Technological Innovations for Cancer Risk Reduction and Detection - Speakers

Dr. Lauby-Secretan is the Head of the IARC Handbooks of Cancer Prevention Programme and Deputy Head of the Evidence Synthesis and Classification Branch at the International Agency for Research on Cancer, located in Lyon, France.

In the early stages of her career, her research focused on the molecular and cellular aspects of carcinogenesis, in both experimental animals and in-vitro systems. Leaving the laboratory, she then joined the IARC Monographs Programme and gained expertise in exposure assessment and environmental epidemiology. 

She then relaunched the IARC Handbooks series, evaluating chemo-preventive agents, cancer screening and public health policies interventions. Recent key achievements include the publication of a milestone Handbooks volume on alcohol control and prevention, and a comprehensive 3-in-1 Handbook on oral cancer prevention. 

Regional Advisor, Noncommunicable Disease Prevention
WHO EMRO

Dr Lamia is a public health professional with a medical background, and more than 25 years of experience in the field. She holds an MD in Community Medicine from University of Khartoum, Sudan and an MSc in Global Health Policy from LSHTM, UK. Starting her public health career in Sudan, she worked with the Sudanese public health sector for more than 15 years in various technical and managerial positions.

Dr. Lamia joined the World Health Organization in 2012 and has worked across three country offices (Sudan, Pakistan and Oman) prior to joining the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) in 2021. She currently holds the position of Regional Advisor for NCD Prevention and leads regional efforts on cancer prevention and control in WHO EMRO, providing strategic and technical support to Member States of the region. Her work experience extends to include various public health domains that include non-communicable diseases, cancer prevention, maternal and child health, health promotion, nutrition and health system development.

Dr Al Thani’s 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.

Dean, College of Health Sciences
University of Doha for Science and Technology

Dr. Shahrokh Esfandiari is an accomplished academic leader, scholar, and strategist dedicated to advancing health education through innovation, collaboration, and applied excellence. As Dean of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Doha for Science and Technology, he is leading a bold transformation of health programs aligned with Qatar’s National Vision 2030 and the nation’s evolving workforce priorities.

Before joining UDST, Dr. Esfandiari served as Dean and Full Professor at the Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Dentistry, where he distinguished himself for his visionary leadership, interdisciplinary initiatives, and commitment to fostering academic rigor with societal impact. His career spans over two decades of academic leadership, clinical education, and institutional reform bridging the worlds of health sciences, innovation, and higher-education governance.

Under his leadership, UDST’s College of Health Sciences has expanded its academic portfolio, strengthened partnerships with national health institutions such as Hamad Medical Corporation, Sidra Medicine, and the Ministry of Public Health, and launched new strategic initiatives in research, accreditation, and graduate education. Dr. Esfandiari’s leadership philosophy centers on empowering people, fostering research that translates into practice, and creating meaningful pathways between academia and community health.

A passionate advocate for education that transforms lives, Dr. Esfandiari continues to inspire colleagues and students alike with his vision of academia as a catalyst for equity, excellence, and innovation in healthcare.

Dr. Mohsin is a Senior Consultant in Preventive and Community Medicine with over 26 years of experience in the Health Sector in Qatar, currently leading the Screening Monitoring and Evaluation Section at Qatar’s Primary Health Care Corporation.

This role involves overseeing the National Breast and Bowel Cancer Screening Programs across 5 PHCC health centers, a Mobile Screening Unit, and the National Cancer Screening Program Call Center, managing a multidisciplinary team responsible for delivering the daily operations of the screening service, quality assurance, and performance evaluation to ensure compliance with best practices and the achievement of key National Breast and Bowel Cancer Screening performance targets and providing consultancy and support related to development of Public Health Interventions mainly the screening.

Dr. Reem is the Chairperson of the Medical Genetics Department at Hamad Medical Corporation and an American Board-Certified Sr. Consultant Genetic Counselor with expertise in cancer genetics and rare diseases. In addition, Dr. Reem is the Vice President of Qatar Network of Medical Genetics and the Assistant Chair of the Doha-Heidelberg Rare Disease MDT and Research Committee and contributes as a member at the Qatar Precision Health Institute (QPHI) committees.

In addition to her clinical and leadership roles, Dr. Reem is also Assistant Professor and respected teaching faculty at the Qatar University's national genetic counseling program and she the main establisher of the genetic counseling profession's licensing and profession's hierarchy in Qatar. Dr. Reem had completed her clinical training and fellowship in genetic counseling from Sarah Lawrence College in New York in all clinical genetics’ subspecialties with special interest in cancer genetics. Dr. Reem was trained in multiple prestigious institutions in New York including Memorial Sloan Kettering, New York Presbyterian and Columbia Medical Centre. She then achieved the American board of genetic counselling and became the first Qatari national board-certified genetic counselor in the country.

Dr. Reem also received her second master degree in cancer therapeutics and achieved her PhD in cancer counselling and psychotherapy from University of Wales, Regents College in London and her research was honored as one of the 100 breakthroughs in the UK in 2018. Dr. Reem has multiple prestigious publications in high impact factor journals in the field of pediatrics and adult clinical genetics with special interest in cancer and rare disorders and is currently leading multiple precision medicine and clinical research projects including the Genomic Newborn Screening national clinical pilot at Hamad Medical Corporation in collaboration with QPHI.

Prof. Said is a prominent cancer immunologist and translational researcher, widely recognized for his contributions to cancer immunotherapy, tumor immunology, and immune biomarker discovery.

Professional Role:

1- Professor & Lead Scientist, Department of Medicine / Cancer Research

2- Associated with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Qatar, and Qatar University (collaborative academic and clinical research).

3- Previously affiliated with King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (Saudi Arabia) and Imperial College London (UK).

Research Focus:

• Cancer Immunotherapy & Tumor Immunology
• Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors & Biomarkers of Response
• Adoptive Cell Therapy & Cancer Vaccines
• Translational Oncology — bridging laboratory science and clinical applications.

Notable Achievements:

• Listed among Stanford–Elsevier Top 2% Scientists (2025) for global research impact.
• Published extensively in high-impact journals (e.g., Frontiers in Immunology, Cancer Immunology Research, Nature Communications).
• Led several funded research projects on immunogenomics and personalized cancer therapy.
• Supervised multiple PhD and MSc students in oncology and immunology.

Scientific Impact:

• Pioneered immunological approaches in solid tumors and hematological malignancies.
• Contributed to international collaborations in cancer immunotherapy research.
• Active in mentoring, scientific leadership, and conference presentations across the GCC and internationally.

Dr. Jafar is an EHS professional with more than 30 years of work experience. He built a solid management and technical safety background while working for leading industries in US including Chrysler, Alcoa, Pfizer, and Thermo Fisher. Dr. Momani started his consulting work in GCC delivering training and consulting work.

Dr. Momani worked in healthcare safety for more than 10 years in healthcare. Work included audits, supporting teams in the accreditations, management of health and safety programs including employees’ exposures, hazardous waste management, and delivering about 25 training topics.

Dr. Momani received his PhD in Program Evaluation (OSHA Policy Analysis), Master of Science degrees in Occupational Health & Safety and Information Systems Management, and Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemistry and Fire Protection.

Over the last 15 years, he has trained over 30,000 employees in healthcare and industry. Dr. Momani taught EHS courses including management of hazardous materials, advanced ergonomics, environmental pollution, safety and accident prevention, toxicology and safety engineering. 

Dr. Maaz completed his pediatric training in the West Midlands deanery in the United Kingdom (UK) followed by Pediatric Oncology and Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Training at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, UK. He has dual accreditation (CCT) in Pediatrics and Pediatric Oncology from PMETB UK.

In 2008, he joined Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Center in Lahore and was the Head of service from 2009 until before relocating to United Kingdom in 2011.

Dr. Maaz has a long experience in treating Children’s cancers (including brain tumors, solid tumors and leukemia). He has particular expertise in treating children with central nervous system CNS tumors. Before joining Sidra Medicine, he was serving as Consultant Pediatric Neuro-Oncologist at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales, Cardiff for a number of years. At Sidra Medicine he is the clinical lead for Neuro-Oncology since August 2018. His primary areas of clinical interest include brain tumors in young children and late effects of chemotherapy. He is also the lead for the survivorship program at Sidra Medicine. He has published extensively in international medical journals, including Pediatric Blood and Cancer (PBC) and British Journal of Radiology(BJR).

His research interests include new drug development in pediatric oncology. In Cardiff he was the Principal Investigator (P.I.) for many phase II and III studies including the BIOMEDE study (phase II trial testing the efficacy of targeted agents in patients with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma-DIPG), UMSCOM study (phase III clinical trial assessing response to Retuximab in children with Opsoclonus/Myoclonus); ReEcur study ( phase III trial comparing 6 different chemotherapy regimens in Ewing Sarcoma Family of Tumours) and LCH IV study (phase III trial for the treatment of Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis).

He is currently engaged in clinical research in epidemiology of brain tumors in Qatar and outcomes of pediatric brain tumors in Qatar.

Asma Al Bulushi is an experienced Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) at the National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR), where she currently serves with the Cardio-Oncology Service and leads the CNS team. She brings extensive clinical expertise across oncology, cardiology, and palliative care nursing. 

Her professional journey began in 2002 in the field of cardiology, where she held various roles including front-line nurse, charge nurse, and head nurse within multiple cardiology units at the Heart Hospital. She later transitioned to the Palliative Care Service as a CNS before advancing into her current specialization in cardio-oncology. 

Asma earned her Master’s degree in Nursing from the University of Calgary in 2015 and completed the Leadership for Change Program in 2017. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Genomic and Precision Medicine at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU), Qatar, with research focusing on personalized cardiotoxicity risk modeling in breast cancer patients. 

She actively contributes to several professional committees, including the Corporate Advanced Nursing and Midwifery Practice Network and the Nursing Research and Education Committee of the International Cardio-Oncology Society. Previously, she served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Calgary – Qatar, mentoring graduate nursing students. 

Her research and publications span cardiology, palliative care, and advanced nursing practice, reflecting her commitment to advancing evidence-based care, innovation, and leadership in specialized nursing roles.

Dr. Ahmad is an assistant professor and data scientist with a focus on Machine Learning (ML), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and applied data science. His expertise lies in harnessing ML algorithms to tackle different data science problems in the fields of healthcare systems, finance, and education.

Before assuming his role as an Assistant Professor at the University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST), Dr. Abdel-Hafez spent several years working as a data scientist consultant and expert at Queensland Health, Australia. He worked on impactful projects with multidisciplinary teams within Queensland Health from inception to deployment. Dr. Abdel-Hafez contributions to the field extend beyond academia. He has been actively involved in successful grant applications exceeding $1.4M as a co-investigator, leading the data analytics and data science components of these projects. He is committed to supervising, mentoring, and training the next generation of researchers, including guiding and mentoring numerous students throughout their academic journey, co-supervising several Ph.D. students to graduation at University of Queensland (UQ) School of Pharmacy and Queensland University of Technology (QUT) School of Public Health & Social Work, as well as the School of Computer Science, QUT, Australia.

With a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success, Dr. Ahmad Abdel-Hafez continues to make significant strides in advancing the intersection of data science, education, and healthcare, ultimately improving decision making processes and minimize time for achieving tasks