MENA Microbiome
From Biomarkers Discovery
to Microbiota-based Therapeutics
Date: 17th and 18th October 2026
Venue: Andaz Hotel – Sahara Ballroom
Agenda
| Time | Session Title/Topic | Session-Specific Learning Objectives
By the end of the session, participants will be able to: |
| 7:00-8:00 am | Registration/Check-in | |
| 8:00-8:30 am | Welcoming and opening remarks Sidra Medicine leadership and event chairs |
|
| 8:30-9:15 am 45 minutes |
“From Microbes to Medicine: Revolutionizing Women’s Health Through Vaginal Microbiome Innovation”
Dr. Jacques Ravel |
1. Explain the role of the vaginal microbiome in women’s health and the ecological principles that contribute to vaginal microbiome stability and resilience. 2. Analyze how microbial community composition, strain-level characteristics, and ecological factors can influence bacterial vaginosis treatment outcomes and restoration of an optimal vaginal microbiota. 3. Evaluate the opportunities and challenges associated with using live biotherapeutic products to restore and maintain Lactobacillus-dominated vaginal microbial communities. |
| Session I: Microbiome in women’s health | ||
| 9:15-9:45 am 30 minutes |
“Role of the microbiome in women’s health during the reproductive age”
Dr Jia Xu |
1. Describe how fluctuating female hormones influence the microbiome 2. Explain the characteristics of a healthy microbiome during reproductive age 3. Analyze the relationship between microbiome dysbiosis and common reproductive health conditions |
| 9:45-10:15 am | Coffee break & exhibition visit | |
| 10:15-10:45 am 30 minutes |
“Microbial Genomics from Bench to Bedside: Lessons from Maternal-Child Cohorts”
Dr Souhaila Al Khodor |
1. Describe the role of the microbiome in the first 1000 days and the role of the maternal microbiome in shaping infant microbiome development. 2. Discuss the role of the breast milk microbiome in infant’s health 3. Understand the impact of pregnancy complications on early-life immune- microbiome interactions. |
| 10:45-11:15 am 30 minutes |
“Precision Nutrition implementation in obstetrics: how maternal diet can reduce the risk of pregnancy complications by modulating placenta gene expression and gut microbiome”
Dr Annalisa Terranegra |
1. Discuss the role of nutrition in gestational diabetes and pre-term birth 2. Understand the impact of maternal nutrition on gut microbiome and DNA methylation 3. Define the nutrients that affect microbiome composition and DNA methylation levels in pregnancy complications |
| 11:15-12:00 pm | Abstracts presentation Facilitators: Dr Souhaila Al Khodor, Dr Annalisa Terranegra |
|
| 12:00-1:30 pm | • Lunch • Poster viewing |
|
| Session II: Innovative host-microbiome therapeutic strategies | ||
| 1:30–2:00 pm 30 minutes |
“Evidence of the benefits of Ligilactobacillus salivarius PS11610 supplementation in reproductive health and Infertility”
Dr Esther Jimenez |
1. Understand female and male urogenital tract microbiota 2. Define the benefits of using Ligilactobacillus salivarius PS11610 3. Assess the safety considerations for the use of PS11610 in reproductive-aged subjects |
| 2:00-2:30 pm 30 minutes |
“Fecal Microbiota Transplantation and novel microbial therapeutics: where are we now?”
Dr. Majdi Osman |
1. Recall the established clinical indications for FMT 2. Describe the FMT procedure 3. Summarize the current trials using FMT |
| 2:30-3:00 pm 30 minutes |
“Microbiome Restoration Strategies in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Preclinical Validation of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation and Targeted Probiotics in a Murine Model”
Professor Nahla Mansour |
1. List the major microbial changes observed in diabetic patients 2. Describe the steps used for FMT in mice with diabetes 3. Define the limitations of the proposed model |
| 3:00-3:30 pm 30 minutes |
“Pediatric Donor FMT: Evidence, Infrastructure, and Innovation from a Dedicated Donor Stool Bank”
Dr. Nikhil Pai |
1. Discuss current evidence on safety, efficacy, and mechanisms of FMT in children. 2. Explain the clinical, regulatory, and operational requirements for establishing a pediatric donor FMT stool bank. 3. Outline best practices and prevailing gaps in pediatric FMT research. |
| 3:30-4:00 pm | Coffee break & exhibition visit | |
| 4:00-4:30 pm 30 minutes |
“The Future of Phage Therapy: Tackling Regional Antimicrobial Resistance in MENA”
Professor Ayman El Shibiny |
1. Define bacteriophages and phage therapy. 2. Describe the modes of phage-bacterial interaction. 3. Critique the current limitations for phage therapy. |
| 4:30-5:00 pm 30 minutes |
“The Critical Role of Nutrition and the Gut Microbiome in Pediatric Transplant Success”
Dr. Mamoun Elawad |
1. The role of gut microbiome in organ failure before transplant 2. Show the evidence of gut microbiome effect in improving the outcome of organs transplant 3. Address the role of gut microbiome and nutrition in different organs transplant |
| 5:00-5:30 pm | Q & A Closing Remarks for Day |
|
| Time | Session Title/Topic | Session-Specific Learning Objectives
By the end of the session, participants will be able to: |
| 7:00-8:00 am | Registration/Check-in | |
| 8:00-8:30 am | Opening Ceremony Sidra Leadership Professor Khalid Fakhro |
|
| 8:30-9:15 am 45 minutes |
“Human Microbiome Diversity and AI Health Prediction”
Professor Robin Knight |
1. Define key computational terms in microbiome analysis. 2. Identify the role of AI in advancing microbiome data analysis. 3. Critique the current limitations and future potential of AI in microbial genetics |
| 9:15-10:00 am 45 minutes |
“Microbiome and Metagenomics: how to move from research to clinical implementation”
Professor Robin Knight |
1. Analyze the principles of microbiome and metagenomic research and differentiate their applications in disease diagnosis, prognosis, and personalized medicine by the end of the session. 2. Evaluate the scientific, technical, and regulatory challenges associated with translating microbiome discoveries into clinical practice and identify at least three key considerations for successful implementation. 3. Develop an evidence-based approach for integrating microbiome and metagenomic data into clinical decision-making by applying current best practices and case-based examples discussed during the session. |
| 10:00-10:30 am | Coffee break & exhibition visit | |
| Session III: Cutting-edge gut-organ axis discoveries | ||
| 10:30-11:00 am 30 minutes |
“Current Perspectives on Gut–brain axis and microbiome-associated mechanisms in Neurodegenerative Disorders”
Dr. SĂĽleyman Yildirim |
1. Describe the bidirectional communication pathways governing the gut-brain 2. Identify key microbes associated with the cognitive decline spectrum in neurodegenerative disorders 3. Examine how specific microbial metabolites affect brain function and cognitive decline |
| 11:00-11:30 am 30 minutes |
“Role of the Microbiome in Kidney Stones disease”
Dr Gregory E. Tasian |
1. Define the microbiome in kidney physiology. 2. Outline microbiome role in kidney stones. 3. Address therapeutic approaches |
| 11:30-12:00 pm | Abstracts presentation Facilitators: Dr Souhaila Al Khodor, Dr Annalisa Terranegra |
|
| 12:00-1:30 pm | • Lunch • Poster viewing |
|
| 1:30–2:00 pm 30 minutes |
“Gut microbiome and virome in Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in children”
Dr Ibrahim Shatat |
1. Define the microbiome structure in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome patients 2. Outline microbial networking in Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome 3. Identify the major microbial changes during disease relapse and remission |
| 2:00-2:30 pm 30 minutes |
“From Dysbiosis to Dysphagia: The Role of the Microbiome in Pediatric Eosinophilic Esophagitis”
Dr Hatim Abdelrhman |
1. Describe the basic pathophysiology of Esinophilic Esophagitis in children 2. Summarize the current evidence linking microbiome alteration to Pediatric EoE 3. Discuss the management plan for pediatric EoE 4. Recognize the future potential therapeutic implications including diet-based and microbiome targeted strategies |
| Session IV: Rapid Metagenomics, antimicrobial resistance and the future of Sepsis | ||
| 2:30-3:00 pm 30 minutes |
“From Culture to Metagenomics: A Clinician’s View from the PICU Bedside”
Dr Manu Sundaram |
1. Recognise the diagnostic limitations that drive sepsis mortality 2. Evaluate the clinical evidence for metagenomic next-generation sequencing in pediatrics sepsis 3. Assess the real-world barriers to mNGS implementation in a PICU sepsis program |
| 3:00-3:30 pm 30 minutes |
“The use of metagenomics to predict neonatal sepsis”
Dr Nader El Dewik |
1. Evaluate the challenges associated with neonatal sepsis diagnosis and treatment 2. Define the benefit of using metagenomics for sepsis prediction 3. Evaluate the clinical validity and utility of current NGS-based sepsis prediction models |
| 3:30-4:00 pm | Coffee break & exhibition visit | |
| 4:00-4:30 pm 30 minutes |
“Unleashing the Power of Multi-omics in sepsis prediction and prevention”
Dr Ali Ait Hssain |
1. Evaluate the challenges associated with sepsis in critically ill ICU patients 2. Describe how serial multi-site sample collection can help predict sepsis using metagenomics 3. Characterize the microbiome profiles in sepsis patients using metagenomics |
| 4:30-5:00 pm 30 minutes |
“Clinical Implementation of Microbial Metagenomics”
Dr Hamsa T. Tayeb |
1. Evaluate the potential of using microbial sequencing in the clinical diagnostics 2. Describe the current progress for clinical metagenomics applications in the Saudi population 3. Discuss the challenge of using metagenomics for infection |
| 5:00-5:30 pm 30 minutes |
“From ancient gut to modern clinic: metagenomic surveillance of mobile antimicrobial resistance across human and environmental microbiomes”
Dr Manuel Corpas |
1. Explain how metagenomic sequencing distinguishes intrinsic from mobile antimicrobial resistance and why mobile resistance is clinically important. 2. Describe how a harmonized metagenomic pipeline quantifies antimicrobial resistance across ancient and modern human and environmental microbiomes. 3. Evaluate how gut, oral, and environmental sampling affect detected resistance threats and MENA surveillance programes. |
| 5:30-6:00 pm | Q & A | |
| 6:00 pm | Closing and Awards | |