trainee representative for the Patient Safety and Quality committee. Her main interest is patient safety education and training for residents and optimising the pathway for patients in the perioperative and postoperative period.
Research Committee – Jana Aulenkamp
Scientific Committee – Iulia Crisan
Sustainability Committee – Mirac Selcen Özkal Yalın

What is next?
Join us at Euroanaesthesia in Lisbon for the ESAIC TC session and the amazing programme prepared by Jana at the booth (link to article for booth programme).
Until then, join us on our social platforms Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Author

• Iulia Crisan

Co-Authors

• Jana Aulenkamp University Hospital Essen, Germany
• Ana Sofia Da Costa Rosas West of Scotland School of Anaesthesia, Scotland, UK
• Olivia Dow Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Guildford, UK
• Antonia Kustura Division of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Centre, Zagreb, Croatia
• Mirac Selcen Özkal Anaesthesiology and Reanimation Department at Atatürk University, Erzurum, Turkey
• Konrad Zuzda Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, National Medical Institute of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, Warsaw, Poland