Aneel Oad

Aneel Oad, Manager of the Neurophysiology Department with over 15 years of experience in Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring (IONM). Hold Master of Science in Physiology and certified by American Board in both Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring (IONM) and Eletroencephalography (R.RRG). Dedicated to advancing in the operating room through real-time neuromonitoring.

Beshayer Al-Haroon

Beshayer Al-Haroon, RDN, MS, is a Qatari Registered Dietitian with over five years of specialized experience in pediatric nutrition, particularly ketogenic diet therapy for epilepsy. She is registered with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (USA) and the Qatar Council for Healthcare Practitioners. Beshayer earned a Bachelor’s in Nutritional Sciences from Cornell University and a Master’s in Clinical Nutrition from New York University, completing her dietetic internship at Detroit Medical Center. Her clinical training spans the U.S., Qatar, and Kenya, where she volunteered to provide nutrition care to underserved communities.

Since joining Sidra Medicine in 2017, Beshayer has provided nutrition therapy across various pediatric specialties, including general medicine, allergies, oncology, neurology, rehab and neurosurgery. She now leads ketogenic diet therapy service for pediatric epilepsy alongside a multidisciplinary team. Beshayer is committed to evidence-based, empathetic, and patient-centered care and strives to expand access to ketogenic therapy for children in the region.

Dr. Alia Satti

Dr. Alia Satti is an Attending Physician in Developmental Pediatrics and Rehabilitation Medicine at Sidra Medicine, where she has served since 2019. She works closely with a multidisciplinary team to assess and manage children with communication, social, intellectual, behavioral, and mobility challenges.

Dr. Satti is the Clinical Lead for Developmental Pediatrics and Associate Program Director of the Fellowship Program. She is the only UK CCT board-certified pediatric neuro-disability subspecialist (GRID) in Qatar and holds a Diploma in Pediatric Neuro-disability from Sheffield Hallam University—one of only two practitioners in Qatar with this qualification.

Actively involved in national service planning and research initiatives, Dr. Satti focuses on autism and early intervention for children with disabilities.

Before joining Sidra, she served as Consultant and Lead for Pediatric Neurodisability, Epilepsy, and Clinical Governance at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, one of the UK’s top-performing hospitals.

Dr. Amna Al Futaisi

Professor Amna Mohammed Al Futaisi is an Omani pediatric neurologist and academician, currently serving as the Head of the Department of Child Health and Professor of Pediatric Neurology at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU). She is also a Senior Consultant in Pediatric Neurology and Pediatric Electrophysiology at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQU.

Professor Al Futaisi holds an MD and BSc from SQU, and completed her pediatric neurology and EEG/epilepsy fellowships at McGill University and the University of Toronto in Canada. She is certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health (UK).

Over the years, she has played a transformative role in advancing child neurology services in Oman, including the establishment of long-term EEG monitoring, vagal nerve stimulation, ketogenic diet clinics, and multidisciplinary care models. She has also pioneered virtual clinics at SQUH and contributed significantly to teaching, curriculum development, and clinical examination reforms at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Her research focuses on neurogenetic disorders, epilepsy, and pediatric neurological diseases, with over 95 publications in high-impact journals. She has received multiple national and regional awards for excellence in clinical service, education, and research.

In addition to her academic and clinical roles, Professor Al Futaisi holds prominent positions in regional and international medical organizations, including serving as President of the Oman League Against Epilepsy and the Arab Board Pediatric Neurology Fellowship Program.

Dr. Ata Ur Maaz

Dr. Maaz Ahmed is a Consultant Pediatric Neuro-Oncologist and Clinical Lead for Neuro-Oncology at Sidra Medicine since August 2018. He completed pediatric training in the UK’s West Midlands Deanery and subspecialized in Pediatric Oncology and Neuro-Oncology at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. He holds dual CCT accreditation in Pediatrics and Pediatric Oncology.

Dr. Maaz has extensive experience managing childhood cancers, particularly central nervous system (CNS) tumors. Before Sidra, he was a Consultant Pediatric Neuro-Oncologist at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales, Cardiff. He previously led Pediatric Oncology services at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital in Pakistan.

He is also the lead of the Survivorship Program at Sidra. His clinical interests include brain tumors in young children and the late effects of chemotherapy. He has published in journals such as Pediatric Blood and Cancer and the British Journal of Radiology. His current research focuses on pediatric brain tumor epidemiology and outcomes in Qatar.

Dr. Carmen Fons

Dr. Carmen Fons is Head of the Pediatric Neurology Department at University Hospital Sant Joan de Déu (SJDH) in Barcelona, Spain, and an expert in neonatal neurology and early onset developmental and epileptic encephalopathies. She earned her MD from Rovira i Virgili University and a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Barcelona. She trained in Pediatric Neurology at SJDH and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Fetal-Neonatal Neurology at Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard University. Since 2007, she has worked as a pediatric neurologist at SJDH and has been an associate professor of Medicine at the University of Barcelona since 2021. She is also the director of the Master degree in Pediatric Neurology at Barcelona University. Dr. Fons was a key partner in the International Consortium for Research on Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood (IAHCRC) and Co-coordinator of the WP-neonatal seizures of the Complex epilepsy European Reference Network (Epicare). 

Dr. Farouq Thabet

Dr. Farouq Thabet is an Attending Pediatric Neurologist at Sidra Medicine and an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar. Before joining Sidra. Dr. Thabet worked as a Consultant Pediatric Neurologist at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. He is an adjunct Assistant Professor of Specialty Medicine at Des Moines University in Iowa, USA. He is American Board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the American Board of Pediatrics. Dr. Thabet is a member of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Dr. Jonathan Santoro

Dr. Santoro serves as the Director of Neuroimmunology and Demyelinating Disorders Program and Director of Research for the Neurologic Institute at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. He is also an Associate Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. Dr. Santoro completed his undergraduate, masters, and medical degrees at Tulane University. He completed residencies in pediatrics and child neurology at Stanford University and subsequently had sub-specialty training in pediatric neuroimmunology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Santoro is one of only a handful of national clinician-scientists who treats neurologic disorders associated with Down syndrome. Dr. Santoro’s research focus is on the relationship between the genetics of trisomy 21 and the development of inflammatory neurological disorders including cerebrovascular diseases such as moya moya vasculopathy and neuropsychiatric disorders such as Down Syndrome Regression Disorder (DSRD), of which he spoken on internationally. In addition to his clinical and research activities, Dr. Santoro advocates for persons with disabilities at both the state and federal level through the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Neurology.

Dr. José Hinojosa

Dr. Jose Hinojosa - Since November 2018, Dr. Hinojosa led the Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Sant Joan de Déu Hospital (Barcelona), a global reference center in the field. Our team performs over 500 surgical procedures and manages nearly 3,000 medical consultations annually. The department is recognized for its excellence across all subspecialties, with particular expertise in Neuro-Oncology, Epilepsy Surgery, Craniosynostosis, Spinal Dysraphism, and Tethered Cord Syndrome.

We are nationally accredited as a CSUR (Centro de Referencia Nacional) for Complex Pediatric Neurosurgery and Epilepsy Surgery. Internationally, we are recognized as a European Reference Network (ERN) center in three key areas: Craniofacial Surgery (ERN CRANIO), Pediatric Oncology (PaedCAN), and Epilepsy Surgery (EpiCARE). Our commitment to innovation, multidisciplinary care, and clinical excellence continues to position our department at the forefront of pediatric neurosurgery.

Dr. Khalid Al-Kharazi

Dr. Khalid Al-Kharazi is a senior pediatric neurosurgeon at Sidra Medicine with nearly 20 years of neurosurgical experience. Before joining the medical team in Qatar in 2014, he practiced in Canada, Germany, Jordan, and Yemen. He holds neurosurgery certifications from Canada, Germany, the UK, and Jordan, and completed a clinical fellowship in pediatric neurosurgery at the University of British Columbia (BCCH, Vancouver).

A Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Dr. Al-Kharazi also earned the German board certification after training in Berlin. He has pioneered several neurosurgical interventions in Qatar, including minimally invasive craniosynostosis and epilepsy surgeries.

He serves as a core faculty member and Site Director (Sidra) of the HMC Neurosurgery Residency Program. In addition, he is a member of the Neurosurgery Committee and an examiner for the Qatar Board of Medical Specialties (QBMS). Dr. Al-Kharazi also holds an MBA from the University of Manchester, UK.

Dr. Khalid Ibrahim

Dr. Khalid Omer Ibrahim, CCST, MD, FRCP, FRCPCH, MBBS, MRCP, is a Senior Attending Pediatric Neurologist at Sidra Medicine and Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar. Before joining Sidra Medicine, Dr. Ibrahim served as the Chief of the Pediatric Neurology Division at Hamad Hospital. He was also the former Pediatric Neurology Fellowship Program Director at Hamad Hospital. Former Clinical Lead for Epilepsy Service in North London, UK. Former Member of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN)

Dr. Khalid Sidahmed

Dr. Khalid Sidahmed is a Senior Attending Physician in Pediatric Neurology and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics. He is a fully trained pediatric neurologist specializing in complex disabilities and movement disorders, with expertise in gait analysis and botulinum toxin injections.

From 2004 to 2006, Dr. Mohamed served as lead clinician for clinical governance at Alder Hey Hospital, Liverpool, and was appointed Chief of Pediatric Neurology in 2010. He holds a postgraduate diploma in medical education and is recognized as a leading authority in pediatric and neurology education. He has served as program director for both the Pediatric and Neurology Residency/Fellowship programs.

Dr. Mohamed is a certified Level 1 coach with the Dartmouth Institute’s Microsystems Academy and an International Quality Fellow with IHI. He has developed quality improvement projects targeting no-show reduction and referral management in outpatient services. He has authored over 20 peer-reviewed articles and presented at regional conferences, focusing on improving access to care and coaching for healthcare improvement.

Dr. Kristian Aquilina

Dr. Aquilina is a consultant paediatric neurosurgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, UK, where he is the neurosurgical lead for neuro-oncology.

He graduated from the University of Malta in 1995 and completed his neurosurgical training in the UK. He was appointed consultant paediatric neurosurgeon at Frenchay Hospital, Bristol, in 2010, and subsequently at Great Ormond Street Hospital in 2012.

During his training Mr Aquilina completed a one-year clinical fellowship in paediatric neurosurgery, and particularly in paediatric neuro-oncology, at St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in the United States. He also spent time at the Center for Cerebral Palsy in St Louis, Missouri, where he learnt the single-level selective dorsal rhizotomy procedure and subsequently introduced it to the UK. He is chief investigator of the ENLIVEN-UK study, an NIHR-funded multicentre randomised study evaluating the role of endoscopic lavage in intraventricular haemorrhage and hydrocephalus related to prematurity.  He also has an interest in drug delivery to the brain and gene therapy for neurological disorders.

Dr. Lisa Thornton

Dr. Lisa Thornton is an American Board-Certified Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine physician and the Chief of the Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine and Developmental Pediatrics at Sidra Medicine. She also serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar. With a broad expertise in pediatric physical disability, Dr. Thornton focuses on providing holistic care for children with complex movement disorders, cerebral palsy, and other motor disabilities. She is also an advocate for enhancing accessibility and inclusion for children with disabilities across education, transportation, recreation, and more.

Prior to joining Sidra Medicine, Dr. Thornton was a sought-after health commentator on U.S. national television, where she frequently discussed topics related to pediatric health and disability. She has lectured widely about the needs of children with disabilities and continues to drive public policy initiatives that support full integration of these children into the community.

Dr. Mahmoud Fawzi

Dr. Mahmoud Fawzi is a senior attending physician in pediatric neurology at Sidra Medicine and Hamad Hospital. He also serves as an assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar. Previously, Dr. Mahmoud worked as a consultant in pediatric neurology at Hamad Hospital from 2006 until 2017. He then joined Sidra Medicine as a senior attending physician in pediatric neurology. He specializes in treating patients with muscle disease, multiple sclerosis, and tuberous sclerosis. He got research grants in congenital brain anomalies and muscle diseases, hereditary spastic paraplegia and microcephaly, and spinal muscular atrophy. He is widely published and has lectured at local and international conferences. Dr. Fawzi has extensive experience in pediatric neurology since 1995. He has more than 50 publications in international journals.

Dr. Majid Aziz

Dr. Majid Aziz is a pediatric neurologist and epileptologist with expertise in complex epilepsy, epilepsy surgery, and EEG. His other areas of interest are movement disorders, headaches, and stroke. Dr. Aziz received his medical degree from Pakistan and trained in pediatrics and child neurology in the United Kingdom. He then completed a fellowship in movement disorder at Evelina Children’s Hospital, London, and a second fellowship in pediatric epilepsy and EEG at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne. He has been working at SKMC, Abu Dhabi, since 2019. Before joining SKMC, he was working as a Consultant Paediatric Neurologist in the Northern Children's Epilepsy Surgery Service at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, UK.

Dr. Marwa Qaraqe

Dr. Marwa Qaraqe is an Associate Professor in the Division of Information and Communication Technology at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) and co-founder of HBKU’s Autism Sensing Center. She earned her BSc in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University at Qatar in 2010, followed by an MSc and PhD from Texas A&M University in the U.S. Her research spans wireless communication, signal processing, and machine learning, with applications in IoT, security, and health. She is particularly focused on AI-driven health solutions and behavior assessment in children with autism. Dr. Qaraqe serves as a reviewer for several IEEE journals and is on the IEEE ComSoc Board for the EMEA Region. Her accolades include the 2022 IEEE GLOBECOM Best Paper Award, the Richard E. Wing Award, and top honors at the Qatar Foundation Annual Research Forum. She has led projects exceeding $3 million in competitive research funding.

Dr. Mitchell Stotland

Dr. Mitchell Stotland is Vice Chair of the Department of Surgery, Division Chief of Plastic, Craniofacial, and Hand Surgery, and Medical Director of Perioperative Services at Sidra Medicine. He completed medical school and plastic surgery residency at McGill University, followed by a craniofacial surgery fellowship at UCLA. In 1997, he began clinical practice at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, founding a multidisciplinary craniofacial anomalies program. He earned a Master of Science in Evaluative Clinical Sciences from the Dartmouth Institute in 2007.

Since joining Sidra in 2014, Dr. Stotland has introduced complex plastic surgical procedures and established a multidisciplinary approach to craniofacial care in Qatar. He was appointed Associate Professor of Clinical Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar in 2019.

His clinical interests include cleft lip/palate, craniosynostosis, facial trauma, and ear reconstruction. His research focuses on measuring facial differences, including AI-driven models. In 2023, he chaired Sidra’s inaugural symposium on AI in medicine.

Dr. Osama Muthaffar

Dr. Osama Muthaffar, Consultant of Pediatric Neurology and Associate Professor at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Currently, the Chairman of the Pediatric Neurology section at King Abdulaziz University. Executive Board Member of the Saudi Pediatric Neurology Society and the Saudi Epilepsy Society. Training: Toronto University Fellowship and Epilepsy, American Board of Clinical Neurophysiology, and Canadian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology certificates

Dr. Osamah Al Walid

Dr. Osamah Alwalid is a board-certified Consultant Radiologist at Sidra Medicine in Doha, Qatar, specializing in Pediatric Imaging with a special interest in Pediatric Neuroimaging. He earned his medical degree from China Medical University in 2014 and completed Master and PhD in Medical Imaging & Nuclear Medicine at HUST-China, followed by pediatric imaging fellowship at Sidra Medicine. Dr Alwalid also holds the Fellowship of Royal College of Radiologists (FRCR-UK), European Diploma in Radiology (EDiR), and the Arab Board in Radiology & Medical Imaging. He is an active researcher with more than 40 peer-reviewed publications and over 6,500 citations. He is also an active tutor at Sidra Medicine, Hamad Medical Corporation, and Weill Cornell Medicine–Qatar.

Dr. Raidah Baradei

Raidah Saleem AlBaradie trained in Pediatric Neurology and Epilepsy in Harvard Medical School, Boston Children Hospital and she obtained American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology with special qualification in child neurology in 2006 & American Board in Epilepsy in 2016. Dr. Al-Baradie obtained an Executive Master degree in Health Administration in 2014 from the University of Alabama (EMSHA). She is currently a chairman of Eastern Mediterranean region and the Director of comprehensive epilepsy program at KFSHD.

She served as a Director of Neuroscience Center (2018-2023) & Chairman of Pediatric Neurology KFSH-D (2012-2023) . She served as President of the Saudi Chapter of Epilepsy & Saudi Epilepsy Society (2013-2019).

She is the founder of the Epilepsy Monitoring unit and pediatric neurology department and program at KFSHD. She is also a member of the Editorial & Advisory Boards of several journals, including Neurosciences and European Pediatric Neurology Journal. Her research interest has focused mainly on clinical aspects related to epilepsy. She published several abstracts in national and international publications.

Dr. Sarah Wright

Sarah Wright, D.O., M.S. completed her medical training at the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine and her residency training in child neurology at the Children's Hospital of Montefiore in Bronx, NY. She then completed additional subspecialty fellowship training in clinical neurophysiology (neuromuscular focus) at Boston Children's Hospital and Lahey Health & Hospital in Boston, MA. Through this fellowship, she gained expertise in caring for both children and adults with nerve and muscle disorders, such as Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), and hereditary neuropathy. At Children's National Hospital in Washington, DC she has co-founded the DMD in-vivo genetic therapy treatment program. Her research focus includes investigating equitable access to care and patient education in DMD, cognition in SMA, as well as understanding the biomarkers and pathomechanisms of autoimmune Juvenile Myasthenia Gravis

Dr. William Gaillard

William Davis Gaillard, MD is Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology at the George Washington University, Chief of Neurology, Epilepsy, Neurophysiology, at Children’s National Hospital and  the endowed Chair of Epilepsy and Neurophysiology. W^m D Gaillard is an internationally recognized expert in pediatric epilepsy and imaging. His work focuses on the effects of epilepsy and other early brain injury and developmental disorders on brain structure and function. He directs an accomplished multidisciplinary team of pediatric epilepsy specialists and translational scientists to care for children and young adults with epilepsy from the onset of seizures, through novel therapeutic interventions, medication trials, and, when appropriate, surgery. His work has been continuously funded by the NIH, NSF, CDC, and several philanthropic foundations. His group plays a leading role in national and international collaborative efforts, databases, and registries in addition to industry and federal clinical trials, epidemiological studies, and device development.  

Wm Davis Gaillard MD
Professor (tenure), Pediatrics and Neurology
G^eo Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Chief Divisions of Child Neurology, Epilepsy, and Neurophysiology
Endowed Chair, Epilepsy and Neurophysiology
Children’s National Hospital
Director DC-IDDRC
Associate Director, Center for Neuroscience Research
Children’s Research Institute

Hanem Abdalla Ali

Hanem Ali is an experienced Registered Nurse with over 18 years of clinical expertise across various healthcare settings, including NICU, PICU, general pediatrics, and neurology. She currently serves as a Clinical Care Coordinator and Patient/Family Educator in the Neurology Outpatient Clinic at Sidra Medicine, Qatar. She holds a Master of Science in Healthcare Management and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Her role focuses on care coordination, patient and family education, and support for children with complex neurological conditions such as epilepsy, MS, and SMA. She is actively involved in national research projects and awareness campaigns, particularly those addressing epilepsy stigma and gene therapy innovations. Known for her compassionate care, cultural sensitivity, and ability to manage critical clinical scenarios, Hanem is a key contributor to multidisciplinary teams and quality improvement initiatives. Fluent in Arabic and English, she continues to advance pediatric neurological care and education both locally and internationally.

Jenny Sacree

Jenny Sacree. With more than 40 years of neuroscience experience, Jenny is presently the CNL for Movement disorders, rehabilitation medicine, and spines. She has been in Sidra Medicine for 5 years, completing the rest of her neuroscience experience in Bristol, UK. She is passionate about education and teaches neuroscience with the ISPN around the world.