Professor Ursula Felderhoff-Müser holds the Chair of Pediatrics at the Medical Faculty of the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) and serves as Director of the Department of Pediatrics I (Neonatology, Pediatric Intensive Care, Pediatric Neurology) at the Children’s University Hospital.

She studied medicine in Homburg and Vienna before completing her PhD at Heidelberg University in 1993. Her scientific career led her to pediatric hospitals in Heidelberg, Berlin, and London, where she gained extensive experience in neonatal medicine. As a specialist in pediatrics with a focus on neonatology, she spent eight years as a senior physician at the Neonatology Department of Charité Berlin. In 2003, she was appointed professor, following her research on the role of specific cell biological processes in brain damage in children. In 2008, she became an extraordinary professor at Charité Berlin before accepting the Chair of Pediatrics in Essen.

Professor Felderhoff-Müser’s work focuses on the unique challenges and treatment of preterm and critically ill newborns, with a particular emphasis on the clinical diagnosis and therapy of neonatal and neuropediatric diseases, as well as pediatric emergency and intensive care. Her research at the Children’s University Hospital centers on protecting and treating the developing nervous system of preterm and term-born sick infants, biomarker research for early outcome prediction, and the clinical characterization of neuromuscular diseases. Additionally, she leads projects on critical care diagnostics and the treatment of seriously ill children and adolescents.

Thomas Föringer studied law in Augsburg, Hamburg, and Munich before specializing in licensing and merchandising.

Since graduating, he has worked as a consultant and independent attorney. In this capacity, he has served on the boards of several companies across various industries. He also taught and published on licensing and merchandising at the Würzburg-Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences for several years.

Since 2008, his focus has been on renewable energy, particularly photovoltaics. Together with his partners, he has since developed and constructed some of the largest photovoltaic systems in Europe, including in Spain, Italy, England, and Germany.

Preserving the environment for future generations has always been—and continues to be—the driving force behind his work. The resulting projects, ideas, and technologies, such as improving the reliability of electricity from renewable sources, require ongoing development and funding.

He has also been involved in several charitable fundraising campaigns and developed the first prepaid charity card.

Thomas Föringer has been a co-founder of EFCNI, now GFCNI, from the very beginning.

Chairwoman of the Executive Board and Member of the Trustee Board

Silke Mader is the Co-Founder and Chairwoman of the Global Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (GFCNI),Chairwoman of the Executive Board (“vertretungsberechtigter Vorstand” in German), and a member of the Trustee Board. A dedicated advocate for maternal and newborn health, she has spent over two decades working to improve care for preterm and sick infants and their families worldwide.

Her commitment to neonatal care stems from personal experience. In 1997, her twins were born at just 25 weeks, and due to inadequate care, one of them tragically passed away. Facing a lack of support, public awareness, and accessible information, she became determined to change the system.

She began her advocacy in 1999, first leading a local parent group in Munich, then becoming Chairwoman of the German umbrella organization “The Preterm Born Child e.V.” in 2003. She later left her teaching career – where she specialized in linguistic support for migrant children and remedial education – to co-found EFCNI (European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants), the first pan-European organization dedicated to neonatal health. Under her leadership, EFCNI has now evolved into GFCNI, reflecting a global approach to improving newborn care.

Silke has been instrumental in developing international standards for newborn care and collaborating with organizations such as the World Health Organization. She has worked alongside healthcare professionals and policymakers to drive awareness, influence policy, and create resources for families.

Her work has earned her numerous honors, including:

• Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesverdienstkreuz) (2024)
• Bavarian State Medal for Services in Health and Long-Term Care (2016)
• Ashoka Fellow (2015) – Recognized as a social entrepreneur
• Medal for Particular Services to Bavaria in a United Europe (2013)
• Prix Courage Award (2012) – ZDF “ML mona lisa” & Clarins

She has also served as an Honorary Lecturer at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, since 2014.

As Chairwoman of GFCNI, she continues to advocate for every baby to receive the right care at the right time in the right place.

Dr. Michael Poschmann is a leading expert in pediatric and neuro-orthopedics and serves as Head of the Department of Pediatric and Neuro-Orthopedics at Schön Klinik München Harlaching in Germany.

After completing his medical studies at Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg in Breisgau, he began his career in hospitals in Freiburg and Karlsruhe. In 2004, he joined Schön Klinik München Harlaching, where he underwent specialized training in orthopedics, focusing on pediatric and neuro-orthopedics as well as trauma surgery. In 2011, he was appointed Senior Physician for the Department of Pediatric and Neuro-Orthopedics, and since 2012, he has led the department.

Dr. Poschmann has a strong interest in pediatric orthopedics and is an active member of several professional organizations, including the Association of Pediatric Orthopedics and the German Association of Orthopedics and Orthopedic Surgery. He has authored numerous publications in international journals and is a sought-after speaker at medical congresses and conferences.

PD Dr. Dietmar Schlembach is an expert in Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Obstetrics. Since May 2014, he has served as Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Vivantes Clinic Berlin-Neukölln.

His expertise lies in the management and treatment of pregnancy complications, including hypertensive disorders and intrauterine growth restriction, as well as prenatal diagnosis and therapy. His clinical and research focus includes screening, diagnosis, and treatment of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, intrauterine growth restriction, preterm birth, and fetal abnormalities.

Dr. Schlembach is an active leader in the field and currently serves as a board member of the German Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics, as well as secretary of both the Working Group on Obstetrics and Prenatal Medicine of the German Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the German Society for Prenatal and Obstetric Medicine. Additionally, he is Chairman of the Trustee Board of GFCNI.

Professor Hercília Guimarães is a Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Neonatology Division at São João Hospital. She also serves as Head of the Pediatric Department at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Portugal. Additionally, she is a former President of both the Union of Neonatal and Perinatal Societies (UENPS) and the Portuguese Neonatal Society.

Her research focuses on prematurity and neonatal pulmonary pathology, with additional interests in perinatal ethics, family-centered care, and neonatal palliative care. She has led numerous research projects at the University of Porto’s Faculty of Medicine and has contributed to various multicenter studies. Over 20 of her studies have received awards at international scientific congresses.

Professor Guimarães has authored approximately 200 scientific publications in international journals with impact factors, including Journal of Pediatrics, Clinics, Acta Paediatrica, Neonatology, Archives of Disease in Childhood, Biology of the Neonate, and Early Human Development. She is currently an Associate Editor for the Journal of Pediatric and Neonatal Individualized Medicine (JPNIM).

A longstanding supporter of GFCNI, Professor Guimarães has contributed her expertise and guidance in several leadership roles. She served on the Executive Board from 2008 to 2012, as a Trustee Board member from 2012 to 2017, and as an Honorary Member of the Trustee Board from 2018 to 2022. Honorary members of the Trustee Board do not hold voting rights within the board.

Professor Luc J.I. Zimmermann has been a Professor of Pediatrics and Neonatology at the Faculty of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences at Maastricht University since 2003. He also serves as a staff neonatologist and, since 2005, has been Chief of the Division of Neonatology at the Academic Hospital Maastricht.

Early in his career, he developed a strong research focus on the development of the preterm lung, which became the subject of his PhD and has remained a key area of his research. In 2006, he was appointed Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics and Division Leader at the Research Institute GROW (Oncology and Developmental Biology).

From October 2019 to December 2024, Professor Zimmermann served as Senior Medical Director and a Member of the Executive Board at EFCNI, the foundation's precursor. Upon his retirement at the end of 2024, he stepped down from these roles. Since January 2025, he has been an Honorary Member of the GFCNI Trustee Board, where he also previously served as a member from 2017 to 2019.