Speakers – 8th MENA Stroke Congress

Speakers

International Speakers

Dr. Ashkan Shoamanesh

Associate Professor of Medicine
(Neurology) Director,
Hemorrhagic Stroke Research Program
McMaster University /
Population Health Research Institute
Ontario, Canada

Dr. Ashkan Shoamanesh

Dr. Shoamanesh is an Associate Professor of Medicine (Div. of Neurology) at McMaster University, Canada where he holds the Marta and Owen Boris Chair in Stroke Research and Care, and the Director of the Hemorrhagic Stroke Research Program and a Scientist at the affiliated Population Health Research Institute. His research program aims to develop new treatments and standards of care that improve patient outcomes through the design and efficient execution of acute stroke and secondary stroke prevention randomized trials.

Ms. Brenda Johnson

Assistant Professor of Neurology
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, USA

Ms. Brenda Johnson

Prof. Brenda Johnson is Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins University, and she is the Assistant Director of Comprehensive Stroke Center. She is also a Nurse Practitioner in the Department of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins Stroke Prevention Clinic.

Prof. Brenda has done several scientific pieces of research in the field of stroke.

Dr. Christopher Anderson

Chief, Division of Stroke and
Cerebrovascular Diseases
BWH | HMS | Broad
Massachusetts, USA

Dr. Christopher Anderson

I am a stroke and neurocritical care physician with research expertise in population genetics and computational biology, with specific interest in ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. My research lab, joined between the Department of Neurology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, the Center for Genomic Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Program in Medical and Population Genetics at the Broad Institute, is dedicated to using genetic and bioinformatic tools to explore the pathobiologic processes that underlie cerebrovascular disease, with the ultimate goal of identifying new drug targets to modify risk of, and recovery from, these debilitating diseases. I balance this research career with administrative responsibilities as Division Chief of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, and clinical responsibilities in the inpatient and outpatient care of stroke and neurocritical care populations.

I have been involved in a number of genome-wide association studies of intracerebral hemorrhage and ischemic stroke, as well as efforts to develop polygenic risk scores for stroke and related cardiometabolic diseases. I am interested in using bioinformatic tools to integrate clinical, genetic, and machine learning approaches to guide bedside care, as well as translational work to understand the mechanisms underlying genetic liability to intracerebral hemorrhage.

Ms. Elizabeth Zink

Clinical Nurse Specialist,
Neurosciences Critical Care Unit
The Johns Hopkins Hospital
Maryland, USA

Ms. Elizabeth Zink

Ms. Elizabeth Zink is currently working as a Research Associate in the Department of Neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in the Neurosciences Critical Care Unit at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Ms. Zink has several years of experience as a Nurse Practitioner.

She is an experienced researcher in the field of stroke.

Dr. Kori Zachrison

Co-Director,
Center for Neurological Emergencies;
MGH Trustees Endowed Scholar in
Emergency Medicine Research;
Associate Professor,
Department of Emergency Medicine
Massachusetts General Hospital
Harvard Medical School, USA

Dr. Kori Zachrison

Dr. Kori Sauser Zachrison is an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Harvard Medical School and an emergency physician and Co-Director of the Center for Neurological Emergencies at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She is the MGH Endowed Scholar in Emergency Medicine Research and specializes in health services research focused on stroke systems of care and telehealth. Her work is funded by NIH/NINDS, CRICO, ACEP and the MGH Executive Committee on Research. She is a Fellow of the American Heart Association and of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Ms. Lisa Klein

Clinical Nurse Specialist
Johns Hopkins Hospital
Maryland, USA

Ms. Lisa Klein

Lisa Klein is an Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist on two 32-bed acute and intermediate care neurosciences units at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. This includes the stroke unit of the Johns Hopkins Hospital’s Comprehensive Stroke Center. Lisa received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2005 and Master of Science in Nursing in 2014 from the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. Lisa has published as a primary author and co-author on articles focusing on promoting mobility in the inpatient hospital setting and implementation of stroke centers. Lisa has presented nationally and internationally on nursing stroke care and mobility promotion.

Dr. Muhammad Shazam Hussain

Director, Cerebrovascular Center
Vice Chair of Operations, Neurological Institute
Professor of Neurology
Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
Ohio, USA

Dr. Muhammad Shazam Hussain

Dr. Hussain is the Director of the Cerebrovascular Center at Cleveland Clinic, Vice Chair of Operations of the Neurological Institute, and Professor of Neurology at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada, followed by Neurology residency and Vascular Neurology Fellowship at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. He then transitioned to the Cleveland Clinic and performed an Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology fellowship. His research and clinical interests include endovascular therapy for hemorrhagic and ischemic cerebrovascular disease, including cerebral aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, extracranial and intracranial stenosis and acute ischemic stroke. This interest has led to a very productive research career, with 200 peer reviewed publications. This includes respected and cited work in the use of hyperacute MRI for selection of patients for intra-arterial stroke therapy and innovative work around care in Mobile Stroke Treatment Units (ambulances equipped with CT scanners) and other equipment to provide definitive treatment for stroke in the prehospital setting. He is considered a national leader in stoke and neurointervention, previously elected to the board of the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery (SNIS) and is the current President-elect for the Pre-Hospital Stroke Treatment Organization

Prof. Philip Gorelick

Professor of Neurology
Northwestern University Feinberg
School of Medicine
Illinois, USA

Prof. Philip Gorelick

Dr. Gorelick is a clinical researcher whose main interests are in the areas of stroke prevention and treatment and the exploration of defining, preventing and treating vascular causes of cognitive impairment with the ultimate goal of ensuring maintenance of brain health across life's key epochs. Dr. Gorelick has served as a lead author or co-author on national guidance statements on stroke prevention, vascular contributions to cognitive impairment, and brain health.

Dr. Ramy El Khoury

President and CEO
Neurocare of the South
Vascular and Rehabilitation
Neurologist
Medical Director and Chief of Staff,
AMG Rehabilitation Hospital – Covington
Neurology Director, Slidell Memorial Hospital Slidell, USA

Dr. Ramy El Khoury

Dr. Ramy El Khoury attended Medical School at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He completed his internship in Brooklyn, New York followed by a Neurology residency and fellowship training at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, Texas.

Dr. El Khoury, founder of Neurocare of Louisiana, is board certified in Neurology, Vascular Neurology, and Brain Injury Medicine, with additional certifications in Neuro-imaging and Neural Repair and Rehabilitation.

Dr. El Khoury has supervised and mentored doctors in training, medical students, and research scholars and has published multiple research articles in his field.

He serves as the Medical Director and Chief of Staff at AMG Rehabilitation Hospital in Covington and Stroke and Neurology Director at Slidell Memorial Hospital and Ochsner Northshore.

Dr. El Khoury is a member of American Stroke Association, American Academy of Neurology, American Epilpesy Society, and American Academy of Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine.

He was selected for the American Academy of Neurology Leadership Program for 2018.

Dr. Victor C. Urrutia

Professor of Clinical Neurology
Director, The Sheikh Khalifa Stroke Institute
Director, Comprehensive Stroke Center,
The Johns Hopkins Hospital
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA

Dr. Victor C. Urrutia

Dr. Victor C. Urrutia is Professor of Clinical Neurology, at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Director, Sheikh Khalifa Stroke Institute; Director, Comprehensive Stroke Center at The Johns Hopkins Hospital; and medical director with Johns Hopkins Medicine International. Founder and director of The Global Center for Organized Stroke Care.

Developed and implemented the acute stroke emergency medical systems routing for suspected LVO in Maryland.

Led the organization of certified stroke centers in Colombia, Panama, and Bermuda. In Bermuda, developed a transoceanic tele-stroke program.

Member, Executive Committees of MT2020+, and WSO/SIECV Certification of Stroke Centers in Latin America.

MENA Regional Speakers

Dr. Alessandro Terruzzi

Consultant Neurologist and Neurosonologist. Head of Mediclinic Stroke Center.
Head of Neurology, Mediclinic City Hospital.
Dubai, UAE

Dr. Alessandro Terruzzi

Dr. Terruzzi is currently the Head of Neurology Department at Mediclinic City Hospital, and Clinical Lead and Head of Mediclinic Comprehensive Stroke Center at City Hospital, in Dubai (UAE).

Dr. Terruzzi graduated from, and underwent Specialist training in Neurology, at the University of Medicine and Surgery of MilanoBicocca in Italy, where he also obtained a 2nd level Master Degree in Cerebrovascular Diseases.

He was working at the Neuroscience Department of Manzoni Hospital as a Stroke Neurologist, where he was the former Director of the Headache Center, before moving to Dubai in 2017 as Consultant Neurologist.

He is also a well trained Neuro-sonologist, expert in ultrasound doppler investigation of the carotid and vertebral arteries and transcranial eco-colour doppler.

Since 2019 he collaborates with the Mohamed Bin Rashid University as Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor. Dr. Terruzzi’s primary interests are the diagnosis and treatment of headaches and cerebrovascular disorders.

Prof. Ali M. Al Khathaami

Stroke & Neurology Consultant, KAMC-Riyadh
Professor of Neurology, KSAU-HS
Executive Director, Quality & Patient Safety,
MNGHA, KSA

Prof. Ali M. Al Khathaami

Dr. Ali Al Khathaami, MBBS, MPH, FRCPC is Executive Director of Quality & Patient Safety & Neurologist at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He is a Professor of Neurology at the College of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh. Dr. Al Khathaami was appointed as President of the Saudi Stroke Association in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2013.

Dr. Ali Al Khathaami received his Medical Degree from King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1997 and continued his training in Internal Medicine Residency Training at the Department of Medicine, King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh from 1998-2002. He completed Neurology Residency Training Program at the University of Calgary, Canada in 2006. He completed his Stroke Fellowship in cerebrovascular diseases in 2007 at the University of Calgary. He also earned a Master Degree in Public Health in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the College of Public Health & Health Informatics in 2011.

Dr. Al Khathaami has pioneered the establishment of state of the art Comprehensive Stroke Program in the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs in 2008 which is currently running and will be accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI), which centered around to provide the advanced care for stroke patients.

Dr. Amal Al Hashmi

Founder & President Oman Stroke Society
Senior Consultant Neurologist
Head of Central Stroke Unit
Oman

Dr. Amal Al Hashmi

Amal Al Hashmi BSc, MD, FRCPC is a senior consultant neurologist and Chief of the central stroke unit in Oman. She is the founder and president of Oman Stroke Society. Dr Al Hashmi completed her post-graduation training in neurology at McGill University; Montreal Canada; and she holds the Canadian board in neurology. She is the first adult female neurologist in Oman. Dr Al Hashmi was the founder of stroke programs in Oman. She established 4 stroke programs and was engaged in numerous stroke nurses and doctors training modules and programs. She is also a committee board member of MENA SINO and chief of accreditations of stroke unit/ centers initiatives at MENA SINO. She also a trainer and examiner for both MD and residency program at Sultan Qaboos University and Oman Medical Speciality Board. She was the neurology rotation supervisor 2014-2017 and currently is a research supervisor at Oman Medical Speciality Board. She served as deputy of Oman Medical association and was the first female to hold this position 2013-2016. She was an organizer, speaker and moderator of numerous regional and international conferences. Dr. Al Hashmi is interested in research and has numerous publications in stroke and other fields of Neurology. She is also an associated editor at both journal of vascular and intervention Neurology (JVIN), and Ecronicon Neurology (EC neurology) journals. In April 2016 she was appointed by His majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said the Sultan of Oman (Royal Decree number “24/2016”) as Human Rights Commissioner at the Oman Human Rights Commission she served as commissioner for 3 years form April 2016 –April 2019.

Dr. Al Hashmi received multiple awards:

Recognition of Stroke Unit work by HE Dr. Ahmed Al Saidi Minister of Health June /2015.
Dedication award by Sural Council member HE Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim in October 2016.
Women leader in Health Care Award May/3rd /2019.
Acknowledge award MENA-SINO of Stroke expert leaders in the Region Cairo / Egypt August 29th /2019.
Best staff award for the year 2019 at Khoula hospital /Ministry of Health of Oman.

Dr. Athari Salmeen

Neurology Specialist
Jaber Al-Ahmad Alsabah Hospital
Kuwait

Dr. Athari Salmeen

Dr. Athari Salmeen obtained adult neurology residency and clinical stroke fellowship from Vancouver, UBC, Canada. Dr. Athari is a Stroke Neurology Specialist and Head of Stroke Committee at Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital. She is also a member of thrombectomy team in Kuwait. She is clinical tutor and assistant program director of adult neurology residency in Kuwait.

Prof. Dr. Atilla Ozcan Ozdemir

Professor
Department of Neurology,
Neurocritical Care, Cerebrovascular Disease
Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Turkey

Prof. Dr. Atilla Ozcan Ozdemir

Prof. Dr. Atilla Özcan Özdemir became a Neurology Specialist at Eskişehir Osmangazi University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology in 2002. In the last year of his residency, he worked at the Canadian University of Toronto Sunybrook Hospital Stroke Center. Between 2004-2007, he completed his Clinical Cerebrovascular Diseases Minor training at the Canadian University of Western Ontario, Department of Clinical Neuroscience. He worked in the field of Neurological Intensive Care and Neuroradiology at the same place. He worked as an observer at the Department of Interventional Neuroradiology in Stuttgart, Germany. He has Ministry of Health Intensive Care Specialist, Turkish Neurological Association Interventional Neurology Certificate. Dr. Özdemir was the Head of the Turkish Neurology Society Interventional Neurology Working Group, and the Neurology Society Cerebrovascular Diseases Working Group Head. Özdemir, who became the Vice President of the Turkish Cerebrovascular Diseases Association in 2019, was elected the Turkish Cerebrovascular Diseases President in March 2021. Dr. Özdemir is a member of the Executive Board of the Middle East North Africa Neurointerventional Surgery Association. Dr. Özdemir works as a Fellow of the European Stroke Organization. He works as the Turkey Representative of the Society of Interventional Neurology 2020 Mechanical Thrombectomy Project, and the Turkey Representative of the European Stroke Academy Stroke Task Force. Özdemir, who is the official responsible of Eskişehir Stroke Center, works as the training officer of Neurological Intensive Care and Interventional Neurology.

Dr. Özdemir is a member of the Executive Board of the Middle East North Africa Neurointerventional Surgery Association. Dr. Özdemir works as a Fellow of the European Stroke Organization. He works as the Turkey Representative of the Society of Interventional Neurology 2020 Mechanical Thrombectomy Project, and the Turkey Representative of the European Stroke Academy Stroke Task Force. Özdemir, who is the official responsible of Eskişehir Stroke Center, works as the training officer of Neurological Intensive Care and Interventional Neurology. Dr. Özdemir is a member of the Executive Board of the Middle East North Africa Neurointerventional Surgery Association. Dr. Özdemir works as a Fellow of the European Stroke Organization. He works as the Turkey Representative of the Society of Interventional Neurology 2020 Mechanical Thrombectomy Project, and the Turkey Representative of the European Stroke Academy Stroke Task Force. Özdemir, who is the official responsible of Eskişehir Stroke Center, works as the training officer of Neurological Intensive Care and Interventional Neurology.

Dr. Derk W Krieger

Professor of Neurology
Senior Consultant,
Parkview Mediclinic Dubai, UAE

Dr. Derk W Krieger

Dr. Krieger is a very experienced neurologist with special interests in cerebrovascular disease, stroke, headache, neuromuscular and movement disorders, neuroimmunology, brain plasticity and interventional rehabilitation procedures.

Prior to moving to Dubai he was Professor of Neurology and Chairman of the Comprehensive Stroke Center at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark and was Associate Professor of Neurology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation for 10 years until 2008. He continues to hold an adjunct professorship at the University of Zurich, Switzerland.

Dr. Krieger studied in Germany and then undertook his Fellowship in Neurocritical Care from Tufts University in Boston, USA. He held several academic positions at UT Houston and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland Ohio. He is a Fellow of the European Stroke Organization and a Fellow of the American Heart Association and remains actively involved in clinical research and teaching.

Dr. Fahad Al-Ajlan

Consultant Neurologist
King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre,
Riyadh, KSA

Dr. Fahad Al-Ajlan

Fahad S Al-Ajlan currently works at the Department of Neurosciences, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center. Fahad does research in acute stroke, clinical trials and neuro-imaging of acute stroke.

Dr. Fawaz Alshareef

Interventional Neurointervention Consultant
Saudi German Hospital, KSA

Dr. Fawaz Alshareef

Dr. Fawaz Alshareef is a consultant in Interventional Neuro Radiology who pursued his education between Chuv in Lausanne, Switzerland and Sorbonne in Paris, France; A practicing consultant in neurointervention in Saudi Arabia western region covering 24/7 OnCall with a group of multidesiplinary background covering 10 hospitals govermental and private in Mekkah region achieving together at least 500 stroke cases per year with comparable outcome with international achievements.

Dr. Florian Roser

Professor and Chairman
Neurological Institute,
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, UAE

Dr. Florian Roser

Florian Roser, MD PhD, is Chief of the Neurological Institute and Department Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Cleveland Clinic, Abu Dhabi since it’s inception in 2014.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Roser served as Chief of Staff in the Department of Neurosurgery and is holding the position of Full Professor of Neurosurgery at the Eberhard-Karls University of Tübingen in Germany. Additionally, he serves as Clinical Professor of Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at the Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, US.

Dr. Roser has authored over 110 peer-reviewed articles and has presented more than 150 invited lectures worldwide. He is Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery and Editor (Spine) of World Neurosurgery (both Elsevier Journals). Furthermore, Dr. Roser has received several research grants from prestigious research institutions, for basic molecular research on meningioma tissue, clinical research on diagnostics in Syringomyelia and technical innovations in surgical anatomy. Since May 2017 Dr. Roser is Adjunct Professor at Biomedical Engineering Faculty at Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi.

Dr. Roser is a graduate of the Johannes-Gutenberg-University in Mainz, Germany, and studied Medicine in Morgantown, West Virginia, US, as well as in Johannesburg, South Africa. He completed his residency in the prestigious Department of Neurosurgery, Klinikum Hannover Nordstadt with Prof. Dr. Madjid Samii.

Dr. Hani Sabbour

Assistant Professor of Cardiology
Brown University Medical School,
Rhode Island, USA
Consultant Cardiology and Electrophysiology Abu Dhabi, UAE

Dr. Hani Sabbour

Hani M. Sabbour is currently Consultant Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and also former Internal Medicine Residency Program Director at Al Ain Hospital, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. He served as Director of Cardiac Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology at Landmark Medical Center in Rhode Island USA from 2003 until 2012 . Since January 2013, he has held an academic appointment as Clinical Assistant Professor Cardiovascular Disease at Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University.He established a comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension Center and PH registry at SKMC as well as leading the SEHA PH guideline writing team to complete the SEHA clinical practice guidelines in PAH .

Dr Sabbour received his medical training at the Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, culminating in a medical doctorate in 1994 and awarded His Highness The Emir's Gold Medal with First Class Honors . He completed residencies at Kuwait Institute for Medical Specializations and SUNY Stony Brook – East Meadow Campus in 1995 and 1998, respectively. He was also Clinical and Research Fellow in clinical cardiac electrophysiology at Massachusetts General Hospital – Harvard Medical School, where he received ABIM Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Certification in 2003. He is ABIM certified in Internal medicine, Cardiovascular Disease , Cardiac Electrophysiology, Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant , ECHO and Nuclear Cardiology .

Dr Sabbour has been involved in multiple clinical trials; his extensive research on cardiovascular diseases has been published in a number of multi center clinical trials and publications. His clinical interests include integrated device therapy and CHF, correlative cardiac imaging, nuclear cardiology, arrhythmia management particularly atrial fibrillation, management of valvular heart disease, drug monitoring and management program and particularly Pulmonary Hypertension Dr. Sabbour is currently a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology , Heart Rhythm Society and the American College of Physicians , and Egyptian American Medical Association.

Prof. Dr. Hany Mohamed Aref

Professor and Head
of Neurology Department
Ain Shams University, Egypt

Prof. Dr. Hany Mohamed Aref

Dr. Hany Aref is specialist Neurologist. Dr. Hany Aref is the Board Member of Pan Arab Union on Neurological Societies, Treasurer of Pan Arab Union on Neurological Societies, Fellow of American Academy of Neurology (FAAN), Fellow of the European Stroke Organization (FESO), Member of European Academy of Neurology, Member of editorial board of the European Journal of Neurology, Member of the scientific committee of MENACTRMS, General secretary of MENASO ( Middle East and North Africa Stroke Society), Board member of the constitution and bylaw committee of the World Federation of Neurology.

His area of expertise include Cognitive Issues , Dementia , EEG , EMG / NCS , Chronic Headache , Migraine , Movement Issues , Multiple Sclerosis , Neurology Consultation , Neurology Follow Up , Parkinson's Disease , Seizures / Epilepsy , Stroke Check-up / Prevention , Tingling / Numbness / Weakness , TMS , Weakness in extremities , Alzheimer's Disease , Facial palsy , Cerebral Palsy , Brachial Plexus , Head injury / concussion , Paraplegia , Quadraplegia and Hemiplegia etc.

Dr. Jamil R. Dibu

Consultant Intensivist and Neurologist
Section Head, Neurologic Critical Care Unit
Critical Care Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, UAE

Dr. Jamil R. Dibu

Dr. Jamil Dibu is the Section Head of the Neurologic Critical Care Unit (NCCU) at the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (CCAD). He is a US board certified neurologist and neurointensivist after completing a Neurocritical Care fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic, USA. Dr. Dibu was recruited in 2016 to establish CCAD’s dedicated 24- bed NCCU with a team of 5 board certified neurointensivists. CCAD’s NCCU is a key stakeholder of CCAD’s JCI accredited Stroke Center and of UAE’s organ donation mission. Dr. Dibu and his team have been involved in 4 international clinical trials including the published SYNPASE-ICU and IMPRESSIT-2 studies.

Dr. Louis Kroon

Neurologist
Steve Biko Academic Hospital
Lecturer, University of Pretoria
South Africa

Dr. Louis Kroon

Dr Louis Kroon is a Consultant Neurologist at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa. He is very passionate about streamlining the acute stroke pathway, reducing door to needle time, data capturing in stroke and telemedicine.

He was instrumental in Steve Biko Academic Hospital being the first hospital in South Africa to be a recipient of the WSO Diamond Angels Stroke Award.

Dr. Mahmoud Traina

Staff Physician,
Cardiology, Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, UAE

Dr. Mahmoud Traina

Dr. Mahmoud Traina, an interventional cardiologist at the Heart & Vascular Institute at #CCAD performed a minimally invasive transcatheter procedure on a patient, using a live stream set-up with a technical expert in real-time during the operation.

The expert provided technical support during the procedure and helps our prep staff understand any new iterations of the device.This procedure is used to treat a mitral valve prolapse- a common condition in which the mitral valve leaflets are floppy or loose.

Dr. Manzoor Ahmed

Consultant Radiologist
Chair Radiology,
Sheikh Khalifa Medical City,
Abu Dhabi, UAE

Dr. Manzoor Ahmed

Dr Manzoor Ahmed is an experienced Diagnostic Neuro-radiologist with more than 20 years of experience in Radiology. Dr Ahmed got his medical degree from Khyber Medical College, Pakistan in 1995. Pursued training in Diagnostic Radiology in NEOMED Program, Ohio, USA in 1999-2003. Trained in World-renowned Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, USA in Diagnostic Neuroradiology in 2003-2004. Have been affiliated with Cleveland Clinic for most of his career including Cleveland Clinic in UAE. Chair of the Radiology Department in Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, UAE (since 2019) as well as Chair of the SEHA radiology council (since 2021).

SEHA is one of the biggest healthcare networks in the region. It is served as Residency Program Director in Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi, UAE from 2019 till 2021. The active involvement in regional Academic activities. It is involved as a speaker and organizer in multiple national and international meetings in the Gulf region including ARM, Abu Dhabi MS Conference, ICRM, SIRC etc. He was also the Chair of the 2022 11th edition of SEHA international Radiology Conference March 12-13, Chair of the Radiology Scientific Committee (NIHS- Emirati Board for Health Specialties), and Serving on the Board of Emirates Society of Radiology & New Emirates Medical Journal.

His special interests in Diagnostic neuroradiology are Acute Stroke Imaging, Multiple Sclerosis & Head & Neck Imaging. On the non-interpretive side, Dr. Ahmed is an ardent advocate for Appropriateness & Utilization in Imaging. Robust Dashboard building & benchmark setting is his focus in healthcare management. He believes “Radiology harbors much more potential than just images”. He believes “Portable, Mobile & Online Healthcare (especially Radiology) can be a game changer especially in 3rd World countries”

Dr. Maria Khan Junaidi

Board Member MENASO, WSO
Senior Specialist Neurology
Rashid Hospital, DHA, UAE

Dr. Maria Khan Junaidi

FCPS Neurology, MSc Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Dr. Maria Junaidi is a neurologist practicing in Rashid Hospital, Dubai for the past eight years. She is a graduate of the Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan and completed her post graduate training from the same institute. She holds a fellowship in vascular neurology and is one of the founding members for MENA stroke organization. She is also an avid researcher and has a number of publications in international peer reviewed journals.

Dr. Mehdi Farhoudi

Professor of Neurology
WSO Board Member
Director, Neurosciences Research Center
Tabriz University of Medical Sciences
Tabriz, Iran

Dr. Mehdi Farhoudi

Dr. Mehdi Farhoudi is the Professor of Neurology,, Faculty of Medicine, TUOMS, Tabriz, IRAN. He is also the Director, Neurosciences Research Center (NSRC), TUOMS, and Head of Neurosciences Department, Advanced Faculty of Medicine, TUOMS. He is the Manager, Doppler Unit of Neurology Department, TUOMS. He is the Head of stroke team in NSRC & Neurology Department, TUOMS. He is also the Member of National Iranian Stroke Committee and Board Member of Iranian Stroke Organization. He is one of World Stroke Organization (WSO) Board of Directors, Individual member presenting Sub-Sahara Africa, Middle East/ East Mediterranean, 2014 – 2022. Dr. Mehdi is a Member of Iranian National Institute for Medical Research Development, Board Member of National Neurosciences and Cognitive Sciences Committee, National Coordinator of SITS-Most, and Head of East Azerbaijan Stroke Support Organization.

Dr. Mohammad Asif Dogar

Consultant Neuroradiologist,
Imaging Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, UAE

Dr. Mohammad Asif Dogar

Dr. Dogar graduated from King Edward Medical University Lahore. He completed his radiology residency training and neuroradiology fellowship at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City Iowa. He worked as consultant neuroradiologist at St. Cloud Hospital Minnesota, King Faisal Hospital and Research Center Riyadh and Visiting Consultant neuroradiologist at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Currently he is working at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi since 2015.

Dr. Mohammed Aljohani

President of Saudi Stroke Society
Consultant in Neurology &
Vascular Neurology(Stroke)
King Salman Medical City, Madinah, Saudi Arabia

Dr. Mohammed Aljohani

Dr. Mohammed Aljohani is the President of the Saudi Stroke Society and Consultant in Neurology & Vascular Neurology(Stroke) at King Salman Medical City, Madinah, KSA. He is also the Chairperson of the National Stroke Network at Health Holding Company and Regional Neuroscience Supervisor. He is also a Member of the National Stroke Registry (Saudi Arabia Stroke Registry) and a Member of several committees shared in clinical research and publications.

Dr. Mohammed Al Kuwaiti

Assistant Professor
United Arab Emirates University, UAE
Consultant Neurologist,
Tawam Hospital, Al Ain, UAE

Dr. Mohammed Al Kuwaiti

Dr. Mohammed Alkuwaiti is an Assistant Professor and Consultant Vascular Neurologist at the Department of Internal medicine in the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at United Arab Emirates University. His clinical practice is based at the Tawam hospital, the regional stroke center of Alain city in UAE.

Following completion of his medical school training at UAE University he travelled to Montreal, Canada where he completed Adult Neurology residency training at McGill University (2016). He later also completed Acute stroke clinical training (2017) and Stroke-Net Fellowships (2018) at the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis, United States. Dr. Alkuwaiti is an active member in local stroke committees, including the Department of Health stroke committee and at SEHA Stroke Task force committee.

He Chairs the National Institute of Health Subspeciality (Emirates board) Neurology Committee. He is interested in secondary prevention and acute Stroke research. He is currently working on Stroke related projects in collaboration with UAE University and Sheikh Khalifa Stroke Institute.

Dr. Saeed Ahmed Alghamdi

Assistant Professor of Neurology
Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases Neurologist
King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Dr. Saeed Ahmed Alghamdi

Dr. Saeed Ahmed Alghamdi is a Consultant Neurologist with subspecialty in Stroke Neurology Division in the Department of Neurosciences at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Dr. Saeed is the elected president of Saudi Stroke Society.
He also worked as Assistant Professor of Neurology and Internal Medicine in the College of Medicine at the King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Seby John

Consultant
Vascular Neurology and
Neurointerventional Surgery
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, UAE

Dr. Seby John

Dr Seby John is Consultant, Vascular Neurologist and Neurointerventional Surgeon at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. He is currently Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, USA and Khalifa University College of Medicine, UAE. Dr John has extensive experience in the Medical and Interventional Management of Cerebrovascular Diseases. He is an active researcher and has been an investigator in numerous international cerebrovascular clinical trials. He has to his credit, more than 75 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters in the field of stroke and neurointerventional surgery. He is board of directors of MENA-SINO (Middle East North Africa Stroke and Interventional Neurotherapies Organization) and the UAE Vascular Neurology Chair for Mission Thrombectomy 2020+. He is an active reviewer for multiple journals, and is on the editorial board of Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery.

Dr. Syed Habibullah Kamran

Specialist Registrar
Rashid Hospital, Dubai, UAE

Dr. Syed Habibullah Kamran

Dr. Habib is a specialist neurologist and stroke specialist. He has completed his fellowship in Neurology as well as in stroke from Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan in 2013. Since then, he is working as specialist neurologist in Rashid Hospital. He is part of stroke team in Rashid Hospital.

Dr. Syed Irteza Hussain

Department Chair, Neurology
Neurological Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, UAE

Dr. Syed Irteza Hussain

Dr. Syed Irteza Hussain, MD, is the Department Chair of Neurology in the Neurological Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Dr. Hussain is a Consultant Neurologist with seventeen years of experience. After completing his medical degree from the prestigious Aga Khan University, he underwent extensive postgraduate training in the US. He is American Board certified in Neurology, Vascular neurology, Neurocritical Care and Neuroendovascular surgery.

Upon completion of his postgraduate training, he joined Michigan State University as an Assistant Professor in 2009, where he helped establish a 24/7 Neurointerventional Surgery Service and Fellowship Training Program. In addition to his procedures, Dr. Hussain had an integral role in the Management of Acute Stroke and critically ill neurological patients in the Hospital.

Subsequently, in 2011 he assumed the Medical Directorship of the Stroke Program at Michigan State University and its affiliate Sparrow Health system. In this administrative role, he supervised multiple successful joint commission recertifications of the Primary Stroke Center and subsequently became the first in Michigan to become a JC certified Comprehensive Stroke Center. Recognizing his services, he was promoted to Associate Professor in 2014 and awarded the Physician Leader of the Year award in 2015 by his institutions.

Dr. Hussain lives in Abu Dhabi with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys traveling with his family, listening to music and football.

Dr. Tanmoy K. Maiti

Associate Staff Physician, Neurosurgery,
Neurological Institute,
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, UAE

Dr. Tanmoy K. Maiti

Dr. Tanmoy Maiti has done his Neurosurgery residency in NIMHANS, India and done clinical fellowship in skull base and vascular (LSUHSC-S, USA), functional (Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, USA) and complex spine and deformity correction (Mayo Clinic, Arizona, USA). He is currently employed in Cleveland clinic Abu Dhabi. He has published more than 95 articles in peer-reviewed journals and authored several book chapters. He is a section editor of World Neurosurgery and reviewer of several journals.