Committees

Professor Niveen M.E. Abu-Rmeileh is an internationally recognized public health expert with over two decades of experience in statistical epidemiology, health systems research, and implementation science. Currently a Professor at Qatar University and former Director of the Institute of Community and Public Health at Birzeit University, she has played a transformative role in advancing evidence-based public health in Palestine and the Eastern Mediterranean region.

Dr. Abu-Rmeileh holds a Ph.D. in Statistical Epidemiology from the University of Glasgow and an MPH from Birzeit University. She is the President of the Global Implementation Society and has served on several influential advisory bodies including the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Advisory Committee for Health Research and the WHO Research Ethics Review Committee. Her leadership extends to coordinating major health initiatives, such as the Evidence Synthesis Center and national tobacco control campaigns.

A prolific scholar, she has authored and co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles, contributed to landmark Global Burden of Disease studies, and led numerous multi-country research grants on non-communicable diseases, maternal and adolescent health, health data governance, and One Health approaches. Her research has been cited nearly 90,000 times, with an h-index of 52, underscoring her global impact.

Prof. Abu-Rmeileh is not only a leading academic but also a committed advocate for community health and policy change, bridging rigorous research with meaningful public engagement.

Dr. Hanan Abdul Rahim is Dean of the College of Health Sciences at Qatar University, the country’s largest national university. She has a PhD in Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine from the University of Oslo, Norway (2003) and a MSc in Biology from Illinois State University, IL, USA (1994).

Dr. Abdul Rahim has over 20 years of experience in public health. She was the founding Coordinator of the BSc Public Health program at Qatar University and one of the founding members of Qatar’s first Master of Public Health (MPH) program. Between 2008 and 2017, she was the Associate Director of the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) at Qatar University, the country’s first academic-based survey research organization.

Dr. Abdul Rahim’s research interests are at the intersection of social science and public health, with a special interest in the social determinants of noncommunicable diseases and the health of women. She has participated in a number of research studies and has authored a range of research and policy-oriented articles and reports in leading academic journals, including the Lancet, Health Policy, and Health Policy and Planning.

Dr. Abdul Rahim provides consultation for health and development agencies, including UNFPA and EMRO/WHO and is a member of several national health committees.

Dr. Karam has extensive research collaborations with international organizations, including the World Health Organization, the American, and Canadian associations for cardiovascular disease prevention and rehabilitation (AACVPR, and CACPR). Her research interest revolves aroud global health, clinical registries, non-communicable diseases epidemiology, with a specific focus on cardiovascular diseases and cardiac rehabilitation programs. She has published over 50 papers in top-tier journals, including Lancet, Nature, and Circulation.

She also co-authored clinical practice guidelines. She is the Founding co-chair of the International Cardiac Rehabilitation Registry (https://globalcardiacrehab.com/ICRR-Governance). She has also led the development of Qatar National Cardiac Rehabilitation Registry. Dr. Adawi has served on national and international committees. She is the former Chair of the International Cardiac Rehab Registry. She served on the World Health Organization’s expert panel for the development of the Rehabilitation Package 2030.

Eleven years of work experience in high level government offices, overseeing stakeholder engagement, strategic partnership relations and project management. A robust management and stakeholder engagement portfolio, facilitating the successful delivery of various projects on a national level. Built long-lasting strategic relationships with government agencies and the private sector. Managed sizeable projects on a national and international level with long term strategic implications and impact.

Haya started her professional journey at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, tasked as a young diplomat to act as the rapporteur of the Permanent National Committee in Support of Jerusalem. Transitioning into the security sector, Haya joined the Ministry of Defense in 2016 and lead on developing and implementing the international cooperation strategy and annual business plan alongside managing the establishment phase of the Qatari Armed Forces Academic Bridge program and overseeing its successful delivery.

At her current position as the Director of Strategic Partnerships, Haya manages a team strategic partnership officer across two sectors: Partnership Development and Planning and Evaluations. Overseeing the delivery of projects, from managing the onboarding of new partners to facilitating the necessary components in support of the due diligence process and implementing steps for the expansion of established strategic relationships.

Sheikh Dr Mohamed Bin Hamad Al Thani is a distinguished figure in the field of public health, widely recognised for his exceptional leadership and wide-ranging contributions. As Director of the Department of Non-Communicable Diseases Prevention Programs at the Ministry of Public Health in Qatar, he has played a pivotal role in advancing national health policies and programmes focused on improving population well-being.

A visionary in public health strategy, Dr Al Thani excels in strategic leadership, policy development, and programme implementation. His dynamic and forward-thinking approach has significantly shaped Qatar’s public health landscape, aligning it with national priorities and global best practices. He is renowned for his commitment to evidence-based decision-making and is adept at developing policies that place population health at the forefront.

In addition to his leadership responsibilities, Dr Al Thani maintains an active presence in academia. He holds the esteemed positions of Professor at Qatar University and Associate Professor of Clinical Healthcare Policy and Research at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar. His academic work centres on healthcare policy, health systems management, and quality improvement, reflecting his strong dedication to nurturing the next generation of healthcare professionals.

Dr Al Thani’s influence extends far beyond national borders through his active engagement in international forums and his role as Qatar’s representative at the World Health Assembly. He is also a key member of the Health Ministers’ Council for the Gulf Cooperation Council. Within Qatar, he has been instrumental in the Public Health Implementation Group (PHIG) and the Qatar Steering COVID-19 Committee. His involvement in the Scientific Reference and Research Taskforce (SRRT) further underscores his commitment to applying research and scientific evidence in shaping effective public health interventions.

A prolific scholar, Dr Al Thani has authored more than 70 peer-reviewed publications in leading scientific journals, contributing significantly to the global discourse on public health. His career is distinguished by a deep passion for advancing health outcomes and an unwavering dedication to public service, making him a leading figure in Qatar and a respected voice in international public health.

A development researcher and practitioner with over 20 years’ experience, Kabbani previously served as director of research at the Brookings Doha Center and as senior fellow with the Global Economy and Development Program and nonresident senior fellow in the Foreign Policy Program at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC.

Prior to joining Brookings, Kabbani was director of policy and research at the Silatech Foundation and the founding director of the Syrian Development Research Centre at the Syria Trust for Development. During his career, Kabbani has held positions on the faculty of the American University of Beirut and on the research staff of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the California State Senate. Kabbani has also served on the boards of several non-profit organizations and social enterprises.

Kabbani has published a diverse set of policy papers, academic articles, and chapters in edited volumes, most recently "Economic Dimensions of the Social Contract and How to Address Them," in The Modern Arab State: A Decade of Uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa. He has served as a consultant and led the preparation of reports and studies for various international organizations, including the World Bank, the International Labour Organization, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and others.

For more than a decade at the World Health Organization (WHO), his role was Regional Adviser for Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) prevention and management at the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean.

He transitioned to the Head of the Management-Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Unit (MND) where he provided strategic leadership and oversaw the development and implementation of a portfolio focused on early detection, diagnosis, and management of NCDs, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, oral health, and digital health solutions. His work also extended to implementation research and managing NCDs in humanitarian settings.

Slama played a crucial role in developing the first WHO NCD emergency kit in 2017. Since then, he has led WHO’s efforts on NCDs in emergency situations, as well as, a 10-year tenure on the board of Doctors Without Borders Switzerland.

Slama holds a Swiss Board Medical Degree in Internal Medicine and a Master’s degree of Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Additionally, he co-founded and served as the Programme Director of the Geneva Health Forum, which promotes action-driven and innovative debate around healthcare issues.

In the past, he has held various academic positions at Malaysian, Australian and Saudi Arabian universities in addition to other universities in the UK. Dr. Hadi’s main research interests include: health services research, medicines safety, use and optimisation and pharmacy education. He is a research methodologist and likes to work across different clinical disciplines. He has successfully supervised MSc and PhD students to completion.

Dr. Hadi has published over 100 papers in international-peer reviewed journals. In addition, he has contributed chapters to various research methods and pharmaceutical policy books. Dr. Hadi is also the Associate Editor of BMC Health Services Research and Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice. He is a mentor for the Pharmacy Research UK and faculty at the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR). He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK and Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health, UK.

She previously worked on cancer survival at the Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology Unit at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (UK). She also worked on cancer survival of Atomic bomb survivors at the Radiation Effects Research Foundation in Hiroshima (Japan). Manar was previously employed at the Faculty of Mathematical Sciences, University of Khartoum holding positions of Head of Statistics Department, Deputy Dean and Dean of the Faculty. Over the past two decades, Manar has been involved with household surveys, mainly Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS).

She served as household survey expert for many countries as well as the regional consultant for UNICEF Middle East and North Africa Region. Her research interests include wide statistical and epidemiological applications of health and clinical data using advanced statistical modeling, discrete data analysis, survival analysis, clinical trials and analysis of complex survey data on women and children health. She contributed extensively to research on cancer survival, oral health, antibiotic use, mycetoma neglected disease and diabetes in pregnancy. Manar is also interested in data science, particularly predictive modeling using machine learning. She is currently a principal investigator in a number of NPRP grants.

Previously, he has worked as an Early Career Research Fellow (2016-18) and Post-Doctoral Fellow at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (2013-14) and Surveillance Medical Officer at the World Health Organisation (2007-08). He obtained his medical degree (Doctor of Medicine) from the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (2007) and a Non-Degree Medicine PG from Sydney University (2010). He has also received fellowships for research and training from AusAID, Wellcome Trust, and Columbia University.

He has supervised more than 30 master’s-level students and published more than 40 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and served as a reviewer and editor on top international journals. He has served as a member and technical expert on several national and international advisory committees, including IVIRAC-WHO-HQ, Chatham House, UK, Board of Immunisation Economics, USA, WHO-SEARO, WHO India, WHO Maldives, MOFHW in India and Maldives, and the International Health Economics Association.

His research and teaching interests include EBM, the intersection of infectious disease epidemiology and economics, and health economics with a focus on pharmaceutical economics and HTA.

Prof. Khader holds master’s degrees in Public Health, Epidemiology, and Medical Education, and earned his Ph.D. in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Tulane University. He is a Fellow of the UK’s Faculty of Public Health and has previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences at JUST.

With over 800 scientific publications in leading journals such as The Lancet, JAMA, and The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), Prof. Khader is Jordan’s most cited researcher and one of the region’s foremost scientists. His areas of expertise include noncommunicable diseases, digital health, environmental health, and maternal and child health.

A pioneer in digital health in Jordan, Prof. Khader led the development of JSANDS, an electronic perinatal mortality surveillance system. His work has been supported by leading global organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the World Bank, and he has received numerous national and international awards in recognition of his scientific contributions.

Jenice is an advocate and ally for leaders focused on improving their organizations across all sectors globally. She is passionate about bringing human and learning-centered design elements to the forefront of all implementation efforts. Her goal is to help organizations stop the costly adopt and abandon cycle that exhausts human and capital resources and keeps innovations from reaching the intended recipients.

Her vast experiences nationally and internationally as a speaker, facilitator, consultant, administrator, leader in multiple organizations, Oregon Response to Instruction and Intervention Implementation Facilitator, Learning Forward Learning School Alliance Facilitator, literacy coach, mentor, District-level Support Specialist, and teacher have contributed to her commitment to a learning and improvement mindset. Jenice uses her experience and expertise in implementation and improvement sciences as she consults with all interested in performance improvement to achieve their goals more effectively.

Ms. Pizzuto was a founding member of GIS and served as the Professional Learning and Resources Committee Chair. Her volunteer commitment also includes serving Learning Forward, where she helped form the Learning Forward Oregon Affiliate and served as president and vice president of the Oregon affiliate. Jenice received an award of Lead Mentor while serving as a mentor teacher and has been recognized as Woman of Week by the Women Supporting Women, Kastl Law P.C.

Ms. Pizzuto received her Master of Education Administration, MA ED, from Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Education in Portland, Oregon. She received her Teacher Licensure from Portland State University in Portland, Oregon.

Since 2015, he has led the WHO regional agenda on evidence-informed policy making, health information systems, digital health, research promotion and governance and knowledge sharing. His career in health policy research and health system development spans 25 years and several countries.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Rashidian led the research and knowledge management pillar of the WHO response management team in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. He is Vice-Chair of WHO’s Guideline Review Committee and Executive Editor of the Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean’s flagship publication.

Previous positions include: Professor of Health Policy and Deputy Chancellor, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Islamic Republic of Iran; founding Director, National Institute of Health Research, Islamic Republic of Iran; Honorary Visiting Professor, Imperial College, London, UK; Honorary Professor, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Islamic Republic of Iran; Visiting Professor, School of Pharmacy, TUMS, Islamic Republic of Iran; methodological advisor, National Collaborating Centre for Acute Care (affiliated to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence), UK; Assistant Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK; Visiting Associate Professor, Aga Khan University, Pakistan and Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Bangor University, UK. He has led the development of strategic policy documents, advised national health policy committees and health insurance organizations and co-authored over 200 academic papers.

He has extensive experience supporting organizations in selecting, adapting, implementing, and evaluating community-based improvement interventions, with a focus on social equity, implementation science, and data-informed decision-making. Dr. Scaccia was one of the original developers of the R=MC² readiness model, which is widely used to assess and strengthen organizational readiness for change.

Beyond his role at Aptive, Dr. Scaccia is the founder of PubTrawlr, a science dissemination platform that uses AI-powered tools to synthesize and summarize complex research into accessible, actionable insights. Through PubTrawlr and its affiliated verticals including This Week in Public Health, This Week in Science, and This Week in Pet Health-he aims to democratize access to high-quality scientific information for professionals, educators, and the general public. PubTrawlr’s innovative use of retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems and chatbots helps communities, nonprofits, and health systems quickly locate and apply relevant research findings.

His current work explores how artificial intelligence can accelerate research translation, enhance stakeholder engagement, and improve decision-making in both clinical and community settings. At the Dawn Chorus Group, Dr. Scaccia leads evaluation and capacity-building efforts with local, state, and national partners to promote systems change and health equity.

Dr. Scaccia is committed to bridging the gap between evidence and practice by making scientific knowledge more timely, relevant, and user-friendly. He received his Ph.D. in clinical-community psychology from the University of South Carolina and completed a federal research fellowship with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health.

Over the past 12 years she has led or supported humanitarian health missions with UK-Emergency Medical Team, Uk-Med, and WHO in the Middle east as well as in Europe, Africa, and other regions, focusing on emergency-preparedness planning, simulation exercises, and community-centred public-health interventions. Diana’s research portfolio includes infectious and chronic-disease programmes in conflict settings as well as humanitarian readiness and preparedness. Dr. Maddah has received many awards, one of them is the Delta Omega award for excellence in public health research and practice.

Diana teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in public-health preparedness, mentors student research teams, and serves as a co-chair on many global committees with WHO, UNICEF, and Qatar University. In February 2025 she joined a select group honored at Buckingham Palace for outstanding humanitarian service. Outside academia she volunteers with community-health initiatives and enjoys mentoring early-career public-health professionals. She is also a certified gender-equity trainer (George Washington University).

He completed his graduate studies in Canada and holds a Master of Health Administration from Dalhousie University and a PhD from Saint Mary’s University. During his graduate studies, he was awarded the prestigious Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship from SSHRC. Dr. Mohammed has a unique blend of public health management and post-doctoral training experiences. He was the Director of Health Initiatives at the Lung Association of Nova Scotia where he managed tobacco and vaping control initiatives. His contributions in practice received several awards including Cancer Care Nova Scotia’s Leadership Excellence Award. Dr. Mohammed completed the elite Mitacs Elevate Post-Doctoral Fellowship program during which he was honored as Canada’s 2019 recipient of the Outstanding Innovation Award- Post doctoral category-an ultra-competitive award that recognizes one post-doctoral fellow in Canada every year.

She holds a Master’s in Public Health from Qatar University and has over 8 years of experience in academic event planning, logistics, community engagement, and office operations. With a strong background in university operations, she plays a vital role in ensuring the smooth execution of all logistical and organizational aspects of the conference.

She is currently a PhD student in Public Health at the University of Aberdeen, UK. She worked in laboratory ,clinical, and Public health research as well as in teaching Epidemiology and Biostatistics courses to undergraduate students in Lebanon, UAE and Qatar.She also worked as students’ advisor and program coordinator. Her publications are mainly focused on chronic diseases, epilepsy and mental health.