Dr. Min S Park

Dr. Min, Chairman of the PrecisionMed Scientific Committee is the Chief Science Officer and Director of Genomic Medicine, Sanimed International Labs and Management in the UAE; & Senior S&T Advisor, Healthcare, International Holding Company (IHC) in the UAE.

During over thirty years of a professional career in the National Laboratory, Academia, and private companies, Dr. Min developed, managed, and executed more than $400 million R&D projects in cancer, genomics, and renewable energy in the US, Korea, China, and the UAE. Dr. Min worked at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China State Development and Investment Co, Grandomics Biosciences, China, and G42-Healthcare, UAE as the founding director of the Emirati Genome Program. He served on international scientific committees including NIH-USA, DOE-USA, NSF-USA, NSERC-NSF-Canada, WHO, Welcome Trust-UK, NSFChina, and National S&T Panel-Korea.

Prof. Bassam Ali

Prof. Bassam Ali is professor of Genomic Medicine at the College of Medicine, UAE University. Prof. Ali received his PhD from Cambridge University and worked for ten years at Imperial College London before joining UAEU in 2006.

Prof. Ali published over 150 original articles and reviews on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of human disease and pharmacogenomics. He has been awarded the 2018 Khalifa Education Award as the Distinguished University professor in research and the 2019 Shoman Award for Arab Scientists in Health Sciences. Prof. Ali is on the editorial boards of several leading international scientific journals including being an associate editor for “Human Genomics”, “Frontiers in Genetics” and Frontiers in Pediatrics.

Prof. Fatma Al Jasmi

Prof. Al Jasmi is Chair of Genetic & Genomic department, at College of Medicine & Health science, UAE University, Al Ain. Metabolic consultant at Tawam Hospital. She did her undergraduate studies at UAE University, UAE and graduated in 2000 with bachelor’s in medicine and health science. She pursued her postgraduate studies at University of Toronto, and Hospital for Sick Children, Canada. In 2006, Prof. Al Jasmi received Canadian Board of Pediatrics after completing the Pediatric residency program. Subsequently, she did her fellowship in biochemical genetics and in 2008 and certified with Canadian College of Medical Genetics Board (Biochemical Genetics).

She participated in the expanding of national newborn screening and the premarital screening pilot study using Whole Exome sequencing. She organized and participated in numerous national and international conferences aiming to advance rare diseases community awareness, education and clinical sciences.

Dr. Shaikha AlMazrouei

Dr. Shaikha Almazrouei is an accomplished researcher and speaker in the field of biotechnology. Dr. Almazrouei received her PhD from King’s College London, where she studied liver transplant using hepatocyte microbes. She also holds an MSC from UAEU, where she researched the genetic basis of familial hypercholesterolemia, and a Bachelor’s degree in cellular and molecular biology from the same institution.

As an active member of the International Stem Cells Research Association (ISCCR) and the International Cryobiology Society, Dr. Almazrouei is committed to advancing research in the field of biotechnology. She also serves as the Head of the UAE Stem Cell Group and as a Lead Researcher with the Biotechnology Research Centre at the Abu Dhabi Technology Innovation Institute.

Dr. Almazrouei has contributed to several high-profile projects, including the establishment of the Emirate Genome with G42, the establishment of DNA fingerprinting for the UAE Armed Forces and AD police fingerprint unit, and as a research assistant at Khalifa University.

Dr. Almazrouei is dedicated to empowering biotechnology researchers and fostering innovation in the UAE. Her research interests include genomics and regenerative medicine.

Dr. Ahmad Abou Tayoun

Ahmad is currently the director of the Al Jalila Genomics Center and Associate Professor of Genetics at Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates. He received his PhD in genetics from Dartmouth Medical School, followed by a clinical molecular genetics fellowship at Harvard Medical School.

Prior to moving to Dubai, he was a director of genomic diagnostics and Assistant Professor at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, USA. Ahmad has coauthored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and his main interests include characterizing the genomic landscape of rare diseases in the Middle East, developing/translating new diagnostic tools and assays for clinical use, and establishing guidelines for variant interpretation in collaboration with various expert groups, mainly ClinGen, ACMG, AMP, and CAP.

Dr. Julie Decock

Dr. Decock is a group leader at the Translational Cancer and Immunity Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI) and holds a joint assistant professor position at the College of Health & Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU). Her current research addresses two pivotal and emerging key areas in breast cancer research; tumor antigen discovery and tumor-immune ecosystem dynamics.

Her research efforts focus on exploring the potential of cancer testis antigens as prime therapeutic targets and modulators of anti-tumor immunity. A second line of her research aims to gain further insight into the molecular complexity and immune contexture of tumors that can dictate clinical outcome and treatment responses. Dr. Decock is the recipient of several research grants and her track records includes more than 40 papers in high-tier scientific journals with over 2100 citations and an h-index of 26. Dr. Julie speaks also at Technology sessions.

Mohamed Nagy

Mohamed is a clinical pharmacist with an experience more than 15 years in oncology. He is the founder and head of the Personalized Medication Management Unit at the Children’s Cancer Hospital 57357. Mohamed earned his master’s degree in Biotechnology from the American University in Cairo. Mohamed is considered one of the experts in clinical pharmacogenetics implementation and lifestyle genetics in the Middle East and Africa. He dedicated his genetic knowledge to patients and allowed healthy individuals to find the best medication, nutrition, and sports routine tailored to their unique individual genetic makeup to achieve the best health outcomes.

Mohamed is a founder of Pharmacogenomics Access & Reimbursement Coalition (PARC), and he is also a founder of the Standardizing Laboratory Practices in Pharmacogenomics (STRIPE). Currently, Mohamed is leading the Pharmacogenomics Research Network Developing Countries Committee for the Middle east and Africa area. Finally, he is the Leader of IVPN Personalized Medicine Listserv.

Recently, Mohamed coauthored the CPIC pharmacogenetics guideline for opioid use, and he is currently one of the team coauthoring the pharmacogenetics guideline for beta-blockers.

Dr. Thomas Launey

Dr. Thomas P.G. Launey is Vice President for Molecular Biotech and Genomics at the Biotechnology Research Center (BRC), at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), a cutting-edge UAE-based scientific research center. He oversees a team of talented scientists committed to addressing key issues in the UAE pharma economy and healthcare, focusing on Synthetic Biology, Immunology, and Human Genomics.

Dr. Thomas P. G. Launey obtained his PhD in Brain Science and Biophysics before moving to Japan to work with M. Ito, one of the founders of modern neuroscience and the former Director of the Human Frontier Program, at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Tokyo.

Prior to joining TII, he led research projects ranging from live imaging and single-neuron biophysics to cell development and transcriptomics. He has contributed significantly to understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of long-term memory retention and to studying transcription in neurons, as well as translation regulation in sub-cellular neuronal compartments, all published in prestigious journals. Previously, he held professorships at Waseda University and Tsukuba University in Japan and is an active member of several Japanese, US and European Science Societies.

Prof. George P. Patrinos

George P. Patrinos is Professor of Pharmacogenomics and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology in the University of Patras (Greece), Department of Pharmacy and holds adjunct Professorships at Erasmus MC, Faculty of Medicine, Rotterdam (the Netherlands) and the United Arab Emirates University, College of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Al-Ain (UAE). Also, he served for 12 years (2010-2022) as Full Member and Greece’s National representative in the CHMP Pharmacogenomics Working Party of the European Medicines Agency (EMA), since 2018 Co-Chair of the Global Genomic Medicine Collaborative (G2MC) and since 2020 Editor-In-Chief of the prestigious Pharmacogenomics Journal, published by Nature Pubmishing Group.

George has more than 300 publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals, some of them in leading scientific journals, such as Nature Genetics, Nature Rev Genet, Nucleic Acids Res, Genes Dev and has co-edited the textbook “Molecular Diagnostics”, published by Academic Press, now in its 3rd edition, and several other international textbooks, while he is the editor of “Translational and Applied Genomics” book series.

Apart from that, George is the main co-organizer of the Golden Helix Conferences, an international meeting series on Pharmacogenomics and Genomic Medicine.

Her Excellency Sarah Al Almiri

In her role as Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, her Excellency spearheads the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology’s efforts to empower the adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies and promote research and development in the advanced science and technology sector, in order to create new industries that drive the shift towards a knowledge economy. This, in turn, contributes to the overall mandate of the Ministry to strengthen the UAE’s industrial base, ensure in-country value, and raise the competitiveness of local industries.

Her Excellency is also the Chairwoman of the Emirates Scientists Council, Chairwoman of the Fourth Industrial Revolution Council, Chairwoman of the Dubai Future Academy Board of Trustees, and she previously served as the Deputy Project Manager and Science Lead of the Emirates Mars Mission (Hope) at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) before going on to be appointed Chairwoman of the UAE Space Agency.

His Excellency Dr Amin Hussain Al Ameeri

As the Assistant Undersecretary for Health Regulation, H.E. Dr. Al Ameeri is responsible for regulating the medical and pharmaceutical industry in the United Arab Emirates. He plays a substantial role in strategy setting, policy development and risk management to advance the quality of healthcare and to protect and promote the public health in the country.

Dr. Al Ameeri leads a strong and divers team committed to patients and to the health of the community. He oversees the following functions: setting standards and guidelines, licensing, monitoring and enforcement, managing the drug administration and the national Organ Donation and Transplantation Office.

Prior to His Excellency’s current role, Dr. Amin took different senior positions throughout his long career at the Ministry of Health and Prevention. Under his leadership, the UAE healthcare system achieved a quantum leap in various fields, namely blood donation and transfusion, organ donation and transplantation and access to medical innovations.

Dr. Amin is a medical doctor, with a PhD. in Blood Transfusion Medicine from Aberdeen University in Scotland. He has written several books and publications in the field of blood medicine and has received many prestigious awards from local and international organizations.

Dr. Asma Al Mannaei

Dr. Asma Al Mannaei is the Executive Director of the Research and Innovation Centre at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi where she also served as a Director of Health Quality. She has more than 15 years of experience working in the Department. Throughout this period, Dr. Al Mannaei has successfully led the transformation in patient care quality and safety and contributed to building an advanced patient-centred healthcare system, while continuing to positioning Abu Dhabi as a global leader in healthcare quality.

Dr. Al Mannaei leads the Research and Innovation Centre at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi. Her role is focused on accelerating the healthcare research through assessing the adoption of new innovations, novel medications and technologies in the Emirates. In addition, Dr. Al Mannaei works towards the development of the healthcare ecosystem through deploying innovative solutions, revolutionary treatments and latest health technologies in Abu Dhabi and the UAE.

She served as chairperson of Abu Dhabi Health Research and Technology Committee, and is a member of the Global Commission on Evidence which is independent panel of that develops powerfully complementary perspectives for all types of decision-makers.

Dr. Masayo Takahashi

After Masayo Takahashi received her M.D. and Ph.D. from Kyoto University, served as an assistant professor in the Kyoto University Hospital. Discovered the potential of stem cells as a tool for retina therapy when she moved to the Salk Institute, U.S.

She joined RIKEN in 2006, her team launched a pilot clinical study using iPS cells first in human in 2013. She started a new carrier, a president of startup company; Vision Care Inc., to proceed implementation of clinical therapy.

Dr. Jun Takahashi

Jun Takahashi is a director and professor of the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. After returning to Kyoto University Hospital, he conducted functional neurosurgery including deep brain stimulation and also research work on stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease.

In 2012, he became a full professor at CiRA, pursuing stem cell therapies for Parkinson’s disease patients. As a physician-scientist, he has laid the groundwork for the clinical application of iPS cells by developing effective differentiation protocols to dopaminergic neurons, selective sorting of the differentiated dopaminergic progenitor cells, and optimization of the host brain environment to maximize the survival and function of the transplanted cells in rodent and monkey brains. Based on these achievements, he started the world’s first clinical trial for Parkinson’s disease using iPS cells in 2018.

Dr. Khalid Fakhro

Dr. Fakhro is the Chief Research Officer at Sidra Medicine and the Director of the healthcare facility’s Precision Medicine program.

Dr. Fakhro joined Sidra Medicine as a Principal Investigator in July 2014, and became Director of the Human Genetics department, where he built a robust genomic medicine research pipeline for the hospital. In 2018, he became the inaugural Director of Precision Medicine at Sidra, heading an ambitious program where research in genomics and personalized medicine are embedded in the heart of Sidra Medicine’s academic medical enterprise. He holds adjunct faculty appointments at both Weill-Cornell Medicine and at Hamad bin Khalifa University, where he teaches classes and mentors the next generation of Masters and PhD students in human genetics and genomic medicine.

Dr. Salem Chouaib

Dr. Salem completed his undergraduate studies at the university of Pierre and Marie Curie (Paris VI) at Pasteur Institute. He received his Doctorate es-sciences (Ph.D.) in immunology, (laboratory of Jean Dausset,) in 1983 from the same university. He then joined the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York where he undertook a post-doctoral training in Human Immunogenetics Laboratory. In 1986, he was appointed as research associate at the French National Institute of Health and Biomedical Research (INSERM) and joined the tumor biology department at the Institut Gustave Roussy. In 1994 he became Research Director at INSERM and head of tumor immunology laboratory (INSERM U487) at Gustave Roussy.

Dr. Chouaib’s research focuses on the investigation of the reactivity of killer cells in the context of tumor microenvironment complexity and plasticity. Dr. Chouaib current research is focusing on the impact of tumor hypoxia on anti-tumor immune response regulation and acquisition of tumor resistant phenotype. His research was constantly directed at impulsing the transfer of fundamental concepts in clinical application in particular in the field of cancer immunotherapy. Recently, he created the Thumbay Research Institute for Precision Medicine at the Gulf Medical University where he is vice chancellor for research.

Dr. Nicole Sirotin

Dr. Nicole Sirotin, MD, is Chair of Preventive Medicine in the Medical Subspecialties Institute and leads the Executive Health Program at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Dr. Sirotin is among the first medical professionals globally to be certified as Diplomates of the ABLM/American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) and the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine. Lifestyle Medicine is the use of evidence-based lifestyle therapeutic approaches, such as, a predominantly whole food, plant-based diet, physical activity, adequate sleep, stress management, tobacco cessation and other non-drug modalities to prevent, treat and reverse chronic disease.

Dr. Yendry Ventura

Dr. Yendry Ventura is the Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center (ADSCC), the first fully integrated medical and research center focused on attaining the most leading and ambitious scopes in the fields of cell therapy in the UAE. A skilled leader and scientific researcher in preforming, conducting, and analyzing in vivo and in vitro assays, his clinical experience revolves around clinical research and preclinical studies related to cell biology, immunology, cancer, and autoimmune diseases.

Dr. Ventura has developed UAECell-19©, a new innovative methodology for harvesting stem cells through peripheral blood which was used in a clinical trial for COVID-19 patients, with Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center as its sole owner. He also established the first bone marrow transplantation program in the UAE, known as AD-BMT©. Dr. Ventura is the Chairman of the Pharmacogenomics Flagship Program of Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Center and the Principal Investigator of the randomized controlled clinical trials for Multiple Sclerosis, Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus and others.

Dr. Essam Abdelalim

Dr. Abdelalim is a group leader at QBRI & Assistant Professor at HBKU, Qatar. He received his PhD in Medical Science from Shiga University of Medical Science (Japan) and was later appointed as Assistant Professor in the same university. He had the privilege to set up the first pluripotent stem cell program focusing on diabetes research in Qatar at QBRI.

Dr. Sirin Adham

Dr. Sirin Adham is an Associate Professor at Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman. Dr. Adham is a biomedical scientist interested in analyzing breast cancer tumors hunting for biomarkers related to tumor progression and response to chemotherapies.

In addition, Dr. Adham supervises graduate students and publishes several interesting research articles.

Dr. Abeer Alsaegh

Dr. Abeer is Head of Genetics Department at Sultan Qaboos University and Senior Consultant of Medical Genetics and Cancer Genetics at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital.

She is also current president of Oman Society for Genetic Medicine. Her clinical and academic interests include familial cancer syndromes, developmental disorders and autosomal recessive syndromes associated with intellectual disability. She established the cancer genetics clinic in Oman, she is also an active Oman Medical Specialty Board trainer.

Dr. Amal Al Tenaiji

Dr. Amal did undergraduate studies at UAE University, UAE and graduated in 2006 with Bachelor in Medicine and Health Science. Then she completed her pediatrics residency at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City and obtained the Arab Board Specialization in Pediatrics as well as the MRCPCH.

She pursued postgraduate studies at The University of Toronto, and Hospital for Sick Children, Canada. In 2014, she completed fellowship in biochemical genetics and is certified with Canadian College of Medical Genetics Board in Biochemical Genetics. Amal established the metabolic genetics service Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi. Amal is also founding board member of the UAE Rare Disease Society.

Dr. Fatma Alhashimi

Dr. Fatma Alhahsimi is the Director of Hortman Stem Cell laboratory which is the First stem cell facility in Dubai with more than 7 GMP and ISO clean rooms for stem cell isolation, process, and expansion. An accomplished and well-qualified Project Manager & Stem Cell Consultant with a PhD in Project Management and Cord Blood donor recruitment. Impressive track record of success managing complex healthcare projects from concept to successful execution as well as the ongoing management of operations, staffing, and budgets.

Dr. Fatma also established the  first cord blood donor recruitment unit in Dubai Cord Blood & Research centre-DHA and operated as certified First Emirati to lead cord blood collection training for healthcare providers in government & private hospitals. She created the first value co-creation model for recruiting cord blood donors in DHA Hospitals to increase the number of cord blood donations in UAE–a model now used in public healthcare hospitals and clinics. She is also Certified trainer in area related to Project Management, Change Management and Culture Transformation.