DISEASE MODELING AND THERAPEUTICS

Dr. Essam Abdelalim

Conference Chair

Dr. Abdelalim is a Principal Investigator at Sidra Medicine, where he leads the Laboratory of Pluripotent Stem Cell Disease Modeling. He earned his PhD in Medical Science from Shiga University of Medical Science in Japan. Subsequently, he undertook a postdoctoral fellowship and assumed the role of Assistant Professor at the same University. Before joining Sidra, he held the position of Senior Scientist at QBRI until February 2024. Notably, he established Qatar’s first pluripotent stem cell program focused to diabetes research. His team successfully generated multiple iPSC lines from healthy and diseased individuals and developed advanced protocols to enhance the differentiation of stem cells into pancreatic islets, insulin-target cells, and other cell types. He played a key role as Chair of the HSCI-QBRI Steering Committee Agreement, coordinating collaborative efforts between the HSCI and QBRI in stem cell and diabetes research. Also, Dr. Abdelalim serves on the editorial boards of “Stem Cells Translational Medicine” and “Stem Cells and Development”. He has authored over 75 peer-reviewed articles and has received numerous research grants and honors for his contributions to the field. Dr. Abdelalim also holds a joint appointment as Associate Professor at HBKU, where he teaches “Stem Cell Biology” and mentors graduate students.

Dr. Luis Saraiva

Conference Chair

In 2004, Luis concluded an integrated B.Sc. and M.Sc. degree in Biology at the University of Evora and the Gulbenkian Institute of Science in Portugal. Luis advanced to a Ph.D. in Genetics at the International Graduate School in Genetics and Functional Genomics of the University of Cologne (Germany), graduating summa cum laude in 2008. Next, his academic journey took him to Harvard Medical School as a visiting scientist, funded by the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds, followed by his first postdoctoral appointment at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (USA). In 2013, he received the EBI–Sanger Postdoctoral (ESPOD) Fellowship, which led him to continue his postdoctoral training at the EMBL-European Bioinformatics Institute and the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge (UK), where he also earned a Sanger Early Career Innovation Award.

In 2015, he joined Sidra Medicine (Qatar), where he is currently based, leading the Human Disease Modeling and Therapeutics Laboratory and the Congenital Malformations Clinical Research Program. He served as Adjunct Faculty at the Monell Chemical Senses Center (USA) from 2016-2023, has been a Joint Professor at Hamad bin Khalifa University (Qatar) since 2018, and an Associate Professor Adjunct at Yale University (USA) since 2024.

Dr. Hilal A. Lashuel

Qatar Foundation & Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar

Prof. Hilal Lashuel is the Research Development and Innovation Advisor to the Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, Executive Director of RDI at the Chairperson’s Office, Director of the Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration at EPFL, and CSO of ND BioSciences. His research focuses on understanding protein misfolding and aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases to develop innovative diagnostics and therapies. A PhD graduate from Texas A&M University and the Scripps Research Institute, he held postdoctoral positions at Harvard Medical School before joining EPFL in 2005. He also completed a sabbatical as a Visiting Professor at Stanford University’s Department of Neurological Sciences. Prof. Lashuel has published over 226 peer-reviewed articles, holds nine patents, and has over 30,000 citations (h-index: 93). His work has received funding from prestigious organizations, including the Michael J. Fox Foundation, European Research Council (ERC), and partnerships with major biotech and pharmaceutical companies. He has held key leadership roles in Qatar, including Executive Director of Qatar Biomedical Research and advisory roles in the Qatar Genome Project and Biobank, Qatar Foundation, and Hamad Medical Corporations. Recognized globally, he is a recipient of the Kuwait Prize, Takreem Scientific Achievement Award, and was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

Dr. Matthias Hebrok

Technical University Munich (TUM), Germany

Professor Matthias Hebrok holds the Chair for Applied Stem Cell and Organoid Systems at the Technical University, Munich (TUM). He also serves as the inaugural Director of the Center for Organoid Systems (COS) at the TUM, and as the Director of the Institute for Diabetes and Organoid Technology (IDOT) at Helmholtz Munich.  Prior to moving to Munich in 2022, he served as the Director of the Diabetes Center at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).  His group has made seminal contributions to the fields of pancreas organ development, stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.  The overarching goal of his work is to build and optimize functional replicas of human insulin-producing beta cells from human stem cell to enable cell therapies for patients with diabetes.

Dr. James Shapiro

Prof. James Shapiro has been on Faculty at the UofA since 1998, where he holds a prestigious Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Transplantation Surgery and Regenerative Medicine. He was the lead investigator on the famous “Edmonton Protocol” cell transplant treatment for diabetes, where over 780 islet transplants have now been completed. He was the first in Canada to start clinical trials with human stem cell-derived insulin secreting cells. His current translational lab is focused in generating autologous ‘self’ iPS islets for transplantation into patients with diabetes that can be potentially transplanted without immune suppression. He is Surgical Director of the Liver Transplant, the Living Donor and Islet Programs at the University of Alberta. His H-index is 84, and he has 456 published journal articles. His awards include the BJS Award for 2025 - for a discovery, innovation or scientific study within the field of surgery that has changed clinical practice with profound impact on patient care. He is the recipient of the Hunterian Medal from the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (a rare honour), and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

Dr. Camillo Ricordi

Camillo Ricordi, MD, FNAI, isProfessor of Surgery, Director of the Cell Transplant Center and Director Emeritus of the Diabetes Research Institute, at the University of Miami. Acknowledged by his peers as one of the world's leading scientists in diabetes cure-focused research, cell transplantation and regenerative medicine, he is known for inventing the technology for large scale human pancreatic islet isolation and for performing the first successful islet allotransplants to reverse diabetes. The procedure is now used by centers worldwide. In addition to diabetes cure, Ricordi’s interests include healthspan and regenerative strategies, to prevent or treat chronic degenerative diseases. He co-leads international stem cell derived islet transplant and immunomodulation clinical trials, to replace toxic anti-rejection drugs. Recipient of the World Prize in Surgery (Geneva), the ADA Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award, he was Knighted by the President of Italy and inducted into the National Academy of Inventors. He served also on the Supreme Council of Health of Italy. He founded The Cure Alliance and the Diabetes Research Institute Federation, promoting cure-focused research at leading institutions worldwide. Author of “THE HEALTHSPAN CODE” and “THERAPEUTIC REVOLUTION”, he contributed over 1,200 publications, that received over 61,000 citations (119 H-index) and was awarded 28 patents.

Dr. Sonja Schrepfer

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, USA

Work by Dr. Sonja Schrepfer is at the forefront of stem immunobiology and paves the way for treatment of a wide range of diseases – from supporting functional recovery of failing myocardium to the derivation of other cell types to treat diabetes, blindness, cancer, lung, neurodegenerative, and related diseases. Her work demonstrates that protecting transplanted cells from immune rejection is the key to unlocking the potential of regenerative medicine. Dr. Schrepfer is Professor at the Cedars Sinai Medical Center (in the Departments of Surgery and Regenerative Medicine) and a Scientific Founder and SVP (Head of the Hypoimmune Platform) of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, USA, Inc.

Dr. Shuibing Chen

Weill Cornell Medicine, USA

Dr. Chen is the Kilts Family Professor and Vice Chair of Innovation in the Department of Surgery, as well as the Director of the Center for Genomic Health (CGH). She received her training as a chemical biologist in Dr. Peter Schultz’s laboratory at The Scripps Research Institute. Following her postdoctoral fellowship in Dr. Doug Melton’s lab at Harvard, she transitioned into the stem cell field and launched her independent research career at Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) in 2011. Early in her career, Dr. Chen conducted pioneering chemical screens to identify compounds that regulate stem cell differentiation. More recently, her research has focused on leveraging human stem cell-derived organoids for disease modeling and drug discovery. Her laboratory’s work has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals, including Nature, Nature Medicine, Nature Cell Biology, Cell Stem Cell, and Cell Metabolism, among others. Dr. Chen currently serves on the Board of Directors for both the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) and the International Chemical Biology Society. She also serves on the editorial boards of top-tier journals such as Cell Stem Cell and Stem Cell Reports. Dr. Chen’s outstanding contributions to the fields of stem cell biology and chemical biology have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including the New York Stem Cell Foundation Robertson Investigator Award, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Innovative Award, the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, and the ISSCR Dr. Susan Lim Award for Outstanding Young Investigator.

Dr. Erwan Bezard

University of Bordeaux, France

Bezard, INSERM Research Director (DRCE), has authored or co-authored over 350 professional publications in neurobiology, most of which are on Parkinson's disease and related disorders. Listed among the most cited neuroscientists (Top 1%, Clarivate 2022 ranking; H factor= 102 – Google Scholar), he is known for his work on the compensatory mechanisms that mask the progression Parkinson's disease, the pathophysiology of levodopa-induced dyskinesia, the intimate mechanisms of cell death in Parkinson’s disease and Multiple System Atrophy, the modelling of these diseases progression and the development of new strategies to alleviate symptoms and/or to slow these diseases progression. Bezard founded in 2010 and headed until 2020, a CNRS research unit in Bordeaux (France), the Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases, which features preclinical and clinical researchers working towards developing therapeutic solutions. He has served or sat on the boards of international organisations such as the Michael J. Fox Foundation and Parkinson’s UK. He is editor-in-chief of Neurobiology of Disease and he serves on the editorial boards of several other neurobiology journals. Besides consulting for several drug companies in movement disorders, he is a CSO of Motac Neuroscience (France-UK-China) and co-founder of Treefrog Therapeutics (France) & SE Therapeutics (France).

Dr. Amber L. Alhadeff

University of Pennsylvania, USA

Dr. Amber Alhadeff is an Associate Member at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where her neuroscience lab investigates gut-brain signaling and the control of food intake. She completed her doctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania in the labs of Drs. Harvey Grill and Matthew Hayes, investigating how hindbrain neuroendocrine signals impact feeding behavior. As a postdoc in the lab of Dr. Nick Betley at Penn, she examined how gastrointestinal signals affect activity in hunger circuits, and how these hunger circuits influence behavioral responses to competing survival needs. The Alhadeff lab, established in 2020, combines in vivo techniques with advanced microscopy, behavioral, and surgical approaches to examine how gut-brain signaling impacts behavior. This work focuses on the relationship between various feeding and metabolic centers in the brain, potentially providing insights into the etiology and treatment of diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Her latest research made the discovery that separate neural circuits mediate the weight loss effects versus aversive side effects of popular GLP-1-based medications.

Dr. Marcelo O. Dietrich

Yale University, USA

Marcelo O. Dietrich, M.D., Ph.D., is a Professor of Comparative Medicine and of Neuroscience at Yale University School of Medicine, where he joined the faculty in 2014 after earning his M.D. and Ph.D. from Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul and further training at the Cajal Institute in Madrid and under Dr. Tamas Horvath at Yale. His research focuses on uncovering the complex interplay between neurobiology, metabolism, and behavior through the study of the development of homeostatic and emotional systems. Beyond academia, Marcelo loves open water swimming, especially the chill of ice-cold waters, reflecting his adventurous spirit and deep-seated curiosity that also drives his scientific endeavors.

Dr. Hao Yin

Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, China

Professor Hao Yin is the Vice President of Shanghai Changzheng Hospital and the Director of the Department of Organ Transplantation at Shanghai Changzheng Hospital. He also serves as the President of the Asian Pancreas and Islet Transplant Association (APITA).

Clinical Achievements:

1. Has led the establishment of China’s foremost islet transplant center, having completed over 300 transplants to date, and is currently ranked first in Asia in terms of transplant volume and clinical outcomes.
2. Has pioneered the” Shanghai Technical System”, an innovative approach for islet isolation, preservation, and immunosuppressive protocols. This system has resolved long-standing clinical bottlenecks, significantly enhancing transplant success rates.
3. Being the principal author of clinical management protocols, quality control standards, and clinical guidelines for the Asian Islet Transplantation Society and the National Health Commission of China. These guidelines have been adopted by over 90% of islet transplantation centers in China, driving the rapid progress of islet transplantation in the country.

Research Interests:

1. Liver, kidney and pancreas transplantation
2. Islet transplantation for Type 1 Diabetes, End-Stage Diabetic Nephropathy, Post-pancreatectomy Diabetes
3. Stem cell and immune therapy for diabetes

Dr. Yun Xia

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Dr. Xia is a Nanyang Assistant Professor and Provost’s Chair in Stem Cell Biology at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Her research focuses on developing human stem cell-based models to study kidney development and disease. Dr. Xia’s laboratory leverages direct differentiation and multicellular self-organization to generate kidney organoids that recapitulate the architecture and functionality of the native organ. In recognition of her contributions to kidney organoid research, Dr. Xia received the SCSS Dr. Susan Lim Award for Young Investigator from the Stem Cell Society Singapore in 2020 and was selected for the EMBO Global Investigator Network in 2021. Since 2022, she has served as an Associate Editor for Kidney International.

Dr. Margret Shirinian

American University of Beirut, Lebanon

I am a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Experimental Pathology, Immunology, and Microbiology at the Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut (AUB). My research examines how genomic and epigenomic factors—particularly histones, their modifications, and DNA methylation—impact brain development and cancer. My work on histone biology and oncohistone mechanisms has been published in top journals, including Nature Communications and Molecular Cell. A major focus of my lab is 3D genome organization and its role in gene regulation. We have contributed to understanding the function of TET DNA demethylases in development and neurobiology. Using Drosophila, we uncovered TET roles in midline glia organization, glial proliferation, axon guidance, and circadian regulation—published in eNeuro, Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, and Epigenetics. In cancer biology, I focus on therapeutic development. Recently, we began testing an epigenetic compound library in a Drosophila Glioblastoma (GBM) model. At AUB, I teach and mentor students from varied backgrounds and have supervised over 50 research projects. I also serve as Director of INSPIRE (Institute of Preclinical Innovation and Research), coordinating preclinical services and fostering academic development locally and regionally. My honors include the King Hussein Cancer Research Award, the QUWA Award for Women’s Empowerment in Research (UAE), the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada’s New Idea Award, the AUB Dean’s Excellence Award in Research, and multiple international grants.

Dr. Khaled Machaca

Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar

Khaled Machaca is Professor of Physiology and Biophysics at Weill Cornell Medicine and serves as the Senior Associate Dean for Research, Innovation and Commercialization for the Qatar campus. In that capacity he oversees the academic, financial, operational and compliance aspects of the research department, which currently encompasses about 200 researchers. Khaled oversaw the establishment of the administrative and regulatory infrastructure; centralized core laboratories; and faculty recruitment since 2009. He also serves as the designated institutional official for the animal research program and as the director of the imaging core. He leads and serves on multiple institutional, national, and international committees. The Machaca Lab is interested in intracellular signaling under physiological and pathological conditions with a focus on calcium signaling. Our goal is to better define signaling pathways at the cellular and molecular levels to identify potential therapeutic targets in various disease states. We are particularly interested in the role of calcium in cancer, metabolic, cardiovascular, and immune disfunction, as well as in oocyte maturation in preparation for fertilization. Work from the Machaca Lab has been published in leading biomedical journals and garnered continuous extramural funding from both the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF). Khaled serves of several editorial boards, reviews widely for scientific journals and granting agencies, and has an extensive track record of training students and postdoctoral fellows.

Dr. Joep Beumer

Institute of Human Biology, Switzerland

Joep Beumer is a junior group leader at the Institute of Human Biology, Roche in Basel. He studied Biomedical Sciences at the University Utrecht, The Netherlands, where he graduated in 2015. In 2020, he received his PhD from the University Utrecht, working with Hans Clevers on the intestinal stem cell niche as well as on enteroendocrine cells. He joined the Institute of Human Biology in 2022, where his group is building high-throughput genetic perturbation strategies in adult organoid models to study homeostatic renewal as well as disease of the gastrointestinal epithelium. In addition, his group is using organoids to better understand nutrient uptake and the endocrine function of the gut.

Dr. Chiara Cugno

Sidra Medicine, Qatar

Dr. Cugno is a seasoned medical doctor with a Board Certification in Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at the University of Pavia (Italy), and a Master in Pediatric Hematology at the University “La Sapienza”, Rome (Italy). She joined Sidra in 2014, where she covers the double role of Director of the Advanced Cell Therapy Core and Attending Physician in Pediatric Oncology and Hematology. In Italy, she has been directly involved in the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) activities at the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, a renowned Academic Health Center that has performed more than 2000 transplantations. At Sidra, Dr. Cugno has successfully established a state-of-the-art Good Manufacturing Practice Facility for cell, gene therapy and regenerative medicine products. Moreover, she has been working on the establishment of the Clinical Program of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT). Her research interests span from pediatric leukemias to pharmacogenomics, HSCT, Inherited Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes and Mesenchymal Stromal Cells.

Dr. M. Maya Kaelberer

University of Arizona, USA

Dr. Kaelberer is an Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona and an Adjunct Professor at Duke University. She is a sensory neuro-gastroenterologist. Her laboratory studies the connection between the brain and the gut. Their goal is to pioneer a new understanding of how the gut senses and responds to the complex composition of food, going beyond traditional calorie counting. Specifically, her research investigates the relationship between the vagus nerve and specialized gut sensory cells, called neuropod cells. Neuropod cells may hold the key to deciphering the "nutritional code" by which the gut identifies and reacts to various nutrients, shaping our food preferences and potentially influencing long-term health. Using a suite of cutting-edge techniques, they aim to map the diverse array of nutrient receptors and signaling pathways within neuropod cells, uncovering how these cells distinguish between different types of sugars, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. This research has profound implications for understanding how our bodies process food and could lead to innovative strategies for addressing diet-related diseases by targeting gut-brain communication pathways.

Dr. Mohammad Farhan

College of Health and Life Sciences, HBKU

Dr. Mohammad Farhan is an Associate Professor  at the College of Health & Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar. His behavioral neuroscience research combines three interconnected approaches: identifying genes linked to neurological disorders through human genetics and genomics; designing targeted therapeutics using computational modeling; and validating findings in Drosophila models and human neuronal cell lines.

His lab investigates mechanisms underlying autism, schizophrenia and cerebral palsy through QNRF, HBKU, and HMC-MRC-funded projects. Dr. Farhan's pioneering work on optogenetic inhibition techniques was published in Nature Methods and highlighted in scientific media.

With experience at Oxford University, Duke-NUS Medical School, and IMCB Singapore, he has published over 35 peer-reviewed articles in journals including Nature Methods, Neuron, and PloS Biology. His integrated approach creates a translational pipeline from genetic discovery to therapeutic development, aiming to improve patient outcomes worldwide.

Dr. Ehsan Pourkarimi

College of Health and Life Sciences, HBKU

Dr. Ehsan Pourkarimi completed his PhD at the Wellcome Trust Centre, University of Dundee, where he challenged classical models of DNA damage-induced apoptosis using C. elegans. His work offered new insights into the mechanisms of apoptosis. During his postdoctoral training, he transitioned into chromatin biology, uncovering novel roles for chromatin modifiers in cellular stress responses and histone dynamics.

Then he moved to New York and worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center as a research associate, where he mapped DNA replication origins in multicellular organisms for the first time, providing fundamental insights into chromatin-regulated replication.

In 2020, he joined HBKU as an Assistant Professor, establishing a research lab focused on DNA damage response, apoptosis, and chromatin regulation. His team integrates genetics, molecular biology, high-resolution microscopy, proteomics, and genomics to investigate how chromatin modifications influence genome stability and cell fate. His work bridges fundamental biology with translational research in genome maintenance.

Dr. Mohammed Shaker

QBRI, HBKU

Dr. Mohammed R. Shaker is a Scientist at the Neurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, and a Joint Assistant Professor at the College of Health & Life Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University. He earned his PhD in Neuroscience from Korea University, Seoul, in 2017, and was subsequently awarded the prestigious Brain Korea 21 Plus Fellowship. He then joined the Australian Institute for Bioengineering & Nanotechnology at The University of Queensland, where he advanced organoid models for the study of human brain and spinal cord development. Dr. Shaker’s research integrates patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells with organoid platforms, focusing on neurological disorders such as white matter diseases and Autism. His work has garnered multiple national and international awards, such as fellowships from the Children’s Hospital Foundation and the European Leukodystrophy Association. Dr. Shaker continues to explore innovative 3D culture systems and computational approaches to accelerate breakthroughs in neurodegeneration and disease modelling.

Dr. Bernice Lo

Sidra Medicine

Principal Investigator, Head of Laboratory of Immunoregulation; Director, Immune Dysregulation Clinical Research Program, Sidra Medicine.
Joint Assistant Professor, College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University.
Bernice obtained her Ph.D. in Cell and Molecular Biology at Duke University in the United States. And trained for her post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health in the US, studying genetic disorders of the immune system, where she has helped discover new genetic autoimmune disorders. Since then, she has established her lab at Sidra Medicine and has been contributing to the discovery, diagnosis, and molecular understanding of inherited immune disorders in the region.

Dr. Matteo Avella

Investigator and Assistant Professor
SIDRA Medicine
mavella@smrc.sidra.org

Dr. Matteo Avella is a Principal Investigator at Sidra Medicine and is head of the Lab of Reproductive Biology. Prior to joining Sidra Medicine, Dr. Avella was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Science at the University of Tulsa (Tulsa, OK, USA) and the School of Health Professions at Eastern Virginia Medical School (Norfolk, VA, USA). Dr. Avella received his B.A. in Biology from the University of Milan, Bicocca (Italy). He then completed a Ph.D. at the Polytechnic University of Marche (Ancona, Italy), studying the intestinal microbiota’s effects on fish’s early development and reproduction. He conducted postdoctoral research at the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, USA), where he switched his studies to the mammalian system and focused his research efforts on understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating fertilization in mice and humans. Before his first academic appointment at the University of Tulsa, Dr. Avella received training as a human embryologist at Shady Grove Fertility (Chesterbrook, PA, USA).

Dr. Sahar Isa Da’as

Research Manager and Assistant Professor
Sidra Medicine
sdaas@sidra.org

Dr. Da'as is a distinguished Research Manager at Sidra Medicine and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University; her research is centered on functional genomics and translational research. Dr. Da'as has pioneered innovative approaches using the zebrafish model, focusing on rare pediatric hereditary diseases. She has successfully developed patient-specific genotype models, providing a comprehensive insight into gene variation, clinical presentations, and disease prognosis. This achievement promises a roadmap toward precision medicine.

Her journey in research began at the IWK Health Centre in Canada, where she focused on rare genetic disorders and childhood cancers, earning an Innovation Excellence Award from Cancer Care Nova Scotia.

Dr Da'as, through collaborative projects, continues to translate scientific discoveries into practical applications, providing a foundation for translational studies of novel genes and novel variants.

Her impactful work, published in reputable journals, has significantly advanced our understanding of hereditary diseases.

Dr. Maged Harraz

University of Maryland School of Medicine, USA

Dr. Harraz directs a research program focused on elucidating the interplay between protein homeostasis and signal transduction to leverage for drug discovery. His research uncovers a novel selective autophagy pathway that targets membrane proteins and elucidates its implications for virus-host interactions, reward behavior, and cell death. I have established a reputation for innovative research in molecular neuroscience. Using chemoproteomics, pharmacologic, and genetic approaches, he identified the brain-enriched acid-soluble protein (BASP1) as a high-affinity cocaine receptor. He is currently investigating the crosstalk between BASP1, selective autophagy, and dopaminergic neurotransmission. His work has been instrumental in identifying a novel role for autophagy in the behavioral actions of cocaine, which others have confirmed in the field. My lab employs a diverse range of approaches, including in vivo genetic manipulations, behavioral assessments in rodents, in vitro mechanistic studies of signal transduction in cell lines, primary rodent neurons, and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons, as well as in vitro and ex vivo neuropharmacology, to high-content approaches such as LC-MS/MS-based proteomics. His research program changes our understanding of how cocaine regulates dopamine signaling and reward. Also, it shifts our view of autophagy from a recycling process to a multifunctional one that regulates signal transduction and behavior.

Dr. Yongsoo Park

QBRI, HBKU

Dr. Yongsoo Park is a Senior Scientist at the Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) and an Associate Professor in the College of Health and Life Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU). He earned his PhD from POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology), South Korea, where he investigated exocytosis and the plasticity of vesicle fusion. He subsequently completed postdoctoral training at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Germany, conducting pioneering research on vesicle fusion and neurotransmitter release. Since joining QBRI/HBKU in 2019, Dr. Park has led a laboratory focused on the pathophysiology of autism using human iPSC-derived neurons, with particular emphasis on calcium signaling and exocytosis. His expertise spans electrophysiology, calcium imaging, biochemistry and biophysics. Dr. Park has received awards and fellowships from international organizations including BAGEP, the EU’s Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. He has secured multiple research grants, including an EMBO Installation Grant, and was a member of the EMBO Young Investigator Programme (YIP).

Dr. Sara Elfarrash

Fakeeh College for Medical Sciences, Saudi Arabia

Dr. Elfarrash is an Associate Professor of Medical Physiology at Fakeeh College for Medical Sciences in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Dr. Elfarrash has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases specially Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. During PhD she established an organotypic slices model that replicates the inter-neuronal spreading of alpha-synuclein aggregates. Additionally, she contributed in development of a sensitive method (Proximity Ligation Assay) that allows researchers to detect Parkinson's pathology that was not detectable earlier. Beside the experimental neuroscience research, she has a remarkable achievement studying the Egyptian Parkinson’s and dementia patients. She has contributed to the study group which identified the % of  LRRK2 mutation among the Egyptian Parkinson’s patients, also actively involved in the identification of genetic and metabolomics backgrounds for Alzheimer’s patients, a population that was not studied earlier. She is serving as member of IBRO-Africa regional committee and MDS-basic science group steering committee. In Saudi Arabia, she is now establishing a very first Health and Retirement Study (HRS)- like longitudinal study "AL-SAHA"  - Health in Arabic word- and an acronym for  (A longitudinal study for Saudi Arabian Healthy Aging) supported recently by Hevolution foundation.

Dr. Fathia Ben-Rached

KAUST, KSA

Dr. Fathia Ben-Rached, a French–Tunisian scientist, is a Research Scientist at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia. She earned her Master’s degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Sorbonne University in France and completed her PhD in Microbiology at Paris Diderot University with highest honors, where she studied the small GTPase Rab7 in Plasmodium falciparum in the lab of Prof. Gordon Langsley. Following her PhD, she worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Cochin Institute in Paris, investigating autophagy and apicoplast biogenesis in malaria parasites. She then moved to Saudi Arabia and joined KAUST as a Senior Postdoctoral Fellow in the Microbial Genomics Laboratory, where she contributed to high-impact studies on malaria parasites, antimicrobial resistance, and host–pathogen interactions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Ben-Rached became interested in neurosciences and moved to the Lab of Prof. Pierre Magistretti at KAUST, where she leads research on patient-derived iPSCs and brain organoids to model neurodevelopmental disorders, and on lactate-mediated epitranscriptomic regulation in neurons. She is also actively engaged in students’ mentoring and supervision, journal reviewing, and science outreach, including organizing the first Brain Awareness Week at KAUST in 2025.

Dr. Mohammad AlHashmi

King Abdulaziz University, KSA

Dr. Mohammad AlHashmi is an Assistant Professor at the College of Applied Medical Sciences at King Abdulaziz University and currently serves as the Director of the King Fahd Medical Research Center. He is recognized as a Senior Specialist in Clinical Laboratory Services and Quality Management by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties. Furthermore, he is a Certified Trainer accredited by the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation in Saudi Arabia. Dr. AlHashmi obtained his PhD in Musculoskeletal Biology (Medicine) from the University of Liverpool in 2023. He also holds a Master's degree in Clinical Laboratory Sciences from the University of Texas Medical Branch, which he earned in 2014, as well as a bachelor's degree in Medical Technology from King Abdulaziz University. Additionally, he earned a Diploma of Professional Development in Teaching and Learning in 2024. Dr. AlHashmi's research interests primarily focus on developmental biology, diabetes, and clinical services. Alongside his research endeavors, Dr. AlHashmi has contributed to various academic programs, including diplomas in Emergency Medical Services (EMS), laboratory sciences, phlebotomy, and public health. He is actively involved in organizing blood donation and health promotion campaigns, highlighting his commitment to integrating research, education, and community service.

Wajih Jawhar

McGill University, Canada

Wajih Jawhar is a senior doctoral candidate at McGill University in Montréal, Canada, and a student in the PPCR program at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. After a BSc in Biology in Beirut, he earned a Master of Science in Human Genetics from McGill in 2020 with the departmental Excellence Award. Currently, Wajih's doctoral research is supported by the Canadian Cancer Society and the Terry Fox Research Institute. His work focuses on understanding epigenomic dysregulation in pediatric and AYA (Adolescent and Young Adult) cancers using a combination of forward and reverse genetics and epigenomics approaches. Wajih aims to delineate central disease mechanisms and uncover targetable vulnerabilities in several childhood cancers, including fusion-driven sarcomas, osteosarcoma, diffuse midline gliomas, and medulloblastoma. Since receiving initial support from Al-Ghurair Foundation in 2017, Wajih has become a multi-merit award winner from prestigious European and North American institutions. He is also a nominee for the 2025 Golden Scalpel Prize for his work on osteosarcoma.

Dr. Ines El Bini

Pasteur Institute of Tunisia, Tunisia

Dr. Ines El Bini is an Associate Professor of Physiology and neuroscientist at the Pasteur Institute of Tunisia. Her research focuses on understanding the complex mechanisms underlying Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis, with the goal of identifying new therapeutic targets. She explores the neuroprotective properties of animal venoms and plant-derived compounds, investigating how these natural molecules may open new avenues for treatment. Dr. El Bini also studies the role of ion channels in neuroprotection, uncovering cellular mechanisms that could be exploited for innovative interventions. Beyond her laboratory work, Dr. El Bini coordinates several research projects supported by national and international funding organizations, fostering collaborations that bridge basic science and clinical application. She was recently honored with the James Kimani Award for her pioneering work in neurodegeneration. She also serves as North Africa Representative on the Society of Neuroscientists of Africa (SONA) Executive Council and is an active member of the Young Committee of the Mediterranean Neuroscience Society (MNS), strengthening regional and global networks in neuroscience. Committed to advancing scientific communication, she is an editor for several international journals, including Frontiers in Neuroscience – Neuropharmacology, where she helps guide the dissemination of cutting-edge research in the field.

Dr. Khalid A. Fakhro

Sidra Medicine, Qatar

Dr. Khalid Fakhro is the Chief of Research and Chair of the Precision Medicine Program at Sidra Medicine, the largest tertiary care women and children hospital in Qatar. Dr. Fakhro leads the Laboratory of Human Genetics and Genomics, which focuses on bringing emerging genomic technologies from the lab close to the patient’s bedside. Over the past decade, his group has sequenced thousands of genomes from patients and volunteers across the Middle East, leading gene discovery efforts for a wide range of rare disorders, as well as publishing landmark studies on population structure, genome structural variation, and the role of Islamic ethics in genome research. To date, his lab has been awarded competitive grants exceeding $8m to study genome structure and the genetic etiology of rare diseases and Autism, and their discoveries have featured in high-impact journals worldwide. In addition to research and hospital duties, Dr. Fakhro serves multiple leadership roles in Qatar’s growing biomedical ecosystem, including as a Board Member of the Qatar Precision Medicine Institute and Adjunct Professor at both Weill-Cornell Medical College and Hamad Bin Khalifa University, where he teaches and supervises Masters and Ph.D. students in genomics and precision medicine.

Dr. Markus R. Wenk

Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar

Dr. Markus Wenk’s fascination with membrane structure and function began during his studies at the Biozentrum, University of Basel, in 1994. At Yale, he pioneered new techniques to study phospholipid metabolism, helping lay the foundation for the field of lipidomics. A recognized leader in this area, he received the European Lipid Science Award in 2018. Markus founded the Singapore Lipidomics Incubator (SLING) and the international Singapore Lipid Symposium (iSLS) at the National University of Singapore (NUS), advancing innovation, education, and collaboration in lipid research. His recent work focuses on integrating precise molecular analysis into personalized medicine. He led the NUS Department of Biochemistry from 2015 to 2022 and directed the Precision Medicine Translational Research Programme from 2020 to 2023. In August 2023, he became Dean of the College of Health and Life Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) in Doha, Qatar.

Dr. Medhat Askar

Qatar University, Qatar

Prof. Medhat Askar, MD, PhD, MSHPE, FRCPath, F(ACHI), D(ABMLI), HCLD(ABB) is a laboratory medicine physician scientist. He serves as the Clinical Advisor, Vice President for Medical & Health Sciences Office and Professor of Immunology at Qatar University’s College of Medicine and leads the Division of Clinical and Transplantation Immunology at Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar. He also serves as a Clinical Professor at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, Bryan, TX, and as the Advisor for Clinical Services at The National Marrow Donor Program, Minneapolis, MN, USA. Previously, he directed laboratories at Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NY, and the University of Chicago, IL. Currently, Dr. Askar is the Senior Treasurer and Chair of the WHO Committee and a member of the executive committee of The Transplantation Society, a Board Member of the Worldwide Network for Blood & Marrow Transplantation, a lifetime Councilor of the International HLA and Immunogenetics Workshop. Dr. Askar has previously served as President of The American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, and The American College of the Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, and elected positions on the executive committees of the United Network for Organ Sharing in the United States (UNOS). He has published and lectured extensively on transplant immunology, cell and gene therapy, quality systems, accreditation, and health professions education.

Dr. Sonia Davila

Sidra Medicine, Qatar

Dr. Davila completed her undergraduate and graduate studies in Spain. She identified new mutations in genes causing autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease present only in Spanish families. Upon graduation she moved to Yale University and led the identification of two human genes causing Polycystic Liver Disease (PLD). In 2004 Sonia joined the Genome Institute of Singapore as a postdoctoral fellow and she was rapidly promoted to Research Scientist and to Principal Investigator. Her work focused on human genetic susceptibility to infectious diseases. She has identified genetic mutations involved in immune-related diseases, infectious and autoimmune disorders, rare diseases like Kawasaki and meningococcal disease among others. In 2016 she started working at SingHealth-Duke NUS AMC to work on clinical implementation of precision medicine. She was Deputy Director of SingHealth Duke-NUS Institute of Precision Medicine (PRISM) and Director of Research at the SingHealth Duke-NUS Genomic Medicine Centre. Sonia joined Sidra Medicine in December 2023 as Executive Director -Translational Medicine.

Dr. Younes Mokrab

Sidra Medicine, Qatar

Prof. Younes Mokrab is Principal Investigator, Head of Population Genomics Medicine, and Director of the Neuroscience Research Program at Sidra Medicine. He also holds adjunct academic positions at Weill Cornell Medicine and Qatar University. Prof. Mokrab obtained a BSc in Genetics from the University of Sheffield (2003) and a PhD in Bioinformatics from Prof. Tom Blundell’s lab at the University of Cambridge (2007), followed by a postdoctoral fellowship on modelling ion channelopathies with Prof. Mark Sansom at the University of Oxford (2010). He then moved to the pharmaceutical industry, first at Lonza Biologics in in silico biopharmaceutical engineering and then at Eli Lilly leading early-stage neuropsychiatry drug discovery. Since joining Sidra in 2015, he has helped establish research programs in population and medical genetics, co-founded the Qatar Genome Program Research Consortium, and built collaborations with multiple international consortia. His lab’s expertise spans long-read sequencing, multiomics, data science, and large-scale genome studies. He has co-authored over 60 papers, including in Nature and Cell, and has received numerous grants and awards.

Dr. Wadha Al Muftah

QPHI, Qatar

Dr Al Muftah is the Chief Medical and Operations Officer at Qatar Precision Health Institute. She is a healthcare leader with over 15 years of expertise in genomics, precision health, and translational research. She has led the Qatar Genome Program, one of the most significant large-scale genomic initiatives in the region, integrating genomic discoveries into clinical care and shaping national precision health strategies. Trained as both a medical doctor and scientist, with a PhD in Clinical Research from Imperial College London, she combines clinical expertise, scientific leadership, and strategic vision to advance genomics-driven healthcare through innovation, partnerships, and implementation.

Dr. Cong-Yi (CY) Wang

QBRI, Qatar

Dr. Cong-Yi (CY) Wang is the Scientific Director of the Diabetes Research Center at the Qatar Biomedical Research Institute. He earned his Ph.D. in Medical Immunology from Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China. After completion of his postdoctoral training in population genetics, genomics, and immunology of type 1 diabetes (T1D) at the University of Florida, he was then appointed as a tenure-track Assistant Professor at the Center for Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine, Medical College of Georgia (now Augusta University). He was also appointed Scientific Director of the Georgia Exoteric and Molecular Laboratories LLC, at the Medical College of Georgia Health Science Center after his promotion. In 2014, Dr. Wang was recruited by the Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, as a tenured professor. At Tongji Hospital, he established the Center for Biomedical Research, Tongji Biobank, and the Tongji SPF Animal Center. He served as Director of the Center for Biomedical Research, Tongji Biobank, and the National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, as well as Executive Director of Sponsored Program Administration. Dr. Wang’s research focuses on the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Thus far, Dr. Wang has published > 240 peer viewed scientific papers and produced > 20 national and international patents.

Dr. Georges Nemer

Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar

Dr. Nemer is a distinguished Professor of Genomics and Translational Biomedicine and serves as the Associate Dean for Research at the College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), HBKU, Qatar. He earned his PhD in Pharmacology from the Université de Montréal, Canada, and has since built a formidable career in academia and research, emphasizing precision medicine, molecular genetics, and genomics. Dr. Nemer has held pivotal roles in academic leadership, including serving as Interim Dean of HBKU's CHLS and heading the Genomics and Translational Biomedicine division. Prior to joining HBKU, he was a professor at the American University of Beirut (AUB), where he directed the Molecular Core Facility and co-directed the Congenital Heart Disease Genetic Program, among other influential positions.

A prolific researcher, Dr. Nemer has contributed extensively to the understanding of the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying rare and common diseases. His work, particularly in congenital heart defects, cardio-cutaneous syndromes, hypercholesterolemia, and vitamin D deficiency, is widely published in leading peer-reviewed journals. His contributions have been recognized with numerous accolades, including the Paul Dudley White International Scholar Award and the Wayne G. Watson Award for Biologic or Experimental Research. Dr. Nemer’s academic service extends to mentorship, curriculum development, and membership on prestigious committees and boards, including editorial roles for high-impact journals like Scientific Reports and Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. He is also an elected member of the Royal Society of Medicine (UK) and Sigma Xi. In addition to his academic and scientific endeavors, Dr. Nemer is deeply committed to fostering innovation, advancing interdisciplinary collaborations, and promoting excellence in education and research. His visionary approach continues to shape the fields of genomics and precision medicine.

Dr. Nayef A. Mazloum 

Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar

Dr. Nayef A. Mazloum is an associate professor of microbiology and immunology at WCM-Q and joint associate professor at HBKU. He also serves as an associate dean for student research at WCM-Q. He joined WCM-Q in January 2011 and came from WCMC in New York, where he served since 2008 as instructor of microbiology and immunology. He graduated from the American University of Beirut in 1994, continuing his studies at New York Medical College in Valhalla, graduating with a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular biology in 2003. He started his postdoctoral training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York before continuing at WCMC.

Dr Mazloum’s lab studies altered molecular pathways in metabolic disorders including obesity, diabetes, and age-related diseases. His lab employs a combination of in-vitro cellular models, mouse models and human data to uncover novel mechanisms that modulate metabolism.

Dr. Vladimir Katanaev

QBRI, HBKU

He earned his MSc degree in 1994 in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Krasnoyarsk State University (now Siberian Federal University) and Moscow State University, Russia. In 2000, he obtained his PhD at the Institute of Biochemistry of the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. He subsequently pursued postdoctoral research (2000–2003) and served as Associate Research Scientist (2003–2005) at the Department of Genetics and Development, Columbia University, New York, USA. His first faculty appointment was at the University of Konstanz, Germany, in 2005, followed by an Associate Professorship at the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Lausanne, in 2011. In 2018, he was appointed Full Professor and Chair of Translational Oncology at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland.

Throughout his career, his research has focused on cellular signaling mechanisms such as Wnt and GPCR pathways, investigating how they are disrupted in disease and leveraging this knowledge to design innovative treatments. As the newly appointed Scientific Director of the Translational Oncology Research Center at QBRI, he is committed to advancing basic, translational, and clinical research with the goal of delivering groundbreaking discoveries and targeted therapies to cancer patients.

Dr. Rayaz A. Malik

WCMQ, Qatar

Professor Rayaz A Malik graduated in Medicine University of Aberdeen in 1991
MRCP (Royal College of Physicians England), 1996
PhD (University of Manchester), 1997
FRCP (Royal College of Physicians England), 2007.
Professor of Medicine and Consultant physician, University of Manchester and Central
Manchester Teaching Hospitals 2008-2014.
Professor of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar 2014-present.
2022: Expertscape ranked him #2 (UK) and #7 (World) most influential researcher on diabetes complications.
2023, 2024, 2025: Research.com ranked him #1 Researcher in Medicine in Qatar and amongst the top 10,000 (0.1%) of all researchers across the world.
2024: Scholar GPS ranked him #3 in diabetic neuropathy, #2 peripheral neuropathy world-wide. Published 574 peer reviewed papers.
Web of Science H-index=98, Citations=26,307
Google scholar H-index=104, i10index= 435, Citations=47,451

Dr. Souhaila Al Khodor

Sidra Medicine

Dr. Al Khodor is the Director of Reproductive and Perinatal Health Program in the Research Branch at Sidra Medicine, Qatar.  Dr. Al Khodor received her bachelor’s degree in Medical Lab technology from the Faculty of Public Health at the Lebanese University in 2001. Soon after, she started her master’s degree in microbiology and Immunology at the American University of Beirut (2002-2004). Dr. Al Khodor received her second master’s degree and

PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA (2005-2008). Before joining Sidra, Dr. Al Khodor worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the Signaling systems Unit, laboratory of Systems Biology, at the National Institute of Allergy and infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Maryland, USA.  Dr. Al Khodor’s laboratory at Sidra Medicine focuses on using multi-omics (metagenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics) and computational biology aiming to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying various diseases. Her primary goal is to identify early biomarkers for disease prediction. With a special focus on pregnancy complications (mainly preterm birth and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus) and complex pediatric disorders such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, her research at Sidra Medicine has attracted around 4.7 million USD in research funds. Dr. Al Khodor is an adjunct Faculty at the College of Health & Life Science in Hamad Bin Khalifa University. She has over 83 peer-reviewed publications. She currently serves as the Section Editor for Metagenomics in the Journal of Translational Medicine and Specialty Chief Editor for Extra-intestinal Microbiome (specialty section of Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology).

Dr. Simona Ghanem

Master of Ceremonies (MC)
Sidra Medicine, Qatar

Dr. Simona is a senior postdoctoral fellow in the Laboratory of Pluripotent Stem Cell Disease Modeling at Sidra Medicine since August 2024. She completed her PhD in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases at the University of Toledo, Ohio. As part of her doctoral studies, Simona primarily focused and explored the mechanisms underlying insulin resistance, obesity, and insulin action in several mouse models. Following her PhD, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher in QBRI from 2018 to 2024. In her current postdoctoral fellowship at Sidra, she is working on iPSC-based models typically focusing on developing and characterizing iPSC derived pancreatic beta cells to study pathophysiology of diabetes. She is incorporating different gene editing techniques, particularly CRISPR/Cas9, to generate knockout (KO) models in iPSC-derived beta cells to study the diabetes-related genes in beta cell development and function. Additionally, she is performing various functional and molecular analysis assays to understand beta cell function and the underlying disease mechanisms. Her work reflects a sustained commitment to advancing translational research and fostering knowledge exchange that ensures meaningful outcomes for patients.

Dr. Reem Hasnah

Master of Ceremonies (MC)
Sidra Medicine, Qatar

Reem Hasnah is a Research Specialist II in Dr. Luis Saraiva’s lab at Sidra Medicine. She completed her Ph.D. in Biological and Biomedical Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in 2025. She previously earned her M.Sc. in Biological and Biomedical Sciences from Hamad Bin Khalifa University in 2023 and her B.Sc. in Biological Sciences from Carnegie Mellon University.
After joining Sidra Medicine, Reem has been leading the characterization of nutrient-sensing gut cells across the intestine and is responsible for RNA-seq analysis across multiple lab projects. She has published 8 original research articles and was a co-host of the Gastronauts podcast along with Peter Wang in 2020–2021.