Committee

Congress Chairs

DR. NADYA AL MATROOSHI

Congress Co-Chair

Medical Director of Heart Transplant Program; Staff Physician, Cardiovascular Medicine; Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Biography

Dr. Nadya Obaid Al Matrooshi, 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 Matrooshi was an Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant Fellow at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute in Ottawa, Canada.

Dr. Al Matrooshi received her medical degree from Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain. She completed her master’s 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 has completed ACGME-I accredited programs. She also holds board certification from the European College of Heart Failure.

She is a member of the Canadian Heart Failure Society and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

DR. FADI HAMED

Congress Co-Chair

Medical Director, Lung Transplant Program; Staff Physician, Consultant Intensivist and Pulmonologist; Integrated Hospital Care Institute

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Biography

Dr. Fadi Hamed, MD, is a Staff Physician within the Critical Care Department of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Integrated Hospital Care Institute. He is also Program Director of the Transitional Year.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Hamed worked as Associate Staff in the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Cleveland Clinic.

Dr. Hamed is a Diplomate in Critical Care Medicine, Pulmonary Disease and Internal Medicine through the American Board of Internal Medicine.

He is a member of several organizations, including the Society of Critical Care Medicine, American College of Chest Physicians and the American Thoracic Society. His specialty interests include advanced lung disease, lung transplantation and medical intensive care.

Dr. Hamed earned his medical degree from the University of Jordan in Amman. He completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, US, where he also served as Chief Medical Resident.

He completed his fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, US.

Scientific Committee

DR. HUSSAM GHALIB

Head of the Scientific Committee

Staff Physician, Cardiovascular Medicine; Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Biography

Dr. Hussam Ghalib, 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. Ghalib was at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center, where he specialized in Cardiovascular Medicine with a focus on Advanced Heart Failure Therapies. Dr. Ghalib received his medical degree from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. He then served on faculty in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Hospital for two years. He subsequently completed a Cardiovascular Medicine fellowship at UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, with a focus on Advanced Heart Failure Therapies. Dr. Ghalib is the Medical Director of Mechanical Circulatory Support and the Director of the Cardiomyopathy Center at the Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Ghalib resides in Abu Dhabi with his wife and children.

DR. BASHIR SANKARI

Scientific Committee

Director of Transplant Urology, Integrated Surgical Institute

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Biography

Dr. Bashir Sankari, MD, is Transplant Director of the Urology Department within Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's Integrated Surgical Institute. He oversees multiple surgical specialties including Otolaryngology (ENT), Plastic Surgery, Dentistry, and Urology. A veteran of Cleveland Clinic for more than thirty years, Dr. Sankari most recently served as Chief of Urology and Director of Renal Transplant at the Charleston Area Medical Center, US, an affiliate of Cleveland Clinic. He has extensive experience in Urology and kidney transplant, with more than 1,000 kidney transplants performed. He graduated from the American University of Beirut and completed his residency in Urology at St. Louis University, US. He also completed another residency in Renal Transplantation and Renal Vascular Surgery at Cleveland Clinic, Ohio. Dr. Sankari resides in Abu Dhabi with his wife and four children.

DR. USMAN AHMAD

Scientific Committee

Division Chair, Thoracic Surgery; Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Biography

Dr. Usman Ahmad, MD, is Division Chair of Thoracic Surgery within Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Ahmad was a staff surgeon in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at the Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, US. He was the director of Thoracic Robotic surgery and assistant director of Lung Transplant programs at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Ahmad holds a joint appointment with the Taussig Cancer Institute and is Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Ahmad earned his medical degree from the Aga Khan University Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan. He completed an immunology and vascular biology research fellowship at the Yale School of Medicine's Vascular Biology and Transplantation program, in New Haven, Connecticut. His internship and residency in general surgery were also completed at Yale, where he also served as the Educational Chief. Dr. Ahmad completed his training in cardiothoracic surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and New York Presbyterian - Weil Cornell Medical Center, both in New York, NY. Dr. Ahmad and his research team focus on studying clinical outcomes in thoracic surgery, thoracic oncology and end stage lung disease. The group is uniquely positioned to study benign and malignant thoracic surgical disorders in lung transplant. Dr. Ahmad serves in various leadership roles in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, American Association of Thoracic Surgery, and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.

DR. MITESH V. BADIWALA

Scientific Committee

Staff Physician, Cardiac Surgery; Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Biography

Dr. Mitesh V. Badiwala, MD, PhD, FRCSC, is a Staff Physician within the Cardiac Surgery Department of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Badiwala was a Staff Cardiovascular Surgeon at Toronto General Hospital and Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Toronto. He was the Surgical Director of Heart Transplantation and Fellowship Director for Cardiovascular Surgery at the University Health Network in Toronto. Dr. Badiwala received his medical degree from the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. He completed his residency at the University of Toronto. Dr. Badiwala was then honored to receive the Detweiler Travelling Fellowship from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He travelled to Chicago and completed a fellowship in Advanced Cardiac Surgery at Northwestern University as Chief Fellow, specializing in advanced valve repair, heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support. Dr. Badiwala has completed graduate training in transplantation and vascular biology research at the University of Toronto and holds a PhD in Cardiovascular Science. He has many publications on topics in cardiovascular science and transplantation and has presented both nationally and internationally. Dr. Badiwala is the recipient of many prestigious awards including the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, the Vivien Thomas Young Investigator Award from the American Heart Association, as well as the Shafie S. Fazel Outstanding Resident Surgeon and Investigator Award and the Starr Medal from University of Toronto. Dr. Badiwala resides in Abu Dhabi with his wife and three daughters. He is an avid Formula 1 Racing fan and enjoys building models and spending time with his family exploring the world.

DR. LUIS CAMPOS

Scientific Committee

Staff Physician, Abdominal Transplant; Digestive Disease Institute

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Biography

Luis Campos de la Borbolla, MD is a Staff Physician within the Abdominal Transplant Department of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Digestive Disease Institute. He was an Associate Professor of Surgery and Director of Kidney Transplantation at the Methodist Hospital University of Tennessee in Memphis USA. Luis Campos, MD received his Medical Degree at the La Salle University in Mexico City and completed a General Surgery and Transplant Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, USA. Throughout his tenure, Dr. Campos has specialized in Liver, Pancreas and Kidney transplantation as well as hepatobiliary surgery (non-transplant liver, bile duct and pancreas surgery). Dr. Campos research interest include the study of immune tolerance to prevent transplant rejection. Pancreatic islet transplantation in an auto-immune model. Liver induced tolerance. Currently Dr. Campos resides in Abu Dhabi with his wife. When he is not working he enjoys music, art, fishing, sailing, swimming, reading, gardening, cooking and travelling.

DR. GIUSEPPE IUPPA

Scientific Committee

Liver Transplant Surgeon

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Biography

Dr. Giuseppe Iuppa, MD, is a Staff Physician within the Abdominal Transplant Department of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Digestive Disease Institute. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Iuppa served at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio and at the San Marino State Hospital in San Marino. Throughout his career, Dr. Iuppa has specialized in Liver Transplants and Hepatobiliary Surgery as a fellow of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons, completing over 500 operations. Dr. Iuppa received his medical degree from the University of Catania, Italy and completed his residency at the University of Catania, Italy. He completed a research fellowship at Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland investigating the field of Normothermic Machine Perfusion for Liver Transplant. During this period, he published a number of papers and was involved in the work that led to the start of the first human trial on NMP in the US. Dr. Iuppa resides in Abu Dhabi, with his wife and three children. When he's not working at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Iuppa enjoys playing waterpolo, diving and crossfit training. He is also a music and cinema enthusiast.

DR. SHIVA KUMAR

Scientific Committee

Division Chair, Gastroenterology; Medical Director, Liver Transplant Program; Digestive Disease Institute

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Biography

Dr. Shiva Kumar, MD, is Division Chair of the Gastroenterology Department within Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi's Digestive Disease Institute. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Kumar served as Medical Director of Liver Transplantation and Primary Liver Physician at two liver transplant centers in the US for more than eight years. He was also Director of Hepatology sub-specialty fellowship training at Ochsner Clinic, New Orleans, Louisiana, US. He also served as Clinical Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, US. Dr. Kumar graduated from the University of Kerala Medical School, India and completed his residency and chief residency in Internal Medicine at Our Lady of Mercy University Medical Center, New York, US. He then pursued sub-specialty fellowship training in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, US. He completed additional clinical and research training in Hepatology at the Liver Unit of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, US. He also received a master's degree in Healthcare Management from the University of Texas, Dallas, Jindal School of Management in Richardson, Texas, US. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology and Transplant Hepatology. His primary areas of clinical and research interests include general-transplant hepatology and liver and hepatobiliary endoscopy. He is a fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) American College of Physicians (ACP), American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), American Association for the study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). He has served on many committees of national scientific societies, including practice parameters and patient care committees of ACG and public and member outreach, as well as international committees of the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). Dr. Kumar has numerous publications and has delivered presentations at national and international scientific meetings, with a primary focus on liver disease and transplantation. He has also served as a primary site investigator in numerous clinical trials including those of newer therapeutic agents in Hepatitis C.

DR. OMAR ALETER

Scientific Committee

Staff Physician, Nephrology; Medical Specialty Institute

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Biography

Dr. Omar Aleter, MD, is a Staff Physician within the Nephrology Department of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Medical Specialty Institute. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Aleter was a Staff Physician of Nephrology and Transplant Nephrology at Farah Medical Campus in Amman, Jordan. Dr. Aleter received his medical degree from the University of Jordan. He completed both his Internal Medicine Residency and Nephrology Fellowship training at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, US. Thereafter, he moved to Cleveland, Ohio, US, where he completed a Nephrology Transplant Fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic Main Campus. His training focused on management of kidney transplant patients. Currently, Dr. Aleter resides in Abu Dhabi with his wife and two children. When he’s not working at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Aleter enjoys spending time with his family and playing tennis.

DR. ASHRAF M. AL AZZONI

Scientific Committee

Staff Physician, Cardiovascular Medicine; Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Biography

Biography to be added.

DR. SANDRA EL HAJJ

Scientific Committee

Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacotherapy

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Biography

I completed my Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2013 from Lebanese American University (LAU); then completed my Postgraduate Year One (PGY-1)- Pharmacy Residency in 2015 from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School teaching affiliate, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, followed by my Postgraduate Year Two (PGY-2) – Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Residency from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School teaching affiliate, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. I am Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist and board-certified transplant pharmacotherapy specialist. I joined Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in May 2017 until present as a Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacotherapy specialist where I established the first pharmacy-led transplant clinic in the region in June 2019. I am certified in advanced transplant and immunology at Harvard Medical School in Boston. My interests and research areas are focused mainly on infections post-transplant, cardiac allograft vasculopathy, and antibody mediated rejection.

DR. SHAIR AHMED

Scientific Committee

Staff Physician, Thoracic Surgery; Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Biography

Dr. Shair U. Ahmed, MD, is a Staff Physician within the Thoracic Surgery Department of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Heart, Vascular, & Thoracic Institute. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Ahmed was a Staff Thoracic Surgeon at Baylor University Medical Center, Center of Thoracic Surgery in Dallas, Texas, US. Previously, he was a Staff Thoracic Surgeon at the Norton Thoracic Institute, Dignity Health in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Ahmed earned his medical degree from the University of Arizona College of Medicine. He completed both his internship and residency at Rhode Island Hospital/Brown University School of Medicine in Providence, Rhode Island. Dr. Ahmed then completed his Cardiothoracic Surgery fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia where he served as Administrative Chief Fellow during this final year of training. Dr. Ahmed resides in Abu Dhabi with his wife and daughter. In his spare time, he enjoys running and is a motor racing enthusiast.

ZEINA KASSEM

Scientific Committee

Nursing Director, Oncology and Organ Transplant Programs

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Biography

Add biography for Zeina Kassem here.

Planning Committee

DR. IHAB AHMED

Planning Committee Chair

Associate Staff Physician, Critical Care; Integrated Hospital Care Institute

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Biography

Dr. Ihab Ahmed, MD, is an Associate Staff Physician within the Critical Care Department of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Integrated Hospital Care Institute.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Ahmed was a Clinical Consultant of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) therapy at Getinge Company, providing clinical support and education for ECMO centers in the Middle East. He was also a Specialist of Critical Care at Nile Badrawi Hospital, Cairo, Egypt.

Dr. Ahmed received his medical degree from Ain Shams University, Egypt, and completed his residency within the Cardiothoracic Surgery Department at Ain Shams University.

Throughout his tenure, Dr. Ahmed has specialized in cardiac and surgical critical care with a special interest in ECMO. Over the past five years, he has completed more than 85 ECMO cases.

Currently, Dr. Ahmed resides in Abu Dhabi with his wife and two children.

DR. HAAMID SIDDIQUE

Planning Committee

Staff Physician, Critical Care; Integrated Hospital Care Institute

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Biography

Dr. Haamid Siddique, MBBS, is a Staff Physician within the Critical Care Department of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Integrated Hospital Care Institute.

Dr. Haamid Siddique, MBBS, is a Staff Physician within the Critical Care Department of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Integrated Hospital Care Institute. He is also Section Head of Neuro Critical Care. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Siddique served as a Consultant in Pulmonary and Critical Care at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan, USA. He was also an Assistant Professor of Medicine with Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Michigan, USA.

Dr. Siddique received his medical degree from Gulbarga University in Gulbarga, India. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Creighton University, Nebraska, USA and completed a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine from University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, USA. Dr. Siddique resides in Abu Dhabi with his wife and three children.

RASHA AL HASSAN

Planning Committee

Administrator, Oncology and Transplant

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Biography

Biography to be added for Rasha Al Hassan.

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We are delighted to welcome you to the 1st CCAD Congress on Multiorgan Transplantation: Innovation and Xenotransplantation, taking place at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on January 22-24, 2027.

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