Conference Program 2022

Dr. Nahida Nayaz

Consultant Psychiatrist, Chair of Dept., Chair of Behavioral Health Council, Chair of Mental Health Taskforce, Department of Health, Ambulatory Healthcare Services - SEHA | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Nahida Nayaz Ahmed is a Consultant Psychiatrist from Abu Dhabi, UAE. Her primary focuses are the integration of Psychiatry in Primary care clinics across Abu Dhabi, and promoting awareness and rehabilitation programs for Mentally ill patients in the community. She has been a staunch advocate for delivery of holistic and multidisciplinary psychiatric services, access to care and employee’s mental health. Dr. Ahmed is the clinical lead on the Mental health Model of care developed by Department of Health. She has been active in teaching Medical students, psychiatry and family medicine residents and mentors young physicians. She is a notable speaker on various platforms, an avid reader, travel enthusiast, mother to three amazing children, and spouse to a distinguished Transplant Nephrologist.

Dr. Ahmed Elshafei

Consultant Psychiatrist, The Psychiatry and Therapy Centre | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Ahmed Elshafei is a general adult psychiatrist. He obtained his PhD in Psychiatry in 2002 from the Faculty of Medicine at Ain Shams University and he holds a Diploma of Psychiatric Practice from Kings College, London conjoined with Faculty of Medicine at Ain Shams University since 2000. Dr. Elshafei has special interest in Cognitive Behavior Therapy in depression, anxiety disorders, and personality disorders. Dr. Elshafei has been awarded by the WPA for his outstanding work with patients with chronic mental illness in 2005. His work on the rehabilitation of patients with schizophrenia was unprecedented. He developed an educational program to improve the knowledge and attitude of families of patients with schizophrenia in Arabic language. Dr. Elshafei has published research articles in many regional and international journals.

Dr. Nayak Kotekar

Consultant Neurologist, Kuwait Hospital Sharjah / Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor, University of Sharjah / Fellow American Academy of Neurology (FAAN) | United Arab Emirates

Present status:  Consultant Neuro Physician Kuwait Hosp. Sharjah  Clinical assistant(adjunct) Professor Univ. of Sharjah, Medical and Health Sciences Colleges Qualifications and Degrees:  MBBS (Bachelor of medicine, Bachelor of surgery) Kasturba Medical College, Mysore University (1977)  DTMH (Diploma in Tropical Medicine Univ. of Liverpool UK) (1984)  MRCP Royal college of Physicians, Ireland (1993)  FRCP Royal college of Physicians and Surgeons(GLASG) Person ID Number: 63594 Membership of Societies and Academic bodies:  Emirates Medical Association  Emirates Neurology Society(founding member)  Emirates Neuro-Sciences Society  Associate member American Academy of Neurology  Member ILAE(International League Against Epilepsy)UAE chapter  Member UAE Task Force for Multiple Sclerosis  Member of WE MOVE and World Parkinson and movement disorder society

Prof. Shai Efrati

Director, Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research / Director, Research & Development, Shamir Medical Center / Professor, Tel Aviv University | Israel

Dr. Shai Efrati is a professor at Sackler School of Medicine and the Sagol School of Neuroscience of Tel Aviv University and the director of the Sagol center for hyperbaric medicine and research at Shamir (Assaf- Harofeh) Medical Center in Israel. The center, under Prof. Efrati management, has become the largest hyperbaric center worldwide, currently treating more than 300 patients per day. Prof. Efrati is also the director of Research & Development at the Medical center, affiliated to Tel-Aviv University. Taking the two passions/positions together Prof. Efrati has initiated a research program focusing on the neuroplasticity (regeneration of damage brain tissue) looking at the brain as a tissue and characterizing the non-healing wounds in the brain and bottle necks that prevents their recover. In addition to diagnosis and characterizing, neuroplasticity can be induced using dedicated protocols of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). The newly used HBOT protocol induce brain and tissue repairment by fluctuations in oxygen and pressure that initiate regenerative biological cascade usually happens during hypoxia in hyperoxic condition- the so called Hyperoxic-Hypoxic paradox (HHP). The clinical studies proved that HHP can induce neuroplasticity in different types of brain injuries such as stroke, Traumatic Brain Injury, post- COVID, central pain syndromes and the so-called age-related cognitive/functional decline

Dr. El Sherif Omar Shafie

Consultant Family Medicine, Assistant Chief Medical Officer, American Hospital Dubai | United Arab Emirates

Dr. El Sherif Omar Shafie specializes in Family Medicine. He holds certification from the American Board of Family Medicine. Dr Shafie earned his medical degree from Ain Shams University Faculty of Medicine, Egypt and continued his medical education at the St. John's Hospital and Medical Center, USA. He has worked in some of the world’s reputed hospitals, including St John's Hospital and Medical Center and West Houston Medical Center, USA.

Dr. Sarah Salam Rizk

Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine Specialist, American Hospital Dubai / Director, Jumeirah Clinic | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Sarah is the Director of Jumeriah Clinic and a Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine Specialist who graduated from the American University of Beirut with 4 years of experience in many countries, such as Lebanon, Cuba, and UAE. Dr. Sarah has worked with different NGO targeting many communities She was in SHAMMA Clinic- Dubai, worked In her own private clinic in Beirut with admission privilege to hospitals and was part of Howard Karagheusian Commemorative Corporation in Lebanon. She has a wide experience in assessing and treating pediatric acute and chronic illnesses, pediatric rashes and allergies, infectious diseases, routine newborn care, adolescent medicine, pediatric emergencies, well-baby and immunizations, growth and nutrition, and pediatric mental health. Dr.Sarah has particular expertise in providing safe, efficient, and patient-centered care for children up to 18 years of age, an expert in preventive care strategies, accurate diagnosis, and parents counseling and education. She speaks fluently English - Arabic -French and Spanish

Dr. Zemer Wang

Medical Director, Aviv Clinics | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Wang is the Medical Director of Aviv Clinics Dubai, is a certified family medicine and hyperbaric physician. Formerly the Director of the major primary health facility in Eilat, Israel, which cares for over 10,000 patients. Dr Wang has been practicing hyperbaric and diving medicine for fourteen years. He has also served as Medical Director of the hyperbaric chamber at the Yoseftal Hospital in Eilat, Israel. For over a decade, Dr Wang has treated patients with chronic pain and taught courses in the management of myofascial pain syndromes. He is a graduate of the Medical University of Vienna, Austria.

Dr. Caroline Louise Rydmarker

Consultant General Surgery, Mediclinic | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Caroline Rydmarker is a driven general surgeon with experience and education gained in prestigious institutions around the world. She has 14 years of clinical experience from various countries with her major training having taken place in Sweden. She finished her speciality training in General Surgery 2013 in Sweden, where she has also served in a variety of facilities, from small rural hospitals to large university hospitals. During her years as a surgeon, Dr. Caroline has worked internationally and joined several different surgical clinics and hospitals for professional development and education in Norway (plastic surgery), Trauma Surgery in São Paolo, Brazil (Hospital das Clínicas da Universidade de São Paulo) Cape Town (The Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital) and Johannesburg in South Africa, General Surgery in Sembel Hospital in Asmara, Eritrea and University Hospital of Ismailia, Egypt. Many years as a “flying doctor” with Falck Global Assistance and also time in the Swedish Military has given her a very broad experience. A couple of years ago she starred in a health tv-series for Swedish National Television. Before joining Mediclinic Dr. Caroline established a new state-of-the-art private international speciality hospital in the Maldives, with a focus on surgical departments, on one of the main islands, and also performed clinical work with complex investigations and procedures. She has a renowned ability for conducting training sessions and educating medical students and junior doctors. Dr. Caroline served as the Director of Studies for surgical interns, in Sodra Alvsborgs Hospital and also Kungalvs Hospital, Sweden. She has developed special interests in Trauma Surgery and Acute Care Surgery, in which she utilises in her role as an ATLS instructor in trauma courses for peers. Dr. Caroline values high ethical standards, new ideas and dedication to “best practices” in all areas of expertise. She is a member of the Swedish Surgical Society, the Swedish Trauma Association and is also an associate Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Dr. Zakir Mohamed

Consultant Laparoscopic, Colorectal & General Surgeon, Mediclinic Parkview Hospital / Adjunct Associate Professor of Surgery, MBRU | United Arab Emirates

An experienced Consultant Colorectal and General Surgeon from the UK, Dr Zakir has undertaken his General Surgery training and specialist colorectal training from renowned colorectal centres in England and his CCT (in Colorectal Surgery) from the UK; he also achieved an Advanced Laparoscopic and Robotic Fellowship from Hong Kong (University of Hong Kong under Prof WL Law). Having established himself as an expert in minimally invasive surgery at United Lincolnshire NHS Trust, Dr Zakir performed the first single port colorectal surgery in the region, besides leading the pelvic floor disorder clinic there. During his career, he has also worked at the Regional Cancer Centre in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, dealing with complex colorectal cancers and inflammatory bowel diseases. He joined Mediclinic after successfully setting up Robotic Surgery in that unit, being the first in Saudi Arabia to perform colorectal surgery using the latest DaVinci Xi robot. Dr Zakir is a member of the Association of Coloproctologists of Great Britain and Ireland and is also currently an Honorary Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust, UK. A fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of both Edinburgh and England, he has published papers in numerous peer-reviewed journals including Lancet and is on the review panel of various International journals. He holds a Master's degree in Health Research and has been lead researcher for many national and international trials. Most recently he was the principal investigator for the ROCSS trial. With a strong passion for education and research, Dr Zakir holds various positions: • Associate Professor of Surgery (adjunct), School of Medicine, MBRU Dubai • Lead tutor for the surgical module at Nottingham Medical School, UK • Tutor for Masters programme of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh • Deputy Director of the Colorectal Fellowship Program in the Eastern Province • Chairman of Mediclinic Parkview Privileging committee In addition, he also established innovative programmes to develop international doctors joining the NHS.

Dr. Mohamed Farghaly

Consultant CEO Office, Dubai Health Insurance Corporation | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Mohamed Farghaly is a highly experienced physician who worked in United Arab Emirates for around 30 years, he worked as a doctor in charge in al-Mankhool Center, Dubai for around 3 years, then he worked as senior community Physician in charge in the Al Safa health center, Dubai for 11 years, in 2002, he was in charge as manager of the region 4 in primary health care in the department of health and medical service in additional to his clinical duty, in 2006 was allocated to be the head of chronic care unit. In 2014 he got reallocated to be the head of insurance medical regulation, Dubai health authority

Dr. Zainab Akhtar Malik

Consultant Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Mediclinic City Hospital / Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics, MBRU | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Zainab Malik is American Board Certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases, trained in the United States. After receiving her medical degree from the prestigious Aga Khan University in Pakistan, Dr. Malik completed Pediatric residency training at Duke University’s highly ranked pediatric residency training program in North Carolina. This was followed by a fellowship in Pediatric infectious Diseases at the Children’s Hospital of Montefiore, where she also obtained a Master’s Degree in Clinical Research Methods, with distinction, from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York. Dr. Malik’s research thesis evaluated host immune responses to Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infections in young women, and has been published in several reputable medical journals.

Dr. Ashraf El Houfi

Consultant ICU & Chairman of Infection Control, Dubai Hospital | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Ashraf Elhoufi is currently a Consultant ICU at Dubai Hospital. Examiner for the Royal College of Physician, Senior Lecturer in Dubai Medical College, Chairman of the Infection Control Committee at Dubai Hospital and the Vice President of the Emirates Intensive Care Society (EICS) as well as the ACLS Course Director. He is graduate of Alexandria Faculty of Medicine, with honor, Master Degree in Chest Disease with a Critical caew sub-specialty 1989 MRCP (UK) November 1997 and awarded FRCP (London) 2008. EDIC (European Diploma in Intensive Care Medicine) 2012.

Mr. Daniel Rodrigues

Specialist Physiotherapist, Mindmaze | Switzerland

Daniel Rodrigues is Physical Therapist with 15+ years of experience in Neurological Rehabilitation and over 7 year of clinical experience in the UAE. All throughout his career he was always passionate about integrating innovative technology directly into his clinical practice. With the recent expansion of Telerehabilitation, added value of new technologies and research methods, he pursued a career with MindMaze where he could create a broader impact into the current state of NeuroRehabilitation. Daniel is part of a multinational team in Switzerland and works closely with Rehabilitation sites in Southern Europe, UAE and GCC countries, with the goals of implementing Digital Therapeutics as a solution to improve the access of clinical care and quality of NeuroRehab programs in these areas of the globe.

Dr. Taoufik Alsaadi

Chief Medical officer and Chair of the Neurology Department, American Center of Psychiatry & Neurology / Adjunct Professor of Neurology, Khalifa University | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Alsaadi is a Chief Medical officer and the Chair of the Neurology Department at the American Center of Psychiatry & Neurology (ACPN). He also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Neurology at Khalifa University. He was trained in Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology at the University of California San Francisco and was a research fellow in Epilepsy there. He is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and by the American Board of Clinical Neurophysiology and the American Board of Neurology in Clinical Epilepsy. Before joining ACPN, Dr. Alsaadi was the Chief of the Neurology Department at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City for 11 years. He previously held a position as an Associate Professor of Neurology and the Director of the Adult Epilepsy Program and the Clinical Research Program at the University of California Davis. His research has focused on conducting drug study trials for new antiepileptic drugs for patients with epilepsy, quality of life in patients with epileptic and non-epileptic disorders, migraine headaches, multiple sclerosis, and neuropsychiatric comorbidities. Dr. Alsaadi has been honored with several prestigious awards for his work in the field of epilepsy. He has served on the Advisory Board of the Northern California Epilepsy Foundation and the membership committee of the American Epilepsy Society. He has previously served as the President of the Western Clinical Neurophysiology Society in the United States and as the Vice President of CEMA (Commission of the Eastern Mediterranean Affairs). He is currently the President of the Emirati League against epilepsy and the Chair of the ILAE Commission for epilepsy in the elderly. He also serves on the Editorial Board for BMC Journal of Neurology and Journal of Neurosciences. He has authored and co-authored more than 70 papers and book chapters and has served as a peer-reviewer for more than 15 scientific journals.