SPEAKERS

Dr. Arif Abdullatif Al Mulla

MB, BCh, FRCPC, FACC

Advanced Heart Failure & Pulmonary Hypertension Cardiologist
Chief of Cardiology, Dubai Hospital
Dubai Health

Dr. Arif Abdullatif Al Mulla

MB, BCh, FRCPC, FACC

Dr. Al-Mulla received his medical degree from University College Cork, Ireland in 1997. He finished his Internal Medicine Residency Program (2005), Cardiology Residency Program (2008) and his Heart Function and Heart Transplant Fellowship Program (2009) from McGill University, Montreal, Canada.

He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology, a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine as well as being certified by the National Board of Echocardiography.

His main interests are managing patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, patients with Acute and Chronic Heart Failure, Echocardiography and Invasive Cardiac Hemodynamics. He is actively involved in teaching.

Currently he is the Division Chief of Adult Cardiology, Dubai Hospital, Dubai Health, United Arab Emirates.

Dr. Hani Sabbour

MD FACC FHRS FASE

Consultant Cardiologist / Cardiac Electrophysiology Mediclinic Hospital, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Dr. Hani Sabbour

MD FACC FHRS FASE

Dr Sabbour has over 29 years of clinical experience in all aspects of cardiology and extensive academic expertise starting from his training at Harvard Medical School (Massachusetts General Hospital) and Clinical Assistant Professorship at Brown University Warren Alpert School of Medicine in Rhode Island USA . He has been at the forefront of complex cardiac care in the UAE and is extensively published on multicentre cardiovascular research in the UAE, as well as guideline writing and implementation and advanced cardiovascular post graduate education. He has performed over 800 cardiac EP procedures including implantable devices and EP / ablations.

Dr. Hassan M Alnuaimat

Consultant Staff Physician,Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Dr. Hassan M Alnuaimat

Dr. Hassan Alnuaimat is a Consultant Staff Physician who is specialized in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. He is the Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Alnuaimat was a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, USA.

Dr. Alnuaimat has advanced specialization in Pulmonary Hypertension, Lung Transplantation and ECMO support. He was the founder and Director of the PH comprehensive care center at the University of Florida. He was a leader in the 5th highest volume lung transplant program in the United States. Dr. Alnuaimat was the Director of the Respiratory ECMO Program.

Dr. Alnuaimat is a well accomplished researcher. He has authored numerous research articles in leading peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Alnuaimat has lectured at, and his research work was presented in, numerous scientific meetings. He is an excellent clinical educator and has received numerous teaching awards.

Prof. Abdullah M. Aldalaan

Consultant, Pulmonary Medicine
Director, Pulmonary Hypertension Program
Lung Health Centre, OTCoE
King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre
Professor of Medicine
AlFaisal Univeristy

Prof. Abdullah M. Aldalaan

Prof. Abdullah Aldalaan graduated from King Saud University in Riyadh. He received his residency training at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina, USA; and completed his fellowship training in Pulmonary and Critical Care at University of Virginia, USA. He obtained American Board of Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Medicine. Since then, he has been practicing as a Pulmonologist and Intensivist at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He co-established the Lung Transplant Program at KFSH&RC in 2003. Then, he established the Pulmonary Hypertension Program at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre. In addition to his clinical responsibilities, he held administrative positions such as Section Head of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine; Director of Pulmonary Fellowship Program- Lung Health Center, Director of Ambulatory Care Services. He currently serves as Professor of Medicine at Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. His main area of interest is Pulmonary Hypertension. Within the Pulmonary Hypertension Program, he also runs a comprehensive CTEPH management program including medical as well as pulmonary endarterectomy treatments. His research interest is focused on Pulmonary Hypertension where he published several papers. He was awarded recognition awards at KFSH&RC for his work and research on Pulmonary Hypertension.

Prof. Majdy Idrees

MD, FRCPC, FCCP, FPVRI, FRCP Edin (Hon)

Adjunct Professor of Pulmonary Medicine
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Pulmonary Medicine
Pulmonary Vascular Unit
Prince Sultan Military Medical City

Prof. Majdy Idrees

MD, FRCPC, FCCP, FPVRI, FRCP Edin (Hon)

Dr. Idrees is an Adjunct Professor of Pulmonary Medicine at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada and the Head of Pulmonary Vascular Unit at PSMMC. Dr. Idrees is the founder, and the former head, of the Saudi Association for Pulmonary Hypertension. His major area of research is related to pulmonary hypertension and has more than 50 publications in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Idrees was awarded and recognized for his achievements in the field of pulmonary hypertension by the Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute, and his name was added to the “Pulmonary Hypertension Committee of Honor” chosen by the Spanish Ministry of Health.

Dr. Goran Nadir Salih

Consultant Pulmonologist and Internal Medicine
Program Director for Adult Pulmonary Fellowship
Director of Pulmonary Subspecialty Clinic and Interventional Pulmonology
Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health

Dr. Goran Nadir Salih

Dr. Goran Nadir Salih is Consultant Pulmonologist and Internal Medicine, with 17 years’ experience. He is Danish Board Certified in Internal and Pulmonary Medicine, he did his fellowship at many tertiary centers at Copenhagen University Hospitals, Denmark.

After Moving to UAE in May 2021, he worked as Consultant Pulmonologist at American Hospital Dubai. In February 2022 he joined the Department of Pulmonary, Sleep and Allergic diseases at Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health as Consultant Pulmonologist, where he is currently director of interventional pulmonology, interstitial lung diseases clinic, and Adult Respiratory Fellowship under The Saudi Commission of Health Specialties (SCFHS) . Currently he is also member of the Adult pulmonary Scientific Committee under National Institute for Health Specialties (NIHS), Emirati Board.

Dr. Ahmed Adel Hassan

Pediatric Cardiologist
Heart Center of excellence
Al Jalila Childrens, Dubai, UAE

Dr. Ahmed Adel Hassan

Dr. Ahmed Adel Hassan, a distinguished pediatric cardiologist at Al Jalila Children's Hospital in Dubai since 2016, brings his expertise in catheter interventions and pediatric pulmonary hypertension to our scientific committee. With numerous articles published in international journals, Dr. Hassan has also shared his insights through lectures, oral abstracts, and posters at congresses in Europe, the USA, and the Middle East. As the lead organizer of the International Arab Neonatal Care Conference since 2011, he demonstrates his dedication to neonatal care. Additionally, he chairs annual hemodynamic and echo workshops for neonatologists and pediatricians.

Dr. Mahmoud El-Kaissi

Staff Physician in the Imaging Institute at
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Dr. Mahmoud El-Kaissi

Dr. Mahmoud El-Kaissi, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Imaging Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Dr El-Kaissi is the Lead thoracic Consultant Radiologist at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. El-Kaissi worked as an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center.

Dr. El-Kaissi received his medical degree from a University in Kaunas, Lithuania. He completed his Radiology residency at King Hussein Medical Center Amman, Jordan.

Dr. El-Kaissi is an American Board-certified Radiologist with four ACGME accredited fellowship in Neuroradiology, pediatric Radiology, Body cross sectional imaging and cardiothoracic Imaging.

Dr.Haluk Alibazoglu

Consultant Physician
Nuclear Medicine and Nuclear Cardiology
Imaging Institute, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Dr.Haluk Alibazoglu

Successfully established Nuclear Cardiology and Nuclear Medicine programs in newly opened Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in 2014, serving as Director of Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac PET/CT. Generating and performing 98% of Nuclear Cardiology patient volume within the Imaging Institute.

Pioneered the establishment of the first Cardiac PET program in the region in 2016, among one of the selected sites in the world; offering N13-Ammonia PET myocardial perfusion imaging with myocardial flow quantification. Have a track record of 1000+ cases including post-processing and interpretation. As part of the Cardiac PET program, introduced the first and only Cardiac PET Inflammation imaging service in the region.

Dual board certified by American Board of Nuclear Medicine and Certification Board of Nuclear Cardiology with over 20 years of practice experience. Consistently demonstrated a commitment to excellence in nuclear cardiology practice with integrating the latest evidence-based contemporary practice points into the Nuclear Cardiology labs of Cleveland Clinic (Abu Dhabi and Al Ain); a few such as tracer injection at 120 seconds post vasodilator injection, manual correction of spill over and motion in dynamic PET myocardial perfusion, PET MPI flow measurement quality control metrics.

Dr. Khaled M. Saleh

Pulmonary/Critical Care Consultant
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Dr. Khaled M. Saleh

I am a pulmonary critical care consultant at Cleveland Clinic Abudhabi since August 2014.

currently ABIM board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine.

PI on both the PAH and ILD registries at CCAD. Published the first PAH registry in UAE as PI

co-investigator for international PAH meta registry by PVRI that published many articles in high tier Journals in Europe and US..

I was awarded a grant from the department of health in UAE to study genetic patterns in PAH.

Dr. Rajaie Namas

Clinical Associate Professor
Section Head of Rheumatology
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Dr. Rajaie Namas

Rajaie Namas, MD, is Clinical Associate Professor and Section Head of Rheumatology at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in 2017, Dr. Namas served at the University of Michigan as a Clinical Lecturer and was supported by the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. He was then promoted to Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan.

Dr. Namas received his medical degree from the University of Tripoli, Libya. He completed his postdoctoral training at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US, followed by his residency in Internal Medicine at Hurly Medical Center/Michigan State University in Flint, Michigan, US. Dr. Namas completed his fellowship in Rheumatology at the Wayne State University/Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, US.

Dr. Namas is currently leading initiatives to establish registries in the UAE and the Middle East, with a particular focus on outcome measures and biomarkers. He is actively participating in multiple research projects that delve into treatment strategies, and translational studies. He has multiple publications and awards in the field of Rheumatology, and is a reviewer on multiple peer-reviewed journals.

Dr. Namas is a member and fellow of the American College of Rheumatology and American College of Physicians.

Dr. Rizwan Ahmed

FRCP FSCMR PhD

Consultant Adult Congenital Heart Disease
Pulmonary Hypertension and Advanced
Cardiac Imaging
Sheikh Khalifa Medical City
Abu Dhabi

Dr. Rizwan Ahmed

FRCP FSCMR PhD

Dr. Rizwan Ahmed is Consultant Cardiologist with special expertise in Adult Congenital Heart Disease, Pulmonary Hypertension and Advanced Cardiac Imaging. He trained in Cardiology in East of England and in Adult Congenital Heart Disease and Pulmonary Hypertension in Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Barts Heart Centre and the Royal Brompton Hospital. He has a PhD in cardiovascular genomics from Imperial College London and published his research in high impact journals. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, Fellow of Society of Cardiovascular MRI and a member of the European Society of Cardiology Working Groups on Adult Congenital Heart Disease and Pulmonary Circulation & Right Ventricular Function. His special interests include advanced cardiovascular imaging and haemodynamics in Adult Congenital Heart Disease.

Dr. Saniya Khan

Staff Physician
Pulmonology, Respiratory Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Dr. Saniya Khan

Dr. Saniya Khan, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Respiratory Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, she was an Academic Assistant Professor and Consultant Pulmonary & Critical Care Physician at the Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, US and its affiliated hospitals.

During this time, Dr. Khan held active responsibilities in the undergraduate curriculum development for respiratory medicine at the university, along with active teaching and demonstration labs for medical students. She also served as an Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) instructor and supervised the pulmonary clerkship for medical students.

Dr. Khan has received awards and recognition for her teaching and mentoring. She has mentored medical residents with publications and presentations in accredited forums, advancing their knowledge and interest in the field of pulmonary and critical care medicine.

Dr. Khan also practices general pulmonary medicine with special interest in advanced lung diseases, including, but not limited to, interstitial lung diseases, connective tissues diseases and granulomatous lung diseases. In addition, she specializes in and actively practices critical care medicine and has overseen initiation and implementation of quality initiatives in critical care.

Dr. Khan resides in Abu Dhabi with her husband and two daughters. Her wider interests include traveling, music, exploring various cultures and the arts. She avidly practices stott pilates.

Dr.Usman Ahmad

MD, FACS

Department Chair, Thoracic Surgery and Lung Transplantation
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Dr.Usman Ahmad

MD, FACS

Usman Ahmad, MD, is a thoracic surgeon in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at the Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart & Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic. He holds a joint appointment with the Taussig Cancer Institute. Dr. Ahmad is board-certified in surgery. He joined Cleveland Clinic in 2015. Currently he also serves as the chief of Thoracic Surgery and Lung Transplant at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Specialty interests: He is a general thoracic and lung transplantation surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic. His clinical practice and research interests include thoracic oncology and end-stage lung disease management. He serves as the director of thoracic robotic surgery program.

Education and Training: Dr. Ahmad earned his medical degree from the Aga Khan University Medical College, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. He completed an immunology and vascular biology research fellowship at the Yale School of Medicine’s Vascular Biology and Transplantation program, New Haven, CT. His internship and residency in general surgery were also completed at Yale, where he was named Chief Resident and Educational Chief Resident in his last year of training. 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.

Publications, Speaking and Research: Dr. Ahmad is a member of STS, AATS, IASLC and ITMIG. He has a strong interest in cancer outcomes research and has written many peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. He has presented his research at meetings hosted by the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, American Association of Thoracic Surgery, and the International Thymic Malignancy Interest Group.

Dr. Isabel Mira-Avendano

Advanced Pulmonary Diseases Specialist
Pulmonary Medicine Division
Integrated Hospital Care Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Dr. Isabel Mira-Avendano

Dr. Isabel Mira-Avendano, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Respiratory Institute at Clevelnd Clinic Abu Dhabi. Dr. Isabel is board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, she worked at Mayo Clinic and University of Texas in Houston, US, as an Associate Professor in Medicine in the departments of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. She worked alongside the Rheumatology Department and was the co-director of the Interstitial Lung Disease and Rheumatology-Pulmonary program, in both institutions.

Dr. Isabel completed Internal Medicine residence at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH, US and her fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care at Cleveland Clinic, main campus. During her fellowship, she received special training on interstitial lung disease and pulmonary hypertension, areas in which she has been focused throughout her career.

She has mentored multiple trainees, including medical students, internal medicine residents and pulmonary and critical care fellows.

Dr. Mira has many peer-reviewed publications, mostly in the areas of interstitial lung disease and pulmonary hypertension, and has been the author of many Chapter books. She is an active member of the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST), American Thoracic Society (ATS), Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) and European Respiratory Society (ERS) and has presented at multiple national and internationals meetings.

Dr. Noha Yaseen

consultant Cardiologist
Al Qassimi Hospital, Sharjah

Dr. Noha Yaseen

Dr. Noha Yaseen is a consultant cardiologist in Al Qassimi Hospital. She completed her training in Internal Medicine and Cardiology in Dubai Health Authority. She is Arab Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiology. She is also an assistant professor in Sharjah University Hospital. Her main interests are pulmonary hypertension, cardiac imaging and heart failure.

Dr. Nadya Obaid Al Matrooshi

MD, MScHPE

Staff Physician, Section of Heart Failure and Transplant
Medical Director of Heart Transplant
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine - Heart, Vascular, and Thoracic Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Dr. Nadya Obaid Al Matrooshi

MD, MScHPE

Dr. Nadya Obaid Al Matrooshi is a cardiologist specializing in heart failure and cardiac transplantation. She currently serves as a Staff Physician at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Medical Director of Heart Transplant Additionally, she is the President of the Fellows in Training in Cardiology Group within the Emirates Cardiac Society.

Aboard member and leading heart failure working group within the Emirates Cardiac Society.

Dr. Al Matrooshi completed an advanced heart failure and cardiac transplant fellowship at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute in Canada, and earned her master degree in Leadership in Health Professions Education from the Royal College of Surgeons.

Her research interests include various aspects in ventricular assist devices and Cardiac Transplant. she has participated in different conference locally and regionally and has published several articles in peer review journals.

As a dedicated member of the global cardiovascular community, she is actively involved in professional societies, including the Canadian Heart Failure Society, ACC and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

Dr. Said Isse

Consultant Pulmonologist and Lung Transplant Physician
Respiratory Institiute 
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Dr. Said Isse

Dr. Said Isse, MBBS, is a Staff Physician in the Respiratory Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. 

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Isse served as a Consultant Pulmonologist in King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia where he specialized in lung transplantation and cystic fibrosis. 

Dr. Isse received his medical degree from the UCL Medical School, London, UK. He completed his residency and fellowship research at the Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, UK. He then completed his MRCP at the Royal College of Physicians, London, and holds a certificate of completion of specialist training (CCT) from the UK.