MENA Microbiome
From Biomarkers Discovery
to Microbiota-based Therapeutics
Date: 18-19 April 2026
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 |
|
| 8:30-9:15am 45 minutes |
“The hidden costs of antibiotics”
Professor Martin Blaser |
1. Identify factors contributing to the major changes affecting the baby microbiome 2. Describe the long term effect of antimicrobial treatment in infancy 3. Explain the role of early life microbial changes in disease predisposition |
| Session I: Microbiome in women’s health | ||
| 9:15-9:45 am 30 minutes |
“The Quest for Context: Why Women’s Vaginal Health Needs Regionally Grounded Live Biotherapeutics”
Professor Jo-Ann Passmore |
1. Describe the Vaginal Microbiome Research Consortium for Africa- (VMRC4Africa) 2. Explain how changes to the vaginal microbiome can predispose to reproductive issues 3. Analyze the key scientific findings from VMRC4Africa regarding common vaginal microbiome states in African women |
| 9:45-10:15 am | Coffee break & exhibition visit | |
| 10:15-11:00 am 45 minutes |
Abstracts presentation | |
| 11:00-12:00 pm 30 minutes |
“How to move from research to clinical implementation”
Professor Martin Blaser |
1. Describe the current challenges in implementing microbiome in clinical practice 2. Describe the current scenarios in Middle East 3. Propose a way toward clinical implementation in Middle East |
| 12:00-1:30 pm | • Lunch • Poster viewing |
|
| Session II: Microbiome in the first 1000 days of life | ||
| 1:30–2:15 pm 45 minutes |
“Role of the microbiome in women’s health and early life”
Professor Maria Gloria Dominguez Bello |
1. Recall the primary microbial communities critical to women’s health and early-life seeding. 2. Explain the concept of vertical transmission 3. Describe how modern sanitation and antimicrobial practices can disrupt the vertical transmission of the maternal microbiome |
| 2:15-2:45 pm 30 minutes |
“Microbial Signatures and Risk Stratification in Preterm Birth”
Professor Rachel Tribe |
1. Summarize the proposed mechanisms by which the maternal microbiome can influence infant’s health 2. Explain how pregnancy complications may influence babies’ outcomes 3. Outline the changes in the microbiome in subjects with Preterm Birth. |
| 2:45-3:15 pm 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. |
| 3:15-3:30 pm 15 minutes |
Abstracts presentation | |
| 3:30-4:00 pm | Coffee break & exhibition visit | |
| 4:00-4:30 pm 30 minutes |
“Immune adaptation to a maturing gut microbiota”
Professor Irah King |
1. Identify the critical developmental window of life 2. Analyze the dialogue between gut microbes, intestinal cells, and immunity to establish a homeostatic balance 3. Critique the limitations of translating animal studies to human infants |
| 4:30-5:00 pm 30 minutes |
“Breastmilk-promoted Bifidobacterium as potential key players in the infant gut”
Professor Henrik Munch Roager |
1. Describe the role of Bifidobacterium in the infant’s gut 2. Recall the role of the breastfeeding in health microbial seeding of the gut 3. Define the role of microbial metabolites in the infant gut. |
| 5:00-5:30 pm 30 minutes |
“The use of metagenomics to predict neonatal sepsis”
Dr. Nader El Dewik |
1. Evaluate the challenges associated with 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 |
| 5:30-5:45 pm | Q & A Microbiome Commercialization at Sidra Medicine |
|
| 5:45-6:00 pm | 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 | |
| 8:00-8:45 am 45 minutes |
“AI & The Human Microbiome”
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 |
| Session III: Cutting-edge gut-organ axis discoveries | ||
| 8:45-9:15am 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 |
| 9:15-09:45 am 30 minutes |
“Ramadan fasting effect on the liver-gut axis: the case of pediatric Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)”
Dr. Annalisa Terranegra |
1. Define the microbiome role in MASLD. 2. Outline diet-microbial intereaction in MASLD. 3. Identify the major microbial changes Ramadan fasting in MASLD |
| 09:45-10:00pm 15 minutes |
Abstracts presentation | |
| 10:00-10:30 am | Coffee break & exhibition visit | |
| 10:30 -11:00 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 |
| 11:00-11:30 am 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 |
| 11:30 –12:00 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 Recognize the future potential therapeutic implications including diet-based and microbiome-targeted strategies |
| Q&A | ||
| 12:00-1:30 pm | • Lunch • Poster viewing |
|
| Session IV: 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”
Professor 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 |
“The current status of FMT protocols”
Dr. Nik Pai |
1. Describe FMT procedure 2. Describe the use of FMT in clinical setting 3. Define the limitations of current protocols |
| 10:00-10:30 am | Coffee break & exhibition visit | |
| 4:00-4:30pm | “The Future of Phage Therapy: Tackling Regional Antimicrobial Resistance in MENA”
Professor Ayman El Shibiny |
1. Define bacteriphages and phage therapy. 2. Describe the modes of phage-bacterial interaction. 3. Critique the current limitations for phage therapy. |
| 4:30-5:00pm 30 minutes |
Q & A Abstracts presentation |
|
| 5:00-5:30 pm | Closing remarks for Day 2 & Award Announcement | |