Holger Schünemann is professor in the Departments of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact and of Medicine at McMaster University, widely considered the birthplace of evidence-based health care, where he was department chair from 2009 to 2019. He graduated from the Medical School of Hannover (1993 & Dr.med. in 1994) and trained in lung biology, epidemiology, internal medicine and preventive medicine/public health at the University at Buffalo, State of New York (M.Sc. Epidemiology in 1997; Ph.D. Epidemiology & Community Medicine in 2000). He is co-chair of the GRADE working group and director of Cochrane Canada and the McMaster GRADE center. Maintaining an active internal medicine practice fulfills his passion for patient care and ensures his research is people oriented. He is an author of over 600 peer-reviewed publications and among the 1000 most cited scientists of all times (www.webometrics.info).

Robby Nieuwlaat is Associate Professor in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact at McMaster University. He obtained MSc in health sciences (2001) and PhD in cardiovascular clinical epidemiology (2007) from Maastricht University in The Netherlands. He worked as a post-doctoral research fellow at the Population Health Research Institute in Hamilton from 2008 until becoming a faculty member at McMaster University in 2011. He is a researcher in the MacGRADE Centre of McMaster University, GRADE working group member, and has experience with developing practice guidelines as a methodology panel member and systematic review lead. He is also a researcher at the Michael G. DeGroote Cochrane Canada Centre at McMaster University, Cochrane Heart editorial board member, and has led several highly cited reviews. His research interests include advancing evidence synthesis methods for clinical decision-making, as well as optimizing implementation of recommended best practice. He is an author of over 100 peer-reviewed publications (h-index 51 in Google scholar).

Nancy Santesso is Associate Professor in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact at McMaster University, Canada, a Registered Dietitian, and a member of the GRADE Working Group. She is currently working with guideline panels of professional organizations and the World Health Organization internationally to facilitate the guideline development process. She has also worked with a number of Cochrane groups to produce systematic reviews and to translate that evidence for use by various stakeholders.

Grigorios Leontiadis is Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University, Canada. He is a member of the GRADE Working Group, Joint Coordinating Editor of the Gut Cochrane Group, Associate Editor for the American Journal of Gastroenterology and the Journal of Canadian Association of Gastroenterology, and VP Clinical Affairs at the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology. He has worked with several professional societies in the development of clinical practice guidelines as lead methodologist or content expert and has led multiple systematic reviews. He had taught virtual and in-person workshops on systematic review and guideline methods. He is an author of over 100 peer-reviewed publications (h-index 48 in Google Scholar).

As a research methodologist at the McMaster GRADE Centre in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact (McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada) he specializes in evidence synthesis, guideline development methodology, and the guideline development process. His main research activities include development of clinical practice guidelines and systematic reviews in collaboration with various medical professional societies, healthcare organizations and ministries of health, as well as development and evaluation of guideline methods. As a member of the GRADE working group, he actively participates in teaching systematic review and guideline methods.