Speakers

Prof. Ahmed Mohamed Badheeb

Professor of Medical Oncology | Yemen

Prof. Dr. Ahmed Mohamed Badheeb, MD. Professor of Internal Medicine & Medical Oncology. College Of Medicine, Hadhramout University. He was the founder of the oncology center in Hadhramout & the former vice dean for academic affairs at Hadhramout University -College of medicine.

Dr. Elfatih Abdelraheem

Team leader and Policy Specialist at UNDP. | Turkiye

Dr. Abdelraheem brings 18 years of work experience with UNDP and other agencies at country and regional levels. Prior to previous 8 years with UNDP, he worked with UNAIDS and UNICEF in different capacities and locations. Dr. Abdelraheem provides support to Country offices in Arab States region to strengthen their health systems including ensuring resilience, agility and response to the needs of the population. Dr. Abdelraheem expertise also includes advising the governments on leveraging digital health technology tools and innovation to strengthen health systems, including packaging various types of technologies (Blockchain, IOT, AI and cybersecurity) as part of enhancing health facilities to be smart facilities. Mr. Abdelraheem is a blockchain strategist and published a white paper titled (The use of blockchain to improve visibility and resilience of health supply chain in Sudan). Additionally, Mr. Abdelraheem expertise include supporting the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and Tobacco Control measures through designing and delivering multi-sectoral responses addressing the risk factors and the complications. Mr. Abdelraheem a medical doctor by training and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health (Epidemiology) and has training on various Health and Development issues.

Dr. Fahad D. Alosaimi

Professor and Consultant of Psychiatry & Psychosomatic medicine. | Saudi Arabia

Dr. Fahad Dakheel Alosaimi worked as a Professor, Department of psychiatry, College of Medicine, Consultant of Psychiatry & Psychosomatic medicine (consultation liaison psychiatry), King Saudi university, medical city. Curently he is working as a Consultant at Dallah private hospital (as part time), Riyadh.

Dr. Giles Davies

Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon | Ireland

Mr Giles Davies is a Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon with over 20 years of experience in breast cancer surgery and breast reconstruction. He is the Director of Surgery at the Prestigious Cromwell Hospital, an International Centre of Excellence for Breast Cancer Care and the Specialist Centre for BUPA Nationally for Breast Cancer in the BUPA Network. His interests include patient reported outcomes and patient experience, breast cancer care in women under 50 and clinical exercise and wellbeing post cancer treatment.

Dr. Hadi Mohamad Abu Rasheed

Head of Professional Development and Scientific Research Department, Qatar Cancer Society | Qatar

Dr. Hadi is the Head of the Professional Development and Scientific Research Department at the Qatar Cancer Society (QCS); and the representative member of the QCS in the National Cancer Committee in Qatar, the Gulf Federation for Cancer Control, the Union International for Cancer Control, the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition, and the All.Can International. Dr. Hadi’s mission is to collaborate and engage in continuous professional development for healthcare professionals, health and patient support organizations' personals, and behavioral health research related to cancer. Dr. Hadi graduated from the University of Aleppo – Faculty of Medicine in Syria and completed his post-graduate training at the University of Iowa in the USA.

Dr. Iffat ElBarazi

Assistant Professor | United Arab Emirates

Dr Iffat is an “Assistant Professor in Health Promotion” with over 20 years of experience in health care and patients services, community health education and promotion. She worked in many countries around the world including the UAE. She was awarded Faculty of Public by Distinction from the UK Faculty of Public Health, She has initiated collaborative studies around different topics including her latest collaboration on the Global Burden of Disease Publications). Her research interests include health promotion and health education, cancer education, psychosocial and mental health, chronic diseases prevention, women’s health and healthy lifestyle determinants and practices. She has been recognised for excellence in research and patients’ support, for undergraduate teaching, and outreach. She has a strong background in qualitative research and behavioural change theories

Dr. Navid Madani

Research Associate in Microbiology | USA

Dr. Madani is a Senior Scientist in the Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology at Dana-Farber (DFCI), with appointments at Harvard Medical School in the Departments of Microbiology and Global Health and Social Medicine. She is also the Founding Director of The Science Health Education (SHE) Center at DFCI. Dr. Madani uses a multidisciplinary approach to find preventive measures to inhibit HIV-1 transmission. Currently, she is the principal investigator on a study that is optimizing the application of a CD4-mimetic small-molecule inhibitor of HIV-1 infection as topical microbicides. Her studies have led to the biochemical characterization of two classes of small-molecules that bind HIV-1 gp120 and inhibit HIV-1 entry. This research emphasizes the need for HIV/AIDS drug discovery to work toward development of a microbicide to halt HIV transmission that is suitable for use in women—a population that is underserved and disenfranchised in many countries globally. A native of the MENA region, Dr. Madani noticed a knowledge gap in basic and clinical sciences during visits to MENA countries. However, she saw potential in the enthusiasm for workshops and clear, data-driven findings shown by the students and healthcare professionals she met. Motivated to contribute further, Dr. Madani co-organized and co-chaired international conferences that brought together scientists and healthcare providers from across MENA to discuss healthcare topics of regional importance. In 2006, she was a co-chair of GNR-MENA’s satellite session at the International AIDS Conference in Toronto, where she brought stakeholders from Israel, Egypt, Palestine, Iran, Lebanon, and United States to speak to scientific and health cooperation in the region. She applied her deep knowledge of research and scientific-based approaches to public health projects, workshops, and seminars tailored for health issues critical to the MENA region. Aimed at local healthcare communities and focused on infectious diseases, cancer, management of healthcare, science, therapeutics, and standard of care, Dr. Madani has held events around the MENA region, including Iran, Qatar, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates. She has received three Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) licenses from the U.S. Department of Treasury to conduct her work in sanctioned countries. Dr. Madani founded the SHE Center by building on her track record of bringing together key stakeholders from MENA-based universities, companies, and governments. Dr. Madani has authored or coauthored over 50 scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals and has written op-eds and given interviews to news organizations such as the Associated Press, Science magazine, and the BBC World News. Away from the laboratory and the seminar room, she is a scientist, cancer patient, mentor, cook, photographer, a marriage officiant for her friends and family, wife, and a proud mother of two spirited boys.

Dr. Neil Arun Nijhawan

Consultant Hospice & Palliative Medicine; Director of Palliative & Supportive Care, Burjeel Cancer Institute | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Neil Arun Nijhawan is a UK-trained Consultant in Palliative Medicine at Burjeel Medical City. After medical school at Kings College London, he pursued speciality training in Palliative Medicine in London and previously worked as a Consultant in Palliative Medicine at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in the London, where he was Clinical Lead for Palliative medicine. He has over 10 years of clinical experience in Palliative Medicine. Dr. Nijhawan is the first licensed Palliative Care physician in Abu Dhabi and is licensed to practice all aspects of Palliative Medicine. He strongly believes that for all patients, if one’s symptoms are well controlled, they will feel better, and both the patient and their family will tolerate their medical treatments better. Dr. Nijhawan’s ethos is to treat every patient like family and firmly believes that there is always something that we can do to help make people feel better. The overarching aim of Palliative Care is to improve the quality of life of patients through diligent and thorough assessment and treatment of both physical and psychological symptoms. Patients do not exist in isolation and therefore supporting the family/carers is an essential component of the palliative care approach to care. His clinical area of interest is symptom control (including pain, nausea, breathlessness, fatigue) and assistance with complex treatment decision-making at the end of life and he is often called on to provide an independent second opinions. Palliative care is available for everyone – of any age, race, culture, background and religion.

Dr. Pasi Penttinen

CEO Gulf-CDC | Saudi Arabia

Dr Pasi Penttinen, MD MPH PhD Dr Penttinen is the Chief Executive Officer for Gulf CDC, based in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He is leading the establishment of this regional Center for Disease Prevention and Control in a scientific and managerial role. Dr Penttinen is a public health leader with a distinguished career of more than 20 years in managing and leading disease prevention and control activities in multiple countries, at local, national and international levels both in the public and private sector. Prior to his current role, Dr Penttinen lead the establishment of epidemic intelligence activities at ECDC, lead the scientific and programmatic work on the influenza and other respiratory viruses. He managed multiple public health emergencies for ECDC, including the 2009 influenza pandemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. His research interests include surveillance, pandemic preparedness, epidemic intelligence, surveillance of respiratory viruses and vaccines. Dr Penttinen has also worked with the national public health institutes in Finland and Sweden and advised a large privately funded public health program in Papua, Indonesia with components on primary health care, TB, HIV-STI and malaria control. Dr Penttinen studied at University of Kuopio for his MD and PhD degrees, University of Helsinki for his specialization in Healthcare management and Harvard School of Public Health for his MPH. He is married, has three sons, and tries to be active on twitter as @ppenttin.

Dr. Sami Al - Shammary

Consultant, Palliative Care | Saudi Arabia

He is a Consultant of Palliative Care and Family Medicine at the Postgraduate Education of Family Medicine, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia and Consultant of Palliative Care department at King Fahad Medical City since 2010. Dr. AlShammary completed his Bachelor Degree in Medicine (MBBS) at King Saud University, Riyadh in 1997, and received his Arab Board and Jordanian Board of Family Medicine in 2005. He also earned his Saudi Board in Family Medicine in 2004. In 2010, He completed APHN Diploma in Palliative Care at National Cancer Centre, Singapore and Fellowship in Palliative Care at University of British Columbia, Vancouver, in Canada. In 2009, he completed a Palliative Medicine Fellowship at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh and Graduate Certificate & Diploma in Palliative Care at Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia. Dr. Sami obtained Master of Medical Education (MME) at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh on August 2010. On April 2008 OISE/UT Certificate in Adult Training and Development at University of Toronto in Canada, Joint Master of Health Professions Education (JMHPE) Between Maastricht University and Suez Canal University, and International Academic Fellowship (IAF) in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto in Canada. He got his Clinical Teacher Certificate in the department of Family and Community Medicine at University of Toronto in Canada on May 2007. Recently, on May 2016, he finished his Graduate Diploma in Palliative Care at Flinders University, Adelaide in Australia. Dr. Sami has been actively participating either he chairs/co-chairs or member of local & international pain & palliative care conferences

Dr. Thomas Hofmarcher

Research Director | Sweden

Dr. Thomas Hofmarcher is an Austrian health economist at the Swedish Institute for Health Economics (IHE). He conducts research on the economic burden of cancer and the value of patient access to new cancer medicines. A core focus of his work is the comparative analysis of cancer care systems around the world, covering all areas of cancer control (prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment, survivorship). While most of his earlier work focused on Europe, recent and current work also covers the Asia-Pacific region, and the Middle East and Africa. His work has resulted in multiple research articles, policy reports, and book chapters. His research has been covered extensively in international media. He is a regular speaker at international policy events and workshops. He has also advised the European Commission and the OECD in their work with Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. He holds a PhD in Economics from Lund University, Sweden.

Dr. Waleed Al - Batati

... | Yemen

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