AI & Medicine 2025

Mitchell Stotland

MD, MS, FRCSC
Vice Chair, Department of Surgery
Division Chief, Plastic, Craniofacial, and Hand Surgery
Medical Director, Perioperative Services, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery, Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar, Doha, Qatar

Dr. Mitchell Stotland serves as the Vice Chair of the Department of Surgery, the Division Chief of Plastic, Craniofacial, and Hand Surgery, and the Medical Director of Perioperative Services at Sidra Medicine in Doha, Qatar. He completed his medical degree and plastic surgery residency at McGill School of Medicine in Montreal, Canada, in 1989, followed by a fellowship in craniofacial surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1997. From 1997 to 2014, he practiced at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth in New Hampshire, US, where he founded a multidisciplinary craniofacial anomalies program in 2000. In 2007, he earned a Master of Science degree in Evaluative Clinical Sciences from the renowned Dartmouth Institute.

Dr. Stotland is the Founding Division Chief of Plastic and Craniofacial Surgery at Sidra Medicine and has held the position of Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar since 2014. He became the Medical Director of Perioperative Services in 2019 and was appointed Vice Chair of the Department of Surgery at Sidra Medicine in 2021. He has introduced new and complex plastic surgical procedures, along with a multidisciplinary approach to craniofacial care, to Qatar.

His clinical expertise includes treating cleft lip and palate, craniofacial anomalies, facial trauma, and total ear reconstruction. His research focuses on assessing and measuring facial deformity through the development of innovative machine-learning models, for which he is the lead principal investigator (QRDI grant 2021-2024). Additionally, he completed the MIT Professional Education course “No Code AI and Machine Learning: Building Data Science Systems” from June to September 2023.

Erchin Serpedin

Co-Chair

PhD
Professor and Chair, Electrical and Computer Engineering Program, Texas A&M University at Qatar, Doha, Qatar

Dr. Erchin Serpedin (Fellow, IEEE) is currently a Professor and Chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Program at Texas A&M University at Qatar and a tenured Professor with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, US. He authored four research monographs, one textbook, 17 book chapters, 220 journal papers, and 320 conference papers. He has served as associate editor for a dozen top journals such as IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, IEEE Transactions on Communications, IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, IEEE Signal Processing Letters, Signal Processing (Elsevier), EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing, IEEE Communications Letters, IEEE Signal Processing Magazine, and EURASIP Journal on Bioinformatics and Systems Biology. He served as technical co-chair of 7 major symposia and conferences. His research interests include signal processing, machine learning, artificial intelligence, cyber security, smart grids, bioinformatics, and biomedical engineering.

Faleh Marino

Co-Chair

BDS, PhD
Professor, College of Dental Medicine, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar

Prof. Faleh Tamimi holds academic appointments at McGill University (Montreal, Canada) and at Qatar University (Doha, Qatar) where he currently serves as the Research Coordinator of the College of Dental Medicine. He is also the founding President of the Qatar Section of the international Association for Dental Research, Associate Editor of the Journal of Prosthodontics and the former co-Director of the Quebec Network of Oral Health Research. His multidisciplinary and translational research covers various areas including the fields of biomaterials, tissue regeneration, inflammation, and chronobiology. He has published one book and 213 peer-reviewed articles with over 6400 citations, and an h-index of 46. He has received important awards including the Canada Research Chair and the W.W. Wood Excellence in Teaching Award from the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry.

Hajera Thakur

BSc, MBS
Extern, Department of Surgery, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar

Hajera Thakur holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences from Qatar University and a Master’s in Biomedical Sciences from Management & Science University, Malaysia. Her research interests focus on forensic chemistry, particularly its analytical applications, with her postgraduate work examining the trace analysis of lip cosmetics using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and chemometrics. This research was recently published in the LSMB Journal.

Beyond research, Ms. Thakur is interested in the application of AI-driven tools for productivity and task management, exploring emerging technologies to optimize workflows in scientific and organizational settings. Her ability to bridge complex scientific concepts with accessibility was recognized when she won the Best Oral Presentation at the 2023 3-Minute Thesis Challenge at Management & Science University, Malaysia, where she effectively communicated her research to a non-specialist audience.

In addition to her scientific endeavors, Ms. Thakur is dedicated to community engagement and has been actively involved in volunteer efforts for 8 years through Charity Week, a global volunteer-led nonprofit organization. Serving in various leadership positions, including Country Director, she has led teams, developed partnerships, and managed small to medium-scale fundraising events to create meaningful impact.

With a strong foundation in research, community engagement, and organizational strategy, Ms. Thakur continuously seeks innovative ways to optimize workflows and create positive change in both scientific and nonprofit spaces.

Marwa Qaraqe

PhD
Associate Professor, Co-founder of the Autism Sensing Cener of Excellence, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar

Dr. Marwa Qaraqe is an Associate Professor in the Division of Information and Communication Technology at the College of Science and Engineering at Hamad Bin Khalifa University. She is also the co-founder of the Autism Sensing Center of Excellence within the College of Science and Engineering at HBKU. Dr. Qaraqe earned her Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University at Qatar in 2010, followed by a MSc and PhD in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, in 2012 and 2016, respectively.

Her research focuses on wireless communication, signal processing, and machine learning, with multidisciplinary applications spanning security, the Internet of Things (IoT), and health. Dr. Qaraqe has a particular interest in physical layer security, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, and machine learning techniques for enhancing wireless communication, security, and health. Passionate about predictive health analytics and personalized learning, she actively explores innovative approaches to managing health disorders through AI-driven solutions. In addition, she is deeply dedicated to research that leverages AI, sensing technology, and computer vision for the non-subjective assessment of behavior in children with autism, aiming to improve intervention strategies, outcomes, and learning.

Noora H. Alshahwani

MD, MSc
Attending Pediatric Surgery and Research Lead for the Department of Surgery, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
Associate Professor in Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar, Doha, Qatar
Assistant Professor at the University of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar

Dr. Noora Alshahwani is an attending Pediatric Surgeon at Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar. She completed her medical school at Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar, to join pediatric surgery residency training program at Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar. She then pursued a fellowship in Pediatric Surgery at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. She simultaneously acquired a Master's in Health Research Methodology from McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario. After the completion of her training in 2020, she joined the Department of Surgery at Sidra Medicine.

Dr. Alshahwani’s main area of interest includes aerodigestive congenital anomalies, and minimal invasive surgery. She is also interested in clinical research and acts as the lead of clinical research for the department of surgery. She is appointed as the Sidra’s surgeon champion for the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program – Pediatric (NSQIP-P), for which Qatar is one of 157 centers worldwide.

Tala Mongid

Medical Student, College of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar

Tala Mongid is a medical student at Qatar University College of Medicine with a strong passion for research, leadership, and innovation in healthcare. She is particularly interested in integrating artificial intelligence into medicine and has worked on projects related to metabolite analysis, diabetes, mental health, and maternal and neonatal health. Through her research, she aims to explore data-driven solutions that improve healthcare outcomes and patient care.

As the Founding President of the Qatar Undergraduate Health and Medical Research Association (QUHMRA), Ms. Mongid has played a key role in fostering a research-driven community. She has led initiatives that empower students with essential research skills, organizing workshops, seminars, and collaborative projects such as the Health Research Bootcamp. Her leadership has helped create a platform for aspiring researchers to connect, collaborate, and contribute to scientific advancements.

Beyond academia, Ms. Mongid is deeply committed to community engagement and volunteering. She has contributed to various healthcare and research initiatives, including volunteering with the Syrian Medical Association in Qatar, the Qatari Board of Medical Specialties, and international conferences. She has also participated in global discussions at the Syrian Youth Conference, reflecting her dedication to making a positive impact on healthcare and society.

Additionally, Ms. Mongid has a strong background in media and communications, leveraging digital platforms to enhance research visibility. She has led media coverage, content creation, and branding for academic and healthcare organizations, ensuring effective outreach and engagement. Her ability to merge research, technology, and communication has allowed her to contribute meaningfully to scientific and public health initiatives.

A committed advocate for research and innovation, Ms. Mongid actively works on promoting student involvement in scientific research, bridging AI with healthcare, and supporting initiatives that drive medical advancements.

Tariq Abbas

MD, PhD
Attending Physician, Urology Division, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar

Dr. Tariq Abbas completed a world-class highly competitive fellowship program in Pediatric Urology in Birmingham, United Kingdom, and a fellowship in Pediatric Urology at Sidra Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar. He later finished a PhD in the Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark, titled “Development of a Tissue Engineered Urethral Substitute for the Treatment of Severe Hypospadias.” He serves as an Editorial Board Member for many reputed journals and a member of the European Society of Pediatric Surgery (ESPU), and the Society of Academic Surgery and Research (SARS). He is currently a consultant pediatric urologist in Sidra. He has published extensively on pediatric surgery and urology with over 150 peer-reviewed articles and 70 international and local presentations. He conducts several ongoing research projects focusing exclusively on child health with a special interest in artificial intelligence pediatric urology and currently serves on the advisory committee of the international AI-PEDURO Repository.

Yosra Mekki

College of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
Communications Fellow, npj Digital Medicine

Yosra Mekki is an award-winning extended reality (XR) developer and aspiring sports medicine physician in Qatar, focusing on clinician-engineer collaboration and athlete health. She is the inaugural Nature Digital Medicine communications fellow, hosting their podcast, and leads Qatar's national AI and XR healthcare network. Her work includes developing educational VR applications addressing antibiotic resistance and AI algorithms for COVID-19 pre-screening. Ms. Mekki has lectured internationally, including at the International Olympic Committee flagship conference, led an international AI journal club, and taught a medical AI elective at Qatar University. Some of her collaborations include projects with Aspetar, the Football Association, and the Mayo Clinic on initiatives related to digitizing athlete health, AI, and aerospace medicine. She also completed a fellowship at Mayo Clinic's STR-X program, focusing on athlete health and aerospace medicine, was a visiting student at King's College London at the Quinn NASA Lab, and serves as research lead at the Clinician Engineer's Hub based at Cambridge.

Ms. Mekki is set to complete her MD this April and plans to pursue a dual track in healthcare innovation, specializing in sports medicine and hand. She is affiliated with the College of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar, and is an Ambassador for Google's Tech Makers. She serves on the Editorial Board of NPJ Digital Medicine and is a Reviewer for The British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM) and Springer Nature. She has co-authored numerous book chapters and articles in the medical AI and XR space, serves on several scientific committees and strategic boards, and has chaired international workshops and organized entrepreneurial challenges.