Colonel Brian J. Gavitt is the Command Surgeon for Air Forces Southern, advising the AFSOUTH Commander and directing United States Air Force medical operations across 31 countries in the SOUTHCOM AOR. As a trauma surgeon and surgical intensivist, he has served in senior trauma leadership roles, is a trauma systems expert, and has supported multiple overseas operations for the US Department of War.

Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil is a seasoned healthcare and education leader and strategic investor who has built impactful businesses across the Middle East and India. He is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Burjeel Holdings, a leading super-specialty healthcare services provider in the GCC. He also serves as Chairman of Almasar Alshamil Education Company, which invests in special education and care in the KSA. Dr. Shamsheer is also the Founder and a Board Member of Response Plus Holding (RPM), the largest pre-hospital emergency medical services provider in the region.

Since establishing his first hospital in Abu Dhabi in 2007, Dr. Shamsheer has led Burjeel Holdings’ transformation into the UAE’s largest and leading private healthcare services provider. He continues to drive the Group’s efforts to elevate standards of care across the demographic spectrum through a diversified portfolio of brands, including Burjeel, Medeor, LLH, Lifecare, Alkalma, and Tajmeel.

Through VPS Health, he oversees a diversified investment portfolio spanning healthcare, pharmaceuticals, education, consumer products, and food services. He has played a central role in taking Burjeel Holdings and RPM public on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange and Almasar Alshamil Education on the Saudi Exchange.

A trained radiologist, Dr. Shamsheer remains focused on building resilient institutions, strengthening governance, and expanding access to high-quality healthcare and education across the region.

Professor Nataša Pržulj is a leading computational biologist whose work connects AI, network science and precision medicine. She is Full Professor of Computational Biology at Mohamed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) since 2025, Full Professor of Computer Science at University College London since 2016, and an ICREA Research Professor since 2019.

A pioneer in biological network analysis, Professor Pržulj introduced graphlets in 2004—a foundational approach to quantifying network structure and extracting biomedical insights from molecular networks. Graphlets underpin AI and machine learning methods across diverse fields and feature in approximately 23,000 research papers and hundreds of patents, according to Google Scholar. Her current research develops AI methods that integrate multi-omics data to advance precision medicine and accelerate the discovery of targeted therapeutics. She is co-founder and director of OmixTerapy, a UAE-based, MBZUAI-sponsored startup that uses AI and multi-omics data to discover novel therapeutic candidates tailored to the Emirati population.

Professor Pržulj’s research has attracted more than €30 million in competitive funding, including three prestigious European Research Council (ERC) grants: Starting (2012–2017), Consolidator (2018–2025) and Proof of Concept (2020–2023). She also received a USA National Science Foundation CAREER Award at the University of California, Irvine (2007–2011).

Professor Pržulj’s international recognition includes fellowships of the International Society for Computational Biology (2024), the European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems (2024), and the British Computer Society Academy of Computing (2013). She was elected Vice-President of the International Academy of Artificial Intelligence Sciences (AAIS) in 2026, following her election as a Fellow in 2025. Also, she was elected to Academia Europaea in 2017 and the Serbian Royal Academy of Scientists and Artists in 2019. Since 2012, she has also served as Scientific Advisor at the Mathematical Institute of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts. She ranks among the top 0.5% of scientists worldwide in Stanford University’s World’s Top 2% Scientists list.

In 2014, she received the British Computer Society’s Roger Needham Award, sponsored by Microsoft Research, for research with the potential to transform healthcare and pharmaceuticals. She earned her PhD in Computer Science from the University of Toronto in 2005.

Dr. Fares Al-Ali is the first Canadian and American board-certified emergency physician from the United Arab Emirates. He completed the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Emergency Medicine Residency Program at McGill University in Montreal, Canada (2002-2007). In 2008, he completed a fellowship in EMS at the University of Toronto in Canada, followed by a Disaster Medicine Fellowship at BIDMC in Boston, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, as Harvard’s first Disaster Medicine fellow and as co-founder of the program (2009). In May 2011, he obtained his MPH from Johns Hopkins University and later his DrPH in Health Care Management and Leadership from the same institution (May 2021).

Dr. Fares Al-Ali is the former Head of the Emergency Department and former Program Director at Zayed Military Hospital, with extensive military medicine experience, including operational and civil-military deployments. He is the founder and former chairman of the Trauma System Initiative of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the founder and past president of the Emirates Society of Emergency Medicine (ESEM). Dr. Fares Al-Ali spearheaded key initiatives, including the first official Trauma Registry in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi STEMI network involving various stakeholders, and the approval of the UAE “Good Samaritan Law,” the first of its kind in an Arab country. He led the ESEM Conference to become the largest Emergency Medicine Conference in the MENA region and successfully hosted ICEM 2021 in the region, with over 2,500 delegates. He also served as Executive Director of the Center for Emergency Preparedness and Response (CEPAR) at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, since COVID 19 pandemic until July 2024, where he developed a new integrated model of health emergency care (the Abu Dhabi Health Emergency Management - HEM Model). He currently serves as the Immediate Past President of the International Federation for Emergency Medicine. Dr. Fares Al-Ali has contributed to several international textbooks and peer-reviewed articles in the fields of Emergency Medicine, EMS, and Disaster Medicine and has presented at numerous conferences both regionally and internationally.

Dr. El-Hakim obtained his degrees in medicine and dentistry at the University of Montreal. He then completed a four-year residency program and obtained a Master of Science in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at McGill University. Subsequently, he completed postdoctoral studies in maxillofacial oncology and microvascular surgery at the University of Maryland, USA. Between 2008 and 2013, Dr. El-Hakim was Director of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Program at McGill University. He is currently an assistant professor. Dr. El-Hakim is a Fellow and Examiner of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada and holds the title of Diplomat of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Dr. El-Hakim was president of the foundation of the Canadian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and is Past-president on the executive of the Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of Quebec.

Rajeev Sadanandan is an internationally acclaimed health policy and systems expert specialising in health emergencies. He worked as the Health Secretary of Kerala for 11 years, during which he played a transformative role in reforming the health systems in Kerala. His work focussed on reforming primary care, infectious diseases such as HIV and TB and digitalisation. Rajeev set up Kerala’s AIDS. He managed the first Nipah outbreak in Kerala and was the Advisor to the Chief Minister of Kerala on the management of COVID-19. He was the lead consultant to develop the Regional Strategic Roadmap on Health Security and Health System Resilience for Emergencies for the World Health Organization, SEARO.

Rajeev was the CEO of India’s national social health insurance programme and the founding CEO of the Health System Transformation Platform, a think tank on health policy and systems based in New Delhi in addition to holding many other positions in state and federal governments, and had a brief stint with UNAIDS. He was a Commissioner on the Lancet Global Health Commission on Financing Primary Health Care. Currently, Rajeev is a member of the Technical Advisory Panel of the Pandemic Fund set up by the World Bank, the Policy Makers Forum under the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research of the World Health Organization, Geneva and the Technical Expert Group of the WHO Collaborating Centre on effectiveness of research on public health and social measures on health emergencies.

Christopher R. Matthews is a social scientist and epistemologist with years of experience advising doctoral candidates. His latest sole-authored book, Doing Good Social Science, was published by Routledge in April 2025. He co-edited Teaching with Sociological Imagination in Higher Education (Springer) and Global Perspectives on Women in Combat Sports (Palgrave Macmillan). He is currently leading the editorial team for The Routledge Handbook of Sport, Concussion and Brain Injury, while also preparing the manuscript for his next book The Act of Social Theory.

Colonel Tanja C. Roy received her commission from the University of Notre Dame Reserve Officer Training Corps as a Distinguished Military Graduate in 2000 into the Army Medical Specialist Corps. COL Roy holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Pittsburgh, Doctor and Master of Physical Therapy from Baylor University, Master of Science from the University of Pittsburgh, and Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.

COL Roy currently serves as the Commander of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense. She recently served as the Director of Occupational Health Sciences at the Defense Centers for Public Health. Previously, COL Roy created and served as Director of the Soldier Performance, Health, and Readiness Database at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM). Previous assignments include executive officer for the Clinical Public Health and Epidemiology Directorate, Army Public Health Center; Physical Therapy Troop Medical Clinic, Fort Drum; Chief, Physical Therapy, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Fort Drum and Afghanistan; Chief, Physical Therapy, 701st Main Support Battalion, 1st Infantry Division, Iraq; Physical Therapist, 31st Combat Support Hospital, Iraq; and Chief, Baumholder Physical Therapy Clinic. She has 29 medical research publications.

COL Roy is a graduate of the U.S. Army Medical Department (AMEDD) Officer Basic Course, the AMEDD Captains Career Course, Intermediate Level Education, the Defense Strategy Course, and U.S. Army War College. She is Airborne Qualified (5P); a Strategic Studies Graduate (6Z); an Army Medical Department Acquisitions Officer (8X); a certified Medical Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation Officer (8Z); and holds the Medical Proficiency Designator (9A).

She is the proud mother of three active and outdoor-loving children. They are always ready for the next adventure.

Col. Michael Nippgen, DVM, PhD is a senior German military veterinarian with expertise in veterinary public health, food safety, zoonotic diseases, and military veterinary medicine. He has held leadership roles within the Bundeswehr Medical Service and is actively involved in international military veterinary cooperation. He serves as President of the ICMM Technical Commission for Veterinarians, supporting collaboration and knowledge exchange in military veterinary medicine.

Dr. Mark W. Bowyer is the Ben Eiseman Professor of Surgery and Surgical Director of Simulation at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), Bethesda, Maryland. A retired U.S. Air Force Colonel and former trauma and combat surgeon, he served more than 22 years in active military service, including as Chief of Surgery and “Trauma Czar” at a major combat hospital in Iraq.
Dr. Bowyer is internationally recognized for his expertise in trauma and combat surgery, surgical education, medical simulation, and military surgical readiness. He was one of the principal architects of the Advanced Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma (ASSET) course and has played a leading role in its international expansion. He also has extensive experience in developing simulation-based training for trauma, acute care surgery, triage, and critical care.
He has published extensively in trauma and surgical education and has received numerous professional distinctions, including the 2017 Robert Danis Prize for contributions to trauma, burns, and critical care.

Dr. Kris Lehnhardt is a Professor of Emergency Medicine and the Director of Space Medicine at UTHealth Houston’s McGovern Medical School. His expertise spans emergency, aerospace, military, and extreme-environment medicine, with a focus on developing medical systems for human space exploration. He previously worked with NASA’s Human Research Program at the Johnson Space Center, where he was the lead scientist for Exploration Medical Capability. While at NASA, he served as a medical officer at Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory and at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Additionally, Dr. Lehnhardt is a medical specialist reservist in the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Lt Gen (Rtd) Prof. Martin CM Bricknell is Professor of Conflict, Health and Military Medicine at King’s College London and Co-Director of the Centre for Conflict & Health Security. He previously served 34 years in the UK Defence Medical Services, culminating as Surgeon General of the UK Armed Forces. He has extensive operational experience in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Balkans, and has published over 150 academic papers on military medicine, public health, healthcare systems and conflict. His research focuses on military health systems, healthcare in conflict, organisational learning, and civil-military relations.

Dr. Mohammed Beydoun is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at the University of Chicago Medicine. He specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of sports-related injuries, shoulder and knee disorders, joint preservation, and minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery. His clinical practice focuses on helping athletes and active individuals return safely to their highest level of performance through evidence-based, patient-centered care.

Dr. Beydoun completed advanced fellowship training in orthopedic sports medicine and has extensive experience caring for athletes of all levels, from recreational competitors to elite performers. In addition to his clinical work, he is actively involved in orthopedic research, medical education, and the development of innovative treatment strategies to improve patient outcomes.

As a dedicated educator and researcher, Dr. Beydoun has contributed to numerous scientific publications and presentations in the field of sports medicine. His commitment to excellence in clinical care, research, and education has established him as a respected leader in orthopedic sports medicine and musculoskeletal health.

Mr. Murat Dalkilinc is an experienced physiotherapist and rehabilitation specialist with more than two decades of clinical, academic, and professional experience. He holds a PhD in Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation from Hacettepe University and has extensive expertise in sports and orthopaedic injuries, chronic pain, manual therapy, exercise therapy, and rehabilitation. He has served in senior physiotherapy roles within the UAE Armed Forces and has contributed to professional education and sports medicine initiatives in the UAE.

Dr. Nicholas Makhoul, DMD, MD, FRCD(C), FACS is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences at McGill University and serves as Associate Dean of Postgraduate Dental Education. He is also Chief of the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery within the McGill University Health Centre.

Dr. Makhoul completed his Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry with Distinction at the University of Alberta before earning his Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) from McGill University. He subsequently obtained his Doctor of Medicine (MD) from the University of Michigan, where he also completed residency training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He then pursued advanced fellowship training in Maxillofacial Oncology and Microvascular Facial Reconstruction at the University of Michigan, specializing in the comprehensive management of head and neck cancer and complex facial reconstruction.

He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada, a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Dr. Makhoul's clinical practice focuses on maxillofacial oncology, microvascular reconstruction, orthognathic surgery, and advanced implant reconstruction. His academic interests include tissue engineering for facial reconstruction as well as outcome based assessments in the management of head and neck cancer. He has received multiple awards recognizing his contributions to teaching and mentorship and is actively involved in national educational and professional organizations dedicated to advancing oral and maxillofacial surgery and postgraduate dental education.