Faculty
We are working to announce the illustrious speakers and faculty that will join us at MEHFC 2026. Each of these distinguished professionals will offer their unique perspectives into our discussions, transforming MEHFC 2026 into an unmissable event for anyone interested in cardiac diseases.
Our roster of speakers is set to include world-renowned luminaries in the realm of cardiac diseases, hailing from all corners of the globe. Their combined wisdom, expertise, and unique insights promise to build a scientific program that will inspire, educate, and encourage.
Abbas Ahmed
Consultant Cardiologist
Sheikh Khalifa General Hospital
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Abdallah Almaghraby
Cardiologist
Ibrahim Bin Hamad Hospital
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Abdallah Shehab
Consultant Interventional Cardiologist
Burjeel Al Ain
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Prof. Dr. Abdulla Shehab has 25 years of experience in Internal Medicine, Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology, and medical education. He has several professional affiliations. He was the Immediate Past President of Emirates Society of Cardiology. He is currently the General Secretary of Emirates Cardiac Society and the Vice President of Gulf Intervention Society. He is the Fellow of Royal College of Physicians, UK, a Fellow of American College of Physicians, Fellow of European Society of Cardiology, Fellow of American College of Cardiology, Fellow of American Society of Cardiac Intervention, and Fellow of Heart American Association. Professor Shehab is the Chief Editor of Emirates Medical Journal and serves as an Editor in many other regional and international journals. He published over 152 research papers in PubMed indexed journals. His areas of special interest include,
Heart failure
Coronary artery disease
Dyslipidemia
Hypertension
Arrhythmias
Cardiac intervention
Cardiac imaging
Screening for cardiac disease in sports players
Cardiovascular disease in pregnancy
Heart failure
Awards & Achievements
Best Service Award from UAEU
Best Teaching and Best Clinical Research Award from UAEU
Abdelfatah Elasfar
Consultant
Hamad Medical Corporation
Qatar
Bio
Adhba Almubarak
Consultant Cardiologist
Sheikh Shakbout Medical City
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Licensed by the Arab Board in Cardiology and Internal Medicine, Dr. Al Mubarak brings 14 years of extensive experience to her role. She is a proud member of the American College of Cardiology, reflecting her commitment to staying abreast of the latest advancements in her field. Adding to her repertoire of qualifications, Dr. Al Mubarak is licensed in Canada for advanced heart failure and cardiac transplantation, showcasing her dedication to specialized care. Her educational background includes an M.B.B.S. degree from Dubai Medical College. With an unwavering commitment to patient well-being, Dr. Al Mubarak ensures that the highest standards of care are consistently provided.
Ahmad El Ouweini
Critical Care Clinical Pharmacist/Preceptor, Dubai Medical University Hospital
Assistant Professor, Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Dubai Medical University
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr. Ahmad El Ouweini is an Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Dubai Medical University and a Critical Care Clinical Pharmacist and Preceptor at Dubai Medical University Hospital. He chairs the IVPN-AR Organizing Committee and leads the IVPN-Critical Care Listserv. He also serves as the Social Media and Digital Lead for the Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy Section of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine. Dr. El Ouweini completed an ACCP-accredited postdoctoral fellowship in Clinical Pharmacy Research with a focus on Critical Care, jointly offered by Gulf Medical University and Washington State University. He is a Board-Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist. He earned his PharmD in 2019, completed an ASHP-Accredited PGY1 residency in 2020, and held clinical and academic roles at the Lebanese American University and Gulf Medical University from 2020 to 2025.
Ahmad Turk
Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiologist
Private Practice
Jordan
Bio
Ahmad Ziad Turk
I graduated from the Jordan University of Science and Technology in 2012 before heading to the US to continue my training, where I did my internal medicine residency and continued with the cardiology fellowship at Baystate Medical Center – UMMS. It was during the first year of residency when my interest for heart failure sparked, and received the right mentorship to delve into the world of mechanical support. Following cardiology, I was accepted in St. Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute – UMKC for the accredited Advanced Heart Failure/Transplant fellowship, where I was able to learn more about the world of transplant and consolidate my experience with mechanical support as well as exercise hemodynamics, following which I decided to return to Jordan with the goals of applying my knowledge for the establishment and maintenance of a dedicated heart failure hub.
I spend my free time watching or reading about history, tending to my cardiology page on social media, hanging out with the people I love or playing video games.
Ahmed Bafadel
Consultant Cardiologist, Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Ahmed Bafadel, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Heart & Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Bafadel was an Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging Fellow at Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, USA.
Dr. Bafadel received his medical degree from King Saud Medical School, Saudi Arabia. and trained in internal medicine at Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He completed his Cardiology fellowship at Libin Cardiovascular Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He also completed a master’s of Business Administration at Cornell University, New York, USA, where his work and research focused on new medical technology, including medical wearables and telemedicine, in addition to increasing the efficiency of healthcare systems.
Following that, Dr. Bafadel worked as a Teaching Faculty and Cardiologist at King Saud Medical School, Saudi Arabia, where he was involved in a Cardiology Fellowship Program for training Cardiology Specialists. He later moved to the United States to gain experience in advanced Cardiovascular Imaging in the Heart & Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, USA. During his time serving at Clevelan Clinic, he was trained in structural 3D Echocardiography guidance of percutaneous valve implantation, Nuclear Cardiac Imaging and Cardiovascular CT. His research on transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and nuclear cardiology has been presented in international cardiac conferences.
He is board certified by both the Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC) and the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) in Cardiovascular Disease, as well as in Internal Medicine. He also holds certification boards from the National Board of Echocardiography, the Certification Board of Nuclear Cardiology and the Certification Board of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography.
Dr. Bafadel enjoys spending his free time with his family and friends, as well as playing tennis.
Ahmet Celik
Professor of Cardiology, Mersin
University School of Medicine
Turkey
Bio
Professor Ahmet Celik is one of the Fellows of both European Society of Cardiology (FESC) and Heart Failure Association (FHFA). He is also the President of Heart Failure Working Group of Turkish Society of Cardiology. He has the Certificate of Post Graduate Course in Heart Failure (PCHF) of Heart Failure Association of ESC and Certificate of Advanced Studies Universitat Zurich UZH in Heart Failure. He is also an experienced trainer in Cardiology specialty/Heart Failure subspecialty and a faculty member of the Cardiology Department at the Mersin University School of Medicine, in Mersin, Turkiye.
Aiman Smer
Program Director for Cardiovascular Fellowship Training Program
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr. Aiman Smer, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute and the Program Director for the Cardiovascular Fellowship Training Program at the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Smer spent 10 years in the United States as a Consultant Cardiologist in well-stablished academic institutions and also held the role of Associate Program Director for the Cardiovascular Fellowship Training Program at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, US.
Born and raised in Libya, Dr. Aiman earned his medical degree from the University of Tripoli. He completed his postgraduate training in Internal Medicine and Cardiology at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, US.
Dr. Aiman holds multiple certifications from the American Board, including internal medicine, cardiovascular diseases, echocardiography, and nuclear cardiology. His research interests encompass quality improvement and cardiovascular diseases, with a focus on atrial fibrillation, the impact of sleep apnea on heart disease, and 3D echocardiography. He has actively participated in numerous international multicenter trials and boasts a portfolio of over 100 publications and abstracts in peer-reviewed journals.
Dr. Aiman is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and a Fellow of the American Society of Echocardiography. His expertise has led him to be an invited speaker at various national and international conferences.
Currently residing in Abu Dhabi with his wife and four children, Dr. Aiman’s interests extend beyond medicine. When not at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, he enjoys quality time with his family and friends, volunteers to support his community, engages in sports, including e-sports, and loves traveling with his family to explore the fantastic places and activities that Abu Dhabi has to offer.
Amer Al Ferekh
Patient Educator, Patient and Family Education – Nursing Administration
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Amer Al Ferekh is a dedicated Cardiology Patient Educator at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. A Registered Nurse with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN), he is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as a Cardiac Vascular Board Certified Nurse (CVBC). Amer is passionate about empowering patients through clear, compassionate education on cardiovascular health. Beyond the hospital, he is a prominent health education influencer on social media, where he shares engaging, evidence-based content with over 100,000 followers and has garnered more than 10 million views. His work aligns with CCAD’s mission to advance healthcare excellence and community well-being.
Amina Rakisheva
Deputy Director
City Cardiology Center
Kazakhstan
Bio
Dr. Amina Rakisheva is a physician-scientist and senior cardiologist with over 15 years of experience in clinical cardiology, academic research, and healthcare leadership. She serves as Deputy Director of the City Cardiology Center in Almaty and Associate Professor at the University of International Business. Her work focuses on heart failure, cardiorenal therapeutics, and women’s cardiovascular health.
Dr. Rakisheva has co-authored more than 70 peer-reviewed publications in leading journals such as European Heart Journal and JACC: Case Reports, and contributes to multiple ESC guideline and consensus documents. She is a member of the ESC Practice Guidelines Committee and the Executive Board of the Heart Failure Association of the ESC.
Ammar Chaudhary
Consultant Cardiologist in Advanced Heart Failure and Echocardiography
King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center
Saudi Arabia
Bio
Dr. Chaudhary is a Consultant Cardiologist in Advanced Heart Failure and Echocardiography at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Jeddah. He serves as the Medical Director of the Mechanical Circulatory Support Program and Director of the Cardiology Non-Invasive Laboratory. Trained in Canada at Western University and the University of British Columbia, he is ABIM-certified in Advanced Heart Failure and Transplantation, and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. His expertise spans advanced heart failure management, HFrEF, HFpEF, cardiac amyloidosis, and end-stage Heart Failure. He is an active contributor to regional and international heart failure forums.
Amna Al Busaidi
Cardiologist
Royal Hospital
Canada
Bio
Amr Badr
Cardiology Senior Consultant, Director of Heart Failure / Transplantation Program
Heart Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation
Qatar
Bio
Dr. Amr Badr , MB BCh, MSc , MDc
Graduated from Medical school 1993 – Egypt , Master degree in cardiovascular disease 1999 – Egypt. Interventional cardiology fellowship from Leiden University – the Netherlands , Medical doctorate of Medicine in cardiovascular diseases – The Netherlands / Eg, Dr. Badr was appointed as a Lecturer of cardiology 2003 then was appointed assistant professor of cardiology . He switched gear to be Heart failure / Heart transplant specialist after he joined University Of Toronto 2007.
In 2012 Dr. Badr initiated Advanced heart failure program with a multi-deseplinary team at HMC – Qatar and currently he is holding the position of director of Heart failure clinic.
Dr. Badr was involved in research throughout his career and has many publications also led a international multicenter studies as national PI
Amrish Agrawal
Senior Consultant Cardiology, Fujairah Hospital
Associate Professor of Medicine, RAK University of Health Sciences
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr. Amrish Agrawal is Senior Consultant in Cardiology and Associate Professor at Fujairah Hospital, United Arab Emirates.
He is Post Doctorate in Cardiology from University of Bombay, MRCP (UK) and is an Elevated Fellow of Royal College of Physicians of Glasgow and Edinburgh as well as American College of Cardiology. He has done his Fellowship from Australia and has long experience as Consultant in Cardiology in India, Saudi Arabia and UAE.
He has authored many chapters in textbook and has numerous publications in peer reviewed journals. He is Principal investigator for many international registries at the Middle East and Global levels including FLOW, CEPHEUS, GARFIELD, etc. He also is invited speaker to numerous international conferences in India and Europe and Australia in Echocardiography and clinical cardiology.
Angela Abbey
Case Manager
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Angela Abbey is a Registered General Nurse with over 20 years of experience, specializing in Cardiovascular Nursing. She holds degrees from Middlesex University, the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin, and University College Dublin. Since 2015, she has been at Cleveland Clinic Hospital in Abu Dhabi, progressing from the Cardiac floor to her current role as Case Manager for the Cardiac unit, where she focuses on safe discharges and reducing hospital stays.
Arif Albulushi
Consultant Cardiologist,
National Heart Center, The Royal Hospital
Oman
Bio
Dr. Arif Albulushi is a Consultant Cardiologist specializing in Advanced Heart Failure, Transplant Cardiology, and Multimodality Cardiac Imaging at the National Heart Center, Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman. Trained in the USA at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, he also served as Assistant Professor of Medicine and Radiology there. He is a Fellow of the ACC, ASE, RCP and ESC, and has authored over 55 peer-reviewed publications. He played a key role in Oman’s first successful heart transplant and is actively involved in national and international research, education, and conference leadership in heart failure and advanced cardiac therapies.
Bader Alayyad
Advanced Heart Failure Senior Specialist
Adan Hospital
Kuwait
Bio
Dr. Bader Alayyad completed their medical degree at Kuwait University, followed by the Kuwait Board of Internal Medicine and a cardiology fellowship. They then pursued training in advanced heart failure and transplantation at the University of British Columbia and the University of Alberta in Canada. Currently, Dr. Alayyad serves as Head of the Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Unit at Dabbous Cardiac Center in Kuwait, leading inpatient and outpatient services for patients with advanced heart failure, post mechanical circulatory support, heart transplant candidates, and post-transplant care.
Bashaer Gheyath
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Bassam Atallah
Associate Dean – Clinical Affairs
Dubai Medical University
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr Atallah is the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs at Dubai Medical University. Prior to joining DMU he served as Cardiovascular Senior Pharmacotherapy Specialist at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and Clinical Associate Professor at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic he was on faculty as Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) in Riyadh.
Dr. Atallah received his PharmD from Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy in Virginia and completed an ASHP accredited post graduate residency at Winchester Medical Center in Virginia. He was awarded the “Graduate of the Last Decade” award by his alma mater. Dr. Atallah is board certified in pharmacotherapy with added qualifications in Cardiology. He also holds an advanced antithrombotic management certificate from ASHP. Dr Atallah is a fellow of the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) and the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP). He has several publications and presentations at national and international conferences. He was awarded the 2021 ACCP Cardiology PRN international award. His research interests are in various aspects of cardiovascular pharmacotherapy with focus on antithrombotic therapy, heart failure and hyperlipidemia.
Dania Mohty
Consultant, Adult Cardiology, Heart Center, Echocardiography Department
King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center
Saudi Arabia
Bio
Dima Quraini
Consultant Cardiologist, Heart, Vascular ＆ Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Diyar Saeed
Head of the Department of Cardiac Surgery & Vascular Surgery
Helios Clinic Krefeld
Germany
Bio
Diyar Saeed, MD, PhD, is the Chief of the Cardiovascular Surgery Department at the Heart Center Niederrhein, Health and Medical University Krefeld, since November 2022. He is also a Professor of Cardiac Surgery and Lecturer at Düsseldorf University. Diyar Saeed is a graduate of Sulaimani University.
He completed his cardiac surgery training and had the privilege of working at several renowned institutions, including the Heart Center Bad Oeynhausen in Germany, the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in the United States, Northwestern University in Chicago, Düsseldorf University, and the Leipzig Heart Center.
Dr. Saeed is board-certified in both cardiac and thoracic surgery. His main focus is on minimally invasive cardiac surgery and heart failure surgery. He has authored over 200 peer-reviewed articles.
He is a member of several prestigious professional organizations, including the DGTHG (German Society of Cardiac Surgery), EACTS (European Association of Cardiothoracic Surgery), AATS (American Association for Thoracic Surgery), and the ISHLT (International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation). He is also a board member of the STS (Society of Thoracic Surgeons) and CTS Net. Furthermore, he serves as a reviewer for numerous scientific journals, including Circulation, JACC, JACC Heart Failure, JTCVS, and the European Heart Journal.
Emad Hakemi
Consultant Cardiologist, HVTI
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr. Hakemi completed his training in internal medicine and cardiovascular medicine at John H. Stroger
Hospital of Cook County in Chicago, during which he also earned a Master's degree in Clinical Research
from Rush University.
Following this, he pursued specialized training in interventional cardiology at Columbia University
Medical Center in New York. During his tenure there, he honed his skills in various advanced
cardiovascular procedures, including complex percutaneous coronary interventions, chronic total
occlusion interventions, mechanical cardio-circulatory support, valvular and structural heart disease
interventions.
Dr. Hakemi holds certifications from several reputable medical boards, including the American Board of
Internal Medicine, the American Board of Cardiovascular Medicine, the American Board of
Interventional Cardiology, the American Board of Echocardiography, and the American Board of Nuclear
Cardiology. He is actively engaged in outcome-based clinical research, with a specific focus on coronary
artery disease and structural heart disease.
Emil Najjar
Consultant Cardiologist, Heart and Vascular Centre, Section for Heart Failure and Valvular disease
Karolinska University Hospital
Sweden
Bio
Faiez Zannad
Emeritus Professor of Therapeutics and Cardiology Professor Emeritus of Therapeutics Past Director of the Inserm Clinical Investigation Center
Université de Lorraine
France
Bio
Faiez Zannad
MD, Cardiologist, PhD in clinical pharmacology (Université de Lorraine, Nancy, Université Claude Bernard, Lyon, France and Oxford MRC, UK).
Professor Emeritus of Therapeutics at the Université of Lorraine, Past Director of the Inserm Clinical Investigation Center at Institut Lorrain du Coeur et des Vaisseaux, Nancy, France. 2019 Eugene Braunwald Scolar at Harvard Medical School.
He has significantly contributed to building the evidence supporting modern HF therapy, including mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, beta-blockers, and anticoagulants, as well as in major comorbid conditions in HF, such as sleep-disordered breathing, autonomic nervous dysfunction, diabetes, hyperkalaemia, and chronic kidney disease. He recently led 2 important European Union granted research programs on omics biomarkers (HOMAGE) and fibrosis as a biological target (FIBROTARGETS).
Past Chairman of the French Society of Hypertension, of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Working Group on Pharmacology and Drug Therapy. Founder of the Global CardioVascular Clinical Trialists (CVCT) Forum and Workshop, a think tank meeting dedicated to the science of clinical trials, with meetings in Paris, Washington DC, in Asia and the Middle East.
He published more than 740 peer-reviewed papers (as per Oct 22nd 2019, h-Index = 108), and several books and book chapters. He is section editor of the ESC Textbook.
He received the 2014 European Society of Hypertension Paul Milliez Award and the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award from the ESC-HFA.
Fakhr Alayoubi
President, Saudi Cardio Clinical Pharmacy Group
Saudi Heart Association. King Saud University Medical City
Saudi Arabia
Bio
Dr Fakhr has a PhD & master’s degree in clinical pharmacy research as well as master’s in business
administration. She is Board certified in clinical poisoning management, Heart Failure,
and specialized Arab Board in Cardiology Pharmacy.
Dr Alayoubi, is certified as train the trainer for metabolic syndrome (Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease)
from the American Pharmacy Association APhA, Meddle East Representative (EMRO) for the Europe
pharmacy society FIP (Foundation of International Pharmacy) for Hospital pharmacy and the leader
for the global anticoagulation stewardship research, finally the founder and primary investigator of
the Saudi Amyloidosis registry (SAMR).
Farhana Bin Lootah
Head of Cardiometabolic Clinic
Imperial College London Diabetes Centre
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr Farhana bin Lootah is renowned for her passion and enthusiasm for good community
health and spent her early career in the Republic of Ireland in ambulatory health services,
developing an interest in medicine of the elderly, diabetes, obesity, disease prevention and
public health awareness. Since 2012, she has led the successful Health Education Forum,
sharing her energy and expert advice with hundreds of patients at ICLDC who have benefited
from her expertise, insight and profound knowledge in the areas of diabetes management,
diet and lifestyle.
Fatemeh Mohammad
Cardiology Fellow
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Firas Alani
Professor of Medicine, CMU Medical School , Director of Cardio and Vascular Centre
American Hospital Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr. Firas Raouf Alani MD FACC
Professor Firas R. Alani MD is a Professor in Cardiovascular Medicine from Central Michigan University, USA since April 2019. He joined the American Hospital in September 2019. Dr. Alani comes with a 15-year US experience in the field of Cardiology. He is currently the Medical Director of the Division of Interventional Cardiology and Cardiac Cathlab, and He is also Chief Academic Officer and Chairman of American Hospital Academic Institute at American Hospital Dubai. Prof. Firas Alani completed his Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship, Interventional Cardiology Fellowship and Endovascular Therapy Fellowship at the Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA, and Fellowship in Advanced Structural Heart Disease at the Henry Ford Hospital. Prof. Firas Alani obtained American Board Certifications in 6 different medical disciplines which include American Board of Internal Medicine in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, Interventional Cardiology, Nuclear Cardiology, Vascular Medicine and Endovascular Interventions. Prof. Dr. Firas Alani received several awards for excellence in teaching of medical residents and medical students. Prof. Dr. Firas Alani spent several years of his career in the field of Clinical Research. He was the primary Principal Investigator on more than 20 International Clinical Trials and has published more than 40 articles in well-respected peer-review medical journals. Prof. Dr. Firas Alani, has special interest in Complex Coronary Artery Disease Interventions, Structural Heart Disease including Transcutaneous Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI), Transcutaneous Mitral Valve Implantation (TMVI), Left Atrial Appendage Closure - WATCHMAN Procedure, Carotid Artery Stenting.
Firas Albadarin
Consultant Cardiologist, Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr Al Badarin is a consultant cardiologist and multimodality imager at HVI in CCAD. He is also the head of the research committee in HVI and the head of imaging working group of emirates cardiac society.
His main interests are and amyloid heart disease and optimal use of various imaging modalities to improve resource utilization and cardiac outcomes.
Hadi Skouri
Consultant Cardiologist, Director, Heart Failure Program
Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Hala Kershah
Department Administrator, Heart and Vascular Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Hani Sabbour
Consultant Cardiologist/Electrophysiologist
Mediclinic Airport Road Hospital
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Hasan Farhan
President
Iraqi Scientific Council of Cardiology
Iraq
Bio
Professor Hasan Ali Farhan; Senior Consultant Cardiologist, Medical Education Specialist, and President of Iraqi Scientific Council of Cardiology, Committee Member of Heart Failure Association/European Society of Cardiology Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM) Committee, Founder of First Cardio-Oncology Clinic in the country, Founder and Director of First Cardio-Maternal Clinic in Iraq and the National Program of Heart Disease in Pregnancy, National Principle Investigator of the international Eur Observational Research Programme (EORP) including: PPCM, Registry Of Pregnancy And Cardiac disease (ROPAC II & III), Heart Failure (HF III), ACS-STEMI, and NSTEMI. Faculty and member of advisory board of International Congress of Cardiac Problems in Pregnancy. He got Paul Dudley White International Scholar Award (To Recognize Authors with the Highest Abstract from Iraq at AHA Scientific Sessions 2021) for an abstract about PPCM. Al-Farhan is a Member of the Steering Committee of ACS-STEMI Registry, the President of International Cardio-Oncology Society [ICOS] – Iraq Chapter. He is an abstract grader in ESC Congress from 2014 – 2022, a reviewer and co-author of “World Heart Federation Roadmap on Atrial Fibrillation – A 2020 Update”. Al-Farhan has a wide experience in researches,audits, and clinical trials.
Hatem Soliman
Consultant in Cardiothoracic Intensive Care, Clinical Lead Organ Donation, Clinical Lead Advanced Critical Care
Harefield Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals
United kingdom
Bio
Hatem Soliman-Aboumarie MBBS MSc EDICM FRCP PGDipClinEd FEACVI FASE FHEA
Consultant in Cardiothoracic Intensive Care
Clinical Lead Organ Donation, Clinical Lead Advanced Critical Care Practitioners
Harefield Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, UB9 6JH, London, UK
Member of the Board, Councillor for Echocardiography
European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI)
European Society of Cardiology
Honorary Senior Lecturer
School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine and Sciences
King's College London
Hussam Ghalib
Director, Cardiomyopathy Center
Consultant Cardiologist, Medical Director of Mechanical Circulatory Support, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Hussam Ghalib, MD is a Staff Physician in the Heart & Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Ghalib was at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center where he was specialized in cardiovascular medicine, advanced cardiac imaging, and advanced heart failure management.
Dr. Ghalib received his medical degree from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. He then served on faculty in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Hospital for 2 years prior to joining Cardiovascular Medicine Fellowship at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California.
Dr. Ghalib resides in Abu Dhabi with his wife and son. His hobbies includes Haute Horologie, traveling, and reading Arabic literature.
Hussien Heshmat
Consultant Interventional Cardiologist
Al Tadawi Specialty Hospital
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr. Hussien Heshmat graduated from Kasr Alainy School of medicine in 1995. He completed his residency and fellowship in the cardiology department at Cairo University. He had training in peripheral vascular interventions in Cleveland Clinic Ohio and in Istanbul University. He is currently Professor of Cardiology at Cairo University, on leave. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, SCAI as well as an Associate member of the Euro CTO club. Since February 2018, he has been appointed as the head of cardiology in Fujairah hospital, UAE. His interests are primary PCI, complex coronary interventions, CTO, peripheral vascular interventions, percutaneous mitral valvotomy and heart failure. He won four prizes in interventional cardiology in Egypt and UAE. He is currently the associate editor of the Egyptian Heart Journal. He authored 18 manuscripts in international peer reviewed journals as well as 4 chapters in international books. He is also a certified professional of healthcare quality.
Iman Hamour
Specialist Cardiologist, Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr. Hamour is an Advanced Heart Failure, Cardiac Transplantation and Artificial Heart Device
Specialist at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, a member of the Heart Failure Society of America,
European Heart Failure Association and Emirates Cardiac Society Heart Failure working group.
Prior to moving to the United Arab Emirates Dr Hamour worked The Royal Brompton and
Harefield NHS Foundation Trust. The first and largest transplant center in London, United
Kingdom. She received highly specialized training and has over 10 years’ experience in
managing patients with advanced heart failure, artificial short and long-term cardiac assist
devices as well as cardiothoracic transplantation. She has extensive knowledge of transplant
immunology backed by her research and publications.
She has particular interest in managing individuals through their heart failure journey, advanced
heart failure therapies and cardiovascular imaging. She was awarded a Diploma in Heart
Transplantation (Dip) from Imperial College London and Doctor of Medicine in Cardiac
Transplantation Research (MD Res) from University College London, UK. She is a Clinical
Assistant Professor of Medicine | Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western
Reserve University (USA) and United Arab Emirates University (UAEU).
She is a Collegiate Member of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), UK and is a Royal
College of Physicians examination (MRCP) organizer. She has an ongoing active role in medical
students’ and junior physician’s education and training in both UK and UAE
Dr Hamour is a Co-investigator in numerous multinational research projects and has participated
in many international conferences and has numerous publications in peer reviewed journals.
Jehad Alburaiki
Consultant, Advanced Heart Failure, and Transplant Cardiologist
Heart Centre, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre
Saudi Arabia
Bio
Dr. Jehad Al Buraiki is a consultant, advanced heart failure, and transplant cardiologist at the Heart Centre, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Alfaisal University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He obtained his fellowship training in cardiology at McGill University and the University of Ottawa Heart Institute in Canada. Among his memberships are the American College of Physicians, Member of the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation, and Fellow of American College of Cardiology.
Jennifer Dela Cruz
Nurse Educator Specialist
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Joseph Rogers
President and Chief Executive Officer, Texas Heart Institute
Cardiologist & Adjunct Professor, Division of Cardiology, Duke University
United States
Bio
Dr. Rogers is the Director of The Texas Heart Institute at Baylor College of Medicine and Willerson-O’Quinn Endowed Chair. He obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas and attended medical school at the University of Nebraska. He performed his Internal Medicine residency at Nebraska prior to research and clinical cardiology training at Washington University in St. Louis. Following his fellowship, he remained on faculty at Washington University for 10 years prior to moving to Duke in 2004 and the Texas Heart Institute in 2021. In November 2024, The Texas Heart Institute at Baylor College of Medicine was created through a strategic and operational affiliation between Texas Heart and Baylor. Dr. Rogers is the inaugural director of the Center.
Dr. Rogers’ clinical practice and research initiatives are focused on advanced heart failure. He served as the medical director of the cardiac transplant and mechanical circulatory support programs at Washington University and Duke. His research interests are focused on the clinical application of mechanical circulatory support devices, heart transplantation, and palliative care in advanced heart failure.
He has authored more than 300 articles in peer-reviewed journals including Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Journal of the American College of Cardiology Heart Failure, New England Journal of Medicine, Circulation and the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. In addition, he has written 28 book chapters and served as a co-editor of the 2nd edition of the Braunwald supplement on mechanically assisted circulation.
Dr. Rogers served as an associate editor of the American Heart Journal and a deputy editor of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology Heart Failure from 2012-2022. He is currently the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplant.
Dr. Rogers is a past president of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation and was Chair of the UNOS Thoracic Committee during the 2018 modification to US heart allocation policy.
Juwairia Al Ali
Consultant Non-Invasive Cardiologist, Rashid Hospital
President of Emirates Cardiac Society
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr. Juwaira is a consultant cardiologist at Rashid Hospital in Dubai. She has studied medicine in King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, KSA. She then underwent residency training in internal medicine and subsequently cardiology at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. She obtained Canadian royal collage certification in internal medicine and cardiology and American board of internal medicine and cardiovascular disease. She then underwent Advanced cardiac imaging training at McGill University. Currently she works at Rashid hospital and she is in-charge of the cardiac imaging group of emirates cardiac society. She has special interest in heart failure management.
Leila Abid
Professor, Head of the Department of Cardiology
Hédi Chaker University Hospital & Sfax University Medical School
Tunisia
Bio
Magdy Abdelhamid
Professor & Chairman of the department of Cardiovascular Medicine,
Cairo University
Egypt
Bio
Magdy Abdelhamid is a Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt. He is an interventional cardiologist with more than 25 years of clinical experience and has a particular interest in coronary intervention and heart failure. He had a Postdoctoral Clinical Fellowship at the Heart Failure & Cardiac Transplantation centre, The Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School ,1999. He is a Principal Investigator of the ISCHEMIA trial (Cairo University site) , a major multicentre international study on the management of stable coronary artery disease.
Professor Abdelhamid is Immediate Past President of the Egyptian Society of Cardiology and Chairman of their working group on heart failure as well as Board member of the Society. He is a Board Member of the Heart Failure Association of the ESC (2020-2022)
, Co-Chair of the Acute Heart Failure Scientific Committee of HFA, ESC (2020- 2022) &
Co-Chair of the Valvular Heart Disease Scientific Committee of HFA, ESC (2020- 2022)
He is a Member of the Committee for Practice Guidelines, ESC (2020-2022)
He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons and the Society of Cardiovascular Angiography and Intervention. He is also a member of a number of international societies including the American College of Cardiology, the ESC and the European Association of Cardiovascular Intervention.
Professor Abdelhamid is on the Editorial Board for the ESC journal Heart Failure and Interventional Cardiology. He acted as a reviewer for the European 2017 guidelines on the management of valvular heart disease and is the national coordinator for the European Valvular Heart Disease II Survey/Registry and the European Heart Failure III Registry. He has published in multiple peer-reviewed journals, presented at several international conferences and participated in many international research projects and registries.
Mahmoud Al Tamimi
Physical Therapist
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Mahmoud Traina
Vice Chair of the Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Mahmoud Traina, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Heart & Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Traina served on the faculty as Associate Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), California, US, and as Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, where he doubled the capacity of the laboratory and introduced complex coronary interventions and the radial catheterization approach. During this time, Dr. Traina performed over 6,000 cardiac catheterizations, using advanced techniques and minimally invasive approaches.
Dr. Traina also served as the Associate Program Director of the Cardiology fellowship at UCLA, overseeing the training of over 30 fellows annually. He also served as core Faculty of Internal Medicine Residency, supervising over 80 residents every year. He is known as a dedicated educator and has won several teaching awards.
Dr. Traina was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, US, and received his medical degree from the University of California, Davis, also in California.
His postgraduate training was in the University of California, Los Angeles, where he completed his training in Internal Medicine, Cardiology, and Interventional Cardiology.
Dr. Traina’s research interests include optimization of radial access approaches, evaluation and management of cardiomyopathies, and novel management of acute heart failure and atrial fibrillation. He has participated in multiple international multicenter trials and has over 40 publications and abstracts in peer-reviewed journals. He has also been an invited speaker at both national and international conferences.
Dr. Traina enjoys spending his free time with his wife and two children.
Mandeep Mehra
William Harvey Distinguished Chair in Advanced Cardiovascular Medicine Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Executive Director of the Center for Advanced Heart Disease at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School Brigham and Women’s Hospital
William Harvey Distinguished Chair in Advanced Cardiovascular Medicine Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School
United States
Bio
Dr. Mandeep Mehra is the Executive Director of The Center For Advanced Heart Disease at The Brigham And Women's Hospital/ Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA
Manyoo Agarwal
Consultant Cardiologist, Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr. Manyoo Agarwal, MD, is a Staff Consultant Physician in the Heart and Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Prior to joining CCAD, he was at University of California Los Angeles. His clinical and research interests include cardio-oncology, cardiac imaging and data science research. He has authored more than 60 scientific peer reviewed manuscripts till date and has presented his research at national and international seminars.
Matlooba Alzadjali
Executive Director, Senior Consultant, Public Health Physician, Cardiovascular Diseases
Heart Vascular Centre
Oman
Bio
Medhat Soliman
Heart Failure Specialist
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Medhat Soliman, MD, is an Associate Staff Physician in the Heart & Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
Dr. Soliman experience lies in the management of patients with advanced heart failure and cardiomyopathy.Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Soliman served as an Advanced Heart Failure Specialist at the Ministry of Health of Kuwait, Dabbous Cardiac Centre.
He also worked as a Senior Specialist in Cardiovascular Medicine with a special interest in non-invasive cardiology at Doctor Soliman Fakeeh Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Soliman is a graduate of the Ain-Shams University in Cairo, Egypt. He completed his internship at Ain Shams University Hospital, Cairo, Egypt.He completed his residency and fellowship in Cardiovascular Medicine at the National Heart Institute of Egypt.
Dr. Soliman has enriched his experience by obtaining many western certifications including American National Board of echocardiography (NBE), the European certification of Heart failure and the European Board of Echocardiography.
Mehmet Yilmaz
Academic Staff, Professor of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cardiology,
Dokuz Eylul University
Turkey
Bio
Mehmet Birhan YILMAZ, MD, FESC, FACC, FHFA,
Professor of Cardiology
He was born in Torbalı, a town of İzmir in 1974. He finished medical education in 1998 at Hacettepe University Faculty of English Medicine. He completed cardiology fellowship became specialist in 2003. He became Associate Professor of Cardiology in 2006 at the department of Cardiology of Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Medicine. He visited Advanced Heart Disease Section of Brigham Women Hospital in 2007. Between 2009-2010, he visited INSERM U 942 at Lariboisiere Hospital Paris Diderot University and participated research on heart failure as a post-doc fellow. Dr.Yilmaz, certified to be Fellow of ESC in 2010 (FESC), was promoted to be Professor of Cardiology in 2012, and became head of the department. In 2012, Dr.Yilmaz was awarded by TÜBİTAK (Technological and Scientific Research Council of Turkey). Since then, he has served in the advisory and executive board of Health Sciences Research Committee of TUBITAK (2012-2017). He served as the President of Heart Failure WG of Turkish Society of Cardiology (2014-2016). He was elected as FACC and Fellow of HFA (FHFA) in 2015. He served in board of Turkish Society of Cardiology between 2016 and 2018. He serves as associate editor of Anatolian Journal of Cardiology and ESC Heart Failure journal. He has more than 200 papers on SCI journals with an h index more than 30. He has been serving as an External advisory board member of ERA-CVD, a new ERA‐Net Cofund action (European Research Area Network co-funded by the European Commission, EC, Horizon 2020). He has been married, husband of a Psychiatrist and a father of two daughters, Dilara and Meyra. He is currently full-time professor at Dokuz Eylul University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Izmir, TURKEY with a main focus on heart failure patients.
Mena Aziz
Associate Staff Physician, Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Mitesh Badiwala
Surgical Director of Mechanical Circulatory Support & Heart Transplant
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Mohamed Al Jaabari
Consultant Cardiologist, Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Mohamed El Khashab
Director of Inpatient Services. Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Mohamed Elharari
Consultant
Shekh Tahnoon Medical City
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Mohamed Salah
Senior Cardiology Consultant & Head of Cardiology Unit
New Kalba Hospital MOH, Sharjah
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Mohamed Salah Osman has 31 years of rich and insightful experience. Dr. Osman has a Doctorate degree in Cardio-vascular Medicine. He renders consultancy on cardiology and conducts classes in various academic roles across diverse organizations. Over the years, he has actively contributed to extensive research in cardiology, with many international publications in different international journals. He has deep expertise in this field and skills has earned immense recognition and respect from reputed healthcare institutions, peers & patients.
Mohammed Khalil
Section Head, Cardiac Imaging and Clinical Services, Cardiology, Heart, Vascular ＆ Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr. Mohammed Khalil, MD, serves as the Section Head for Clinical and Imaging
Services within the Heart and Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. He is
also a valued member of the Heart Failure team.
Prior to his current role, Dr. Khalil served as the Director of Imaging Services at
UnityPoint Health in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA. During his tenure, he played a pivotal
role in establishing both the Heart Failure Program and the Cardiopulmonary Stress
Testing Program, demonstrating his leadership and commitment to patient care.
A native of Jordan, Dr. Khalil earned his medical degree from the University of
Jordan. He then pursued his postgraduate studies in the United States, completing
specialty training in Internal Medicine at the Bronx Lebanon Hospital/ Albert Einstein
College of Medicine, in New York City. Following this, he embarked on three years of
subspecialty training in Cardiovascular Disease at Montefiore Medical Center, Albert
Einstein College of Medicine, further refining his expertise. He further bolstered his
qualifications with an advanced imaging training post-fellowship focused on Cardiac
MRI and CT, showcasing his dedication to continual learning and staying at the
forefront of his field.
Dr. Khalil's research interests lie in modalities that enhance diagnostic imaging
quality, aiming to improve patient outcomes through more accurate diagnoses. He
holds several prestigious American Board certifications in Cardiovascular Diseases,
Vascular Medicine, Echocardiography, and Nuclear Cardiology, demonstrating his
extensive knowledge and expertise. Additionally, he has actively contributed to the
medical field by publishing research articles in peer-reviewed journals, sharing his
valuable insights with the wider medical community.
Nadya Almatrooshi
Medical Director, Heart Transplant Program, Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr. Nadya Obaid Al Matrooshi, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
Prior to joining Cleveland clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Al Matrooshi was an advanced heart failure and cardiac transplant fellow at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Canada.
Dr. Al Matrooshi received her medical degree from Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain. She completed her Masters Degree in leadership in health professions education, from the Royal College of Surgeons.
Dr. Al Matrooshi is Arab board certified in internal medicine and general cardiology, and in ACGME-I accredited programs. She also holds board certification from the European College of Heart Failure.
She is also a member of the Canadian Heart Failure Society and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.
Negin Molazadeh
Cardiology Specialist
Burjeel Holding
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr. Negin Molazadeh received her Medical Degree in 2011 from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in Iran, where she also completed her Specialty in cardiology. She went on to finish her Fellowship Training in Clinical Advanced Heart Failure and Heart Transplant at Rajaei Cardiovascular Medical and Research Centre in Tehran, the first tertiary center for cardiovascular disease and heart transplants in Tehran, Iran.
Dr. Negin is not only a medical professional but also a dedicated learner, holding fellowships with the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, the American Society of Cardiology, and the European Society of Cardiology.
Throughout her career, Negin has maintained a deep curiosity and an open mind to provide her patients with the latest and most effective treatments. She continuously benchmarks her practice against the best professionals worldwide, visiting international centers, and sharing knowledge with her peers. Regularly, she attends national and international meetings and conferences, and her passion for teaching and innovation is evident. She has even published articles in peer-reviewed journals and presented her work on a national and international stage.
Dr. Negin takes a holistic approach to patient care, guiding them through every step from diagnosis to discussing the best options and providing ongoing support as needed. She believes in collaborative decision-making, ensuring each patient feels comfortable and empowered to choose procedures that minimize both the physical and psychological impact of their disease.
Her expertise spans various aspects of cardiology, including heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, cardio-oncology, pregnancy-related cardiovascular disease, angiography and angioplasty, cardiac MRI, preventive heart disease programs, trans-thoracic and trans-esophageal echocardiography, exercise tests, arrhythmias management, holter monitoring, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, and blood pressure management. Dr. Negin Molazadeh is dedicated to making a difference in the world of cardiology, one patient at a time.
Nizar Attallah
Transplant Nephrologist, Medical Subspecialties Institute
University of Kentucky
United States
Bio
Dr Nizar Attallah finished residency training in Internal Medicine at Henry Ford Hospital in Michigan (USA). Subsequently, he finished a fellowship in Nephrology and Hypertension then a fellowship in kidney transplantation at the same hospital.
He worked at Henry Ford Hospital in Michigan from 2006 till 2008 and at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi 2014 till 2022.
He currently practices with Nephrology Associates of Kentuckiana and is a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of Kentucky.
His main areas of interest include managing patients with resistant hypertension, kidney transplantation, chronic kidney disease and cardiorenal syndrome.
During his career, he published several abstracts and papers in peer-reviewed journals.
Noha Yaseen
Consultant Non-Invasive Cardiologist
Al Qassimi Hospital
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Nooshin Bazargani
Consultant Cardiologist,
Dubai Health
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr Nooshin Bazargani is currently a consultant Cardiologist at the Dubai Health Authority and is Deputy
Head of the Dubai Heart Centre, Dubai Hospital, Dubai Health Authority. Nooshin has been actively
involved in the teaching of medical students of the Dubai Medical College and many other medical
students who visit the college and hospitals. Although Nooshin’s main responsibility is to teach
cardiology Nooshin also takes part in the program of General Medical Teaching and is the chief
organiser of the mock and final examinations in medicine of the Dubai Medical College and regularly
takes tutorials for doctors preparing for higher examinations.
Dr Nooshin Bazargani is currently a Board member of World Heart Federation (2010 – 2016) and the
Emirates Cardiac Society, as well as being a member of many other Committees including the UAE
national NCD Committee and the UAE National Cardiovascular Disease Committee. Nooshin’s special
interests are in preventive Cardiology and Public Health Campaign, Heart Failure Management
Program, Heart Failure Diagnosis and Management, Ischaemic Heart Disease and investigation
including Coronary Angiography and management, Anti-coagulation therapy in heart disease and
Congress and educational programme organisation.
Nqoba Tsabedze
Academic Head of the Division of Cardiology
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Bio
Omer Ali
Consultant Nephrologist
Imperial College London Diabetes Centre
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr. Omer Ali, Consultant Nephrologist at Imperial College London Diabetes Centre, brings 14 years of expertise in renal medicine. Trained at Cardiff University and the Royal College of Physicians, he earned his CCT in Nephrology and Internal Medicine in 2018. Formerly at Barts Health NHS Trust, his specialties include diabetic nephropathy, chronic kidney disease, and transplantation. A Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, he has published widely and presented at leading international conferences.
Rami Harb
Consultant Cardiologist
Healthpoint Hospital
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Rana Abou Mrad
Consultant Nephrologist
Mediclinic Middle East
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr. Abou Mrad completed her medical training at the American University of Beirut followed by a medical research degree at Harvard Medical School.
She was the recipient of several awards and honors and achieved multiple academic positions throughout.
She has been practising in Abu Dhabi since 2015 and has established herself as a highly professional and knowledgeable physician with high patient satisfaction ratings.
Richard Ferrer
Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Nurse Coordinator
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Rizwan Ahmed
Adult Congenital Heart Disease and Cardiovascular MRI Consultant
Sheikh Khalifa Medical City
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Ronney Shantouf
Consultant Cardiologist, Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr. Ronney Shantouf, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Shantouf was a Health Sciences Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, where he has served as the Director of the Cardiac Catheterization lab of Olive View-UCLA Medical Center since 2016. He further served as the Cardiology Education Course Chair for the Olive View-UCLA Internal Medicine Residency program. As an Interventionalist, he specializes in transradial coronary interventions, intravascular imaging and invasive hemodynamic assessment. He has also performed thousands of cardiac catheterizations throughout his career.
Dr. Shantouf is American Board certified. He received his medical degree from the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) and went on to complete his residency in Internal Medicine at the UCLA Medical Center.
Dr. Shantouf enjoys spending his free time with his wife and son. When not at work, he enjoys playing the guitar, listening to music, discovering new travel destinations and reading.
Safaa Al Mohdar
Head of Cardiology
Zayed Military Hospital
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr. Safaa Al Mohdar is a Consultant Cardiologist in Zayed Military Hospital, Abu Dhabi. She is a clinical cardiologist with a clinical interest in cardiovascular imaging. Dr. Al Mohdar is board certified (2009) and a fellow (2013) of the society of the Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. She is also board certified in Echocardiography (NBE) (testamur 2010), in nuclear cardiology CBNC (2011), and level 3 in cardiac magnetic resonance 2017.
Shady Hegazi
Specialist Cardiologist
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr. Shady Hegazi, MD, PhD (Egypt), is an Associate Staff Physician in the Heart and Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. He is also Lecturer of Cardiology at the Intensive Care unit, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Egypt.
Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Hegazi served as a Cardiovascular Specialist and Quality Coordinator in Cardiology Department at Fujairah Hospital, Ministry of Health, UAE.
Dr. Hegazi also worked as Intensive Care Registrar then Cardiology Registrar and Quality Designee for 9 years at Dr. Erfan General Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He received his medical degree from Cairo University, Egypt and completed his residency at Theodor Bilharz Research Institute under Ministry of Scientific Research, Giza, Egypt.
Shaira Villa
Ambulatory & Heart Failure Nurse
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Shaira Villa, BSN RN HAAD-RN USRN is staff nurse and heart failure nurse in Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. She graduated in 2010 at San Juan de Dios Educational Foundation Inc (College) in the Philippines and subsequently, worked as a staff nurse and charge nurse at MV Santiago Medical Center that handles medical-surgical cases, pediatric and OBGYN. After a year transferred to a JCI Hospital, Makati Medical Center and worked as a staff nurse and charge nurse trainee in a Medical-Surgical Unit. She joined Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi as a staff nurse in 2017 and was assigned to Heart and Vascular Institute since then her interest to cardiology cases prospered. She then became exposed to heart failure clinic and then from then on started to gain more knowledge and participates on improvement processes. She facilitates reviews of patients’ prior appointments and does assessments to check signs of worsening heart failure symptoms and fluid overload, gives educations to patients and relatives to increase their participation on plan of care and makes sure medications are taken correctly. Now she is part of the Heart Failure team in Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and more involved in the coordination of care of patients.
Sheereen Hassib
Clinical Dietitian – Cardiac-Thoracic ICU, Heart and Lung Transplant
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Shumaila Sheikh
Social Worker, Clinical Patient Navigator
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Soufiane Roussia
Clinical Nurse Educator | Cardiac Nurse Specialist
Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Mr. Soufiane Roussia is a clinical nurse educator and emerging nursing scholar specializing in cardiology and critical care nursing. He serves as Chair of the Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Committee at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City and Chair of the UAE Specialist Nurse Forum. Mr. Soufiane holds dual Master’s degrees in Adult Health Nursing (RAK Medical and Health Sciences University, 2021) and Cardiovascular Nursing (Mohammed Bin Rashid University, 2023). He further enhanced his expertise through a certificate in Advanced Clinical Education and a Cardiac Nurse Specialist internship at Queen’s University and the NHS in the UK.
Syed Gardezi
Associate Professor in Cardiology, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi,
Consultant Cardiologist in Advanced Heart Failure, CMR,Cardio-Oncology & Cardiomyopathy Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City,
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr. Syed Khurram M Gardezi
MBBS, MRCP(Ireland), MRCP(UK), MAcadMEd, MRes.(Oxon), CCT Cardiology(UK), FRCP(UK), FACC(USA)
Consultant Cardiologist in Heart Failure, Cardiac MRI and Cardiomyopathy
Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City - Mayo Clinic, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor in Cardiology, College of Medical & Health Sciences, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Umer Darr
Consultant Cardiac Surgeon, Chief, Cardiac Surgery, Heart, Vascular ＆ Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Wael Almahmeed
Consultant Cardiologist, Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr. Wael Al Mahmeed, MD, is a Staff Physician within the Cardiovascular Medicine Department of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute.
Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Al Mahmeed served as Head of Cardiology at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), Abu Dhabi. He was also the Deputy Chief Medical Officer during his time at SKMC.
Dr. Al Mahmeed received his medical degree from the University of Southampton, Southampton, England. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada and his fellowship in Cardiology and Echocardiography at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He is also a fellow of The American College of Chest Physicians, The American College of Physicians, The American College of Cardiology, The European Society of Cardiology and The Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology.
Waleed Alhabeeb
Professor of Medicine, Medical Director, Sulaiman Alhabib Hospital- Olaya, President
Saudi Heart Association
Saudi Arabia
Bio
Consultant Heart Failure Cardiologist
Professor of medicine
Masters of healthcare administration and policy
Founder and past president of the Saudi Heart Failure working group
President of the Saudi Heart Association
Medical director of Alhabib Olaya
Waleed Kadro
Chief of Cardiology & Interventional Cardiology , Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiologist
The Golden Center for Academic Cardiovascular Teaching and Research
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Graduated from the University of Damascus School of Medicine 1985.
• Residency in Internal Medicine at Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
• Fellowship in cardiovascular Medicine at Harvard Medical School / Brigham &
Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA USA.
• Fellowship in Cardiac electrophysiology at Harvard Medical School / Brigham &
Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA USA.
• Fellowship in Interventional Cardiology at Harvard Medical School / Brigham &
Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA USA.
• Fellowship in Complex carotid, peripheral and structural heat intervention at George
Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
• Certified by The American Board In Interventional Cardiology, Heart Rhythm,
Cardiovascular Medicine and Internal Medicine.
• Founder and CEO of The Golden Center for Academic Cardiovascular Teaching &
Research.
• Chief Scientific Officer, The Golden Center for Academic Cardiovascular Teaching &
Research.
• Director: Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program, The Golden Center for
Academic Cardiovascular Teaching & Research.
• Editor in Chief, The Golden Cardiovascular Review Journal.
• Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at Dr Sulaiman Al-Habib Medical Group &
Hospital, Riyadh, KSA, 2012 – 2015.
• Chairman: Cardiac Center and Director of Cath LAB & Interventional Cardiology,
Specialized Medical Center Hospital , Riyadh, KSA, 2015 – 2019.
• Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at Zulekha Hospital, Sharjah, UAE, 2018 –
Present.
• Chief of Cardiology and Director of Cath LAB & Interventional Cardiology at Zulekha
Hospital, Sharjah, UAE, 2019 – 2021.
• Chief of Cardiology and Director of Cath LAB & Interventional Cardiology at RAK
Hospital, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, Feb 2022 – Present.
• Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at RAK Hospital, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE,
Feb 2022 – Present
Waleed Nafee
Senior Cardiologist
Imperial College London Diabetes Centre - Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Dr. Waleed Ezzat Nafee Farag is a Senior Cardiologist at Imperial College London Diabetes Centre in Abu Dhabi, with over 11 years of experience in cardiology. He previously served as Head of Cardiology at NMC Royal Hospital, Mohamed Bin Zayed City, and as the Cardiology Lead for NMC Medical Centers across the Abu Dhabi cluster. Prior to that, he held a cardiologist position at Zayed Military Hospital. Dr. Waleed is recognized for his clinical expertise, leadership in cardiovascular care, and commitment to improving patient outcomes through advanced, evidence-based practices.
Walid ElTahlawy
Consultant Cardiologist
Sheikh Khalifa Specialty Hospital-Fujairah
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine | Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
Of Case Western Reserve University | Cleveland OH | US
Former Cardiologist, Advanced Heart Failure services and heart transplantation.
Consultant cardiologist, Advanced Cardiac Imaging
Heart & Vascular institute | Cardiology department | Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Now, Consultant Cardiologist and Lead Advanced Heart Failure and advanced cardiac imaging.
Shiekh Khalifa Speciality Hospital, Fujairah, UAE
Wilfried Mullens
Professor of Cardiovascular Physiology
Hasselt University
Belgium
Bio
Wilfried Mullens, MD PhD
Professor of Cardiovascular Physiology, Hasselt University, Belgium.
Heart Failure and Cardiac Rehabilitation Specialist, Ziekenhuis Oost‑Limburg - Genk, Belgium.
Board Member Heart Failure Association of the ESC.
Yasmin Rustamova
Cardiologist, Heart Failure Specialist (CAS of University of Zurich)
Azerbaijan Medical University
Azerbaijan
Bio
Dr. Yasmin Rustamova, MD, PhD, FESC is a cardiologist and Associate Professor at Azerbaijan Medical University, specializing in heart failure and advanced cardiac imaging (CMR, CT, Echo). A Fellow of the European Society of Cardiology, she has completed fellowships in Zurich and London, with advanced imaging training in Italy. She is the author of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Atlas: 101 Clinical Cases (Springer) and has published over 60 scientific papers, presenting regularly at leading international cardiology congresses.
Yazan Aljabery
Cardiac Surgeon , Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates
Bio
Zainab Samad
Professor and Chairwoman of the Department of Medicine
Aga Khan University
Pakistan
Bio
Dr. Samad graduated from the Aga Khan University Medical College in 2000. She completed a residency in internal medicine, a fellowship in cardiology, and a Masters in Clinical Research at Duke University. Prior to joining Aga Khan University as the Chair of Medicine, she served on faculty at Duke University (2009-2018).
Dr. Samad's clinical and research efforts are focused on understanding the epidemiology and outcomes of heart disease. Her mentorship and educational efforts have been recognized with several awards. She serves on the Editorial Boards of The American Heart Journal, Circulation Cardiovascular Imaging and JACC Asia. She co-chairs the Aga Khan University Pakistan Initiative Think Tank for NCDs.
An important part of her professional vision is to improve cardiovascular health in Pakistan through gender inclusive capacity building efforts that fully leverage available data resources and global connections.
Dr Zainab Samad is a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology, published by Radcliffe Cardiology on behalf of the Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology.
Zviad Kipiani
President of Georgian Heart Failure Association, Head of Cardiovascular Department
Jerarsi Clinic, Tbilisi
Georgia
Bio
Dr. Zviad Kipiani is the Head of Cardiovascular Department at New Hospitals in Georgia. As part of his role, Dr. Zviad is in charge of Evaluation Pre and Post Cardiac Surgery Patients, Intensive Care, Inpatient and Outpatient care, Diagnostics-noninvasive (Echo Lab, Cardiac CT, MRI) – invasive, Research Studies and Teaching Activities.
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Emil Najjar
Consultant Cardiologist
Section for Heart Failure and Valvular disease
Heart and Vascular Centre
Sweden
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Feras Bader, MD, MS, MBA (Oxford)
Clinical Professor of Medicine- Cardiology
Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University
Chairman, Middle East Heart Failure Conference
UAE
more
Firas Albadarin
Consultant Cardiologist
Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
UAE
more
Hadi Skouri
Consultant Cardiologist
Director, Heart Failure Program
Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City
UAE
more
Hala Kershah
Department Administrator
Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
UAE
more
Hatem Soliman
Consultant in Cardiothoracic Intensive Care
Clinical Lead Organ Donation
Clinical Lead Advanced Critical Care Practitioners
Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals
UK
more
Hussam Ghalib
Consultant Cardiologist
Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic, Abu Dhabi
UAE
more
Iman Hamour
Specialist Cardiologist
Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
UAE
more
Leila Abid
Professor, Head of the Department of Cardiology
Hedi Chaker University Hospital & Sfax University Medical School
Tunisia
more
Mandeep Mehra
William Harvey Distinguished Chair in Advanced Cardiovascular Medicine
Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School
Executive Director of the Center for Advanced Heart Disease
Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital
USA
more
Matlooba Al Zadjali
Executive Director, Senior Consultant, Public Health Physician
Cardiovascular Diseases Heart Vascular Centre
Oman
more
Mehmet Birhan Yilmaz
Academic Staff, Professor of Cardiology
Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cardiology
Dokuz Eylul University
Turkiye
more
Mitesh Badiwala
Consultant Cardiac Surgeon
Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
UAE
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Nadya Almatrooshi
Chairwoman, Organizing Committee, Consultant Cardiologist
Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic, Abu Dhabi
UAE
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Richard Ferrer
Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Nurse Coordinator
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
UAE
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Wael Almahmeed
Consultant Cardiologist
Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
UAE
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Zviad Kipiani
Head of Cardiovascular Department
President of Georgian Heart Failure Association
Jerarsi Clinic, Tbilisi
Georgia
