Dr. Hassan Abolhassani, MD, PhD, MPH
Assistant Professor of Clinical Immunology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet
Sweden

Dr. Abolhassani obtained his MD and Masters of Public Health at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran and his PhD in Immunogenetics at the Karolinska Institutet (KI) in Sweden. There, he spent his postdoctoral fellowship evaluating single-cell multi-omics of novel Inborn Errors of Immunity (IEI) before becoming an Assistant Professor.

Currently, Dr. Abolhassani serves as President of the Middle East and North Africa Registry on IEI (MENA-IEI), one of the largest cohorts worldwide (>17,000 patients) performing translational research on IEI with B-cell defects. Through a long-term collaboration with the Center for Vaccine Equity, and Task Force for Global Health, Dr. Abolhassani coordinates the guidelines for diagnosis, treatment, transplantation, and vaccinations in IEI patients. He is a steering member of the J Project experts (professional network on IEI and related diseases in East-European countries) and a distinguished clinical immunologist collaborator of Global Burden of Disease (GBD).

Prof. Hamoud Abdulkareem Al-Mousa
Pediatric Allergy/Immunology Consultant, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center
Riyadh, KSA

Professor Al-Mousa obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine and Surgery at King Saud University in Riyadh in 1994, before completing his Pediatric Residency at KFSH&RC. He underwent fellowship training in the field of Pediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology at KFSH&RC and continued his training at the Unite d’ Immunologie Hematologie Pediatrique Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades in Paris, France.

In 2004, Dr. Al-Mousa re-joined KFSH&RC  in his current, joint appointment in the sections of Allergy/Immunology and Hematology/Oncology (Stem Cell Transplantation). He established a Hereditary Immunodeficiency unit with the Research Department of Genetics at KFSH&RC and was appointed as a clinical scientist.

His area of interest is on Primary Immunodeficiency Disorders (PIDs) and Bone Marrow Transplantation. His research is directed to identify the underlying genetic defects of PIDs in the region. Heavily-involved in research and educational activities, Dr. Al-Mousa has more than ten ongoing research projects and several publications in the field.

Dr. Anas Mohammed Alazami, PhD
Senior Scientist, Immunogenetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre
KSA

Dr. Alazami obtained his Bachelors in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, USA in 1996. This was followed by a Masters in Research from the University of Kent, UK in 2000, and a doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Sciences from the University of Oxford in 2004.

He has been employed at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre since 2005, where he is currently Senior Scientist and head of the immunogenetics section, as well as deputy chairman of the Translational Genomics Department at the Centre for Genomic Medicine. He is an author or co-author on more than 60 papers, dealing largely with Mendelian genetics and human disease, with a current focus on the functional assessment of rare mutations underlying inborn errors of immunity.

Dr. Danielle Arnold
Assistant Research Physician, Immune Deficiency – Cellular Therapy Program, National Cancer Institute, Maryland
USA

Dr. Arnold is an assistant research physician with the Immune Deficiency-Cellular Therapy Program at the National Cancer Institute. Her primary interest is to develop and optimize hematopoietic cell transplantation regimens for patients with primary immunodeficiencies and primary immune regulatory disorders. This includes management of inflammatory disease pre- and post-transplant to decrease the risk of graft failure, graft-versus-host disease, and transplant-related mortality. She is also the principal investigator of a novel transplant regimen for patients with GATA2 deficiency using a briquilimab (anti-c-Kit antibody)-based conditioning regimen for which early outcomes have been promising. Finally, Dr. Arnold is investigating the role of inflammatory disease in transplant and gene therapy in patients with chronic granulomatous disease, including impact on clinical outcomes and identification of optimal transplant and gene therapy approaches, through her work with the Primary Immune Deficiency Treatment Consortium (PIDTC) at the University of California San Francisco.

Dr. Mohamed-Ridha Barbouche, MD, PhD
Professor, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University
Manama, Bahrain

Dr. Barbouche received his MD from the University of Tunis and his PhD from the University Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris, France. He trained at the Institut Pasteur and at Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital in Paris, then moved to Cornell University in New York as a post-doctoral fellow. Before his recent move to the Arabian Gulf University, Dr. Barbouche served as an Immunology Professor in the University of Tunis El Manar Medical School as well as Research Laboratory Director and Clinical Immunology Department Head at the Pasteur Institute of Tunis, Tunisia.

His research uses host-pathogen interactions in Primary Immune Deficiencies (PIDs) and Inborn Errors of Immunity as a model for studying genetic susceptibility to infections and immune-mediated diseases in humans. His clinical interests include care and genetic counselling for PID patients and he is a member of multiple immunological societies.

Dr. Safa Baris, MD
Professor of Pediatric Immunology, Marmara University Hospital, Isil Barlan Translational Medicine Research Center, Istanbul
Türkiye

Dr. Baris is a Professor of Pediatric Immunology at Marmara University Hospital in Istanbul, Türkiye. His major interest in the field of Inborn Errors of Immunity (IEIs) is related to work on clinical characterization and treatment of several immunodysregulatory disorders including LRBA, CTLA-4 deficiencies, IPEX, and STAT1/3/6 gain of function. Recently, he established a local registry for LRBA- and CTLA-4-deficient patients, aiming to understand the natural history of these diseases and investigate the role of abatacept in controlling disease manifestations.

Prof. Serdar Ceylaner, MD
Director, Department of Medical Genetics, Lokman Hekim University, Ankara
Türkiye

Professor Ceylaner is a medical geneticist who focuses on rare and undiagnosed diseases for both diagnosis and scientific studies. He is the director, partner, and founder of Intergen Genetics and Rare Diseases Diagnostic and Research Center.

Dr. Ceylaner serves on the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) as the Vice President of the Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases Committee and the Turkish Representative of the Department of Medical Genetics, as well as sits on the committees for the European Exams in Medical Genetics and Rare Diseases.

He has focused on genetics and rare diseases and studies in this field for 30 years. He established a center for diagnosis, research and educational work in this field. Undiagnosed diseases, medical complications, and intensive care unit patients are the main research areas in recent years.

Dr. Maria Pia Cicalese, MD, PhD
Consultant Paediatrician, Professor, and Physician Scientist, Pediatric Immunohematology Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute
Milan, Italy

Dr. Cicalese earned her M.D in Pediatrics and PhD in Reproduction, Development, and Human Growth in 2015 at the University of Naples Federico II in Italy.

At the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget), Dr. Cicalese’s roles include Bone Marrow Transplanter, Autologous Transplant Coordinator, Quality Manager, and Head of Outpatient Clinic. Her clinical and scientific interests lie in the diagnosis and management of patients with Primary Immunodeficiencies (PIDs), the discovery of new genes causing PIDs, the gene therapy approaches for PID correction - in particular, Adenosine deaminase-deficient Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (ADA SCID) and Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome, and the long-term safety and efficacy monitoring of gene therapy through registries. She was among the key persons working in the Marketing Approval of the first ex-vivo gene therapy approved in the world, named Strimvelis©, for the treatment of ADA SCID.

Dr. Ghassan Dbaibo
Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, American University of Beirut
Lebanon

After graduating from the American University of Beirut (AUB), Dr. Dbaibo trained in Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Duke University in North Carolina, USA and became American Board-certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Infectious Diseases. After joining the faculty there for two years, Dr. Dbaibo moved back to AUB where he is now Professor of Pediatrics and Founding Head of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. He is the Founding Director of the AUB Center for Infectious Diseases Research. He is also founder and co-director of the Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases Program at AUB Medical Center and the Founding Director of the National Neonatal Screening Program for Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases (NaSPID). Dr. Dbaibo is a member of the Regional Technical Advisory Group for the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office and the Product Development of Vaccines Advisory Committee for the WHO. He has authored more than 190 publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Prof. E. Figen Doğu, MD
Professor, Department of Pediatric Immunology and Allergy, Ankara University
Türkiye

Dr. Doğu studied medicine at Hacettepe University before a residency in pediatrics at Dr. Sami Ulus Children’s Hospital and a clinical fellowship in pediatric immunology and allergy at the Department of Pediatric Immunology and Allergy at Ankara University. For six more months, she was in the pediatric bone marrow transplantation unit. She has been working in the Department of Paediatric Immunology and Allergy at Ankara University for more than 24 years and became a professor in 2011. Her principal areas of interest in science include stem cell transplantation for primary immunodeficiencies and novel primary immunodeficiencies.

Prof. Mamoun Elawad
Chief, Gastroenterology/Hepatology/Nutrition Division
Sidra Medicine, Qatar

Professor Elawad trained in Pediatric gastroenterology at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, Oxford John Radcliff Hospital, and King’s College Hospital. He worked as a consultant pediatric gastroenterologist at University Hospital of Wales and Birmingham Children’s Hospital before he rejoined GOSH in 2002 as a consultant gastroenterologist. Whist at GOSH, he became the founder and the director of “ImproveCareNow,” the first worldwide program for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant for autoimmune and inflammatory gut diseases. He joined Sidra Medicine in 2014 as a Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Director of Inflammatory Bowel Disorders (IBDs) and brought Sidra Medicine into the ImproveCareNow collaboration.

As a senior lecturer at the University College London, his research focuses on genetic/autoimmune inflammatory gut disorders, interactions with microbiota, and GI food allergy. He also co-founded the European GENIUS group overseeing the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric early-onset IBDs.

Dr. Raphaela Goldbach-Mansky
Chief of Translational Autoinflammatory Diseases Section (TADS) in the Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology (LCIM), NIAID, NIH

Dr. Goldbach-Mansky’s translational research program focuses on clinical and translational studies in children with early-onset autoinflammatory diseases. Her researchf applies an integrative approach to characterize the genetic and molecular causes of autoinflammatory diseases and to design targeted treatment studies to investigate the role of specific inflammatory pathways in the pathogenesis of autoinflammatory diseases. Her studies in patients with NOMID and DIRA established targeted treatments with IL-1 inhibitors as standard of care and led to FDA approval of anakinra for NOMID and anakinra and rilonacept for DIRA.

Her more recent translational and interventional studies focus on understanding the pathogenic role for Interferons in autoinflammatory diseases patients with chronic IFN signatures, including CANDLE, SAVI, and NEMO-NDAS, and on additional pathways that amplify innate immune dysregulation and drive sterile inflammation. Dr. Goldbach-Mansky is a co-founder of the Translational autoinflammatory research network (TARN) to promote translational research in patients with rare autoinflammatory diseases.

Dr. Amel Hassan, MBBS, MRCP, MSc
Senior Attending Physician, Allergy and Immunology, Sidra Medicine
Qatar

Dr. Hassan is a seasoned professional in clinical immunology, boasting over 25 years of experience. With a robust background in diagnosing complex immune deficiency disorders and their corrective therapies, she excels in clinical, research, and medical education realms. As a lead Principal Investigator for numerous projects at Sidra Medicine, her exemplary communication skills and collaborative spirit shine through. Dr. Hassan has also held pivotal leadership positions in medical education, serving as the Director of Undergraduate Medical Education and Site Director of the Pediatric Immunology and Allergy Fellowship for over 5 years. Her contributions extend to the academic sphere with publications, including two book chapters and multiple peer-reviewed articles, highlighting her dedication to advancing medical knowledge, continuing to improve the outcome of children with Primary Immunodysregulation Disorders.

Dr. Fabian Hauck, MD, PhD
Professor of Pediatric Immunology and Hematology/Oncology, Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilans-Universität
Munich, Germany

Dr. Hauck has an MD from the University of Würzburg Institute of Pathology and a PhD in Immunology from Sorbonne University Paris.
As a professor, he heads the Division of Pediatric Immunology and Rheumatology including the Laboratory of Immunological Diagnostics at the Dr. von Hauner Children’s Hospital and the Research Group on Immune Signaling at the Comprehensive Childhood Research Center Munich. In addition, he serves as vice president of the German Speaking Working Party for Pediatric Immunology, Spokesperson of the Clinical Immunology Working Group (AKKI) of the German Society for Immunology (DGFI) and member of the clinical working party (CWP) of the European Society for Immunodeficiencies (ESID).

Professor Hauck’s scientific focus is on identifying the etiology and pathophysiology of inborn errors of immunity (IEI) and has helped describe numerous IEI involving genes such as UNC93B1, IKZF1, OAS1, NBAS1, CD137, CASP8, IKZF1, TGFB1, CARMIL2, CTPS1, CORO1A, and LCK.

Dr. Jennifer Leiding
Associate Director, Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, and Associate Director, Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, Florida
USA

Dr. Leiding is a clinical transplant immunologist who specializes in the treatment of children and adults with inborn errors of immunity with curative intent therapies including allogeneic HSCT and gene therapy. She soon will be (as of May 15) an Associate Professor (PAR) at Johns Hopkins University, Department of Pediatrics and the Associate Director, Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, and Associate Director, Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, both at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida. Dr. Leiding’s research focuses on understanding mechanisms of inflammatory disease and best treatments for chronic granulomatous disease, STAT1-GOF, and other primary immunodysrgeulatory disorders.

Dr. Michael Lenardo, MD
Director, Clinical Genetics, NIAID, NIH

Dr. Lenardo is a trained geneticist, molecular biologist, and immunologist. He graduated from The Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in Natural Sciences before obtaining his M.D .from Washington University - St. Louis. Under the mentorship of Nobel laureates David Baltimore and Philip Sharp, Dr. Leonardo underwent postdoctoral research training at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1989, he became an investigator in the intramural program of National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health, and later founded and currently directs the NIAID Clinical Genomics Program. Dr. Lenardo is a member of the U.S. National Academies of Science and Medicine.

He is internationally recognized for discovering the genetic basis, pathogenesis, and treatment of several inborn immune system errors, including those resulting from mutations in Fas, caspases 8 and 10, PI-3 kinase p110, CTLA-4 and LRBA, CD55, and the MagT1 magnesium transporter.

Dr. Don Love, DSc, PhD
Division Chief, Genetic Pathology, Sidra Medicine
Qatar

Dr. Love earned his PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Adelaide in 1982. He undertook post-doctoral research in bacterial genetics at the University of Auckland in Australia, then researched Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 2 at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, respectively. Dr. Love returned to the University of Auckland as a tenured staff member studying heritable human disorders and disease modelling using zebrafish.

Dr. Love moved to Auckland City Hospital in 2007 as its Director of Diagnostic Genetics, focusing on molecular-based diagnostics using innovative technology. Finally, Dr. Love moved to Sidra Medicine in 2017 as its Division Chief in Genetic Pathology with the focus of establishing a molecular diagnostic laboratory. The result of this focus has been the local offering of Whole Exome Sequencing and, lately, Whole Genome Sequencing. These developments involved significant collaboration with staff of Sidra Medicine’s Research Department.

Dr. Imen Ben Mustapha, MD
Professor of Immunology, University of Tunis El Manar Medical School
Tunisia

Dr. Mustapha received her MD from the University of Tunis (UT) and her MSc from the University Pierre et Marie Curie, before serving as research fellow in the Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases at the INSERM U550, in Paris, France. In 2008, she joined the UT Medical School and the Pasteur Institute of Tunis (PIT). She is currently the Head of the PIT Cyto-Immunology Diagnostic Laboratory in addition to her professorship. Her clinical activity is focused on immunological and genetic testing of patients with Inborn Errors of Immunity. Dr. Mustapha was awarded the Besrour/Université de Montréal Prize for Excellence in Research.

Dr. Ahmet Özen, MD
Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Division Chief and Professor, Marmara University
Türkiye

After graduating from Marmara University School of Medicine, Dr. Özen completed his residency at Yeditepe University, Istanbul, in the field of Allergy and Immunology, and his postdoctoral fellowship in Immunology at the NIAID, NIH Lab. He serves as Director of the Istanbul Jeffrey Modell Foundation Center and founded the Marmara University Işıl Berat Barlan Center for Translational Medicine.

Renowned for his pioneering work in genetic and immunological research, Dr. Özen has been instrumental in establishing a national network for monogenic Inflammatory Bowel Disease (mIBD) in Türkiye. His discovery of the fatal CHAPLE disease resulted in the FDA's approval of pozelimab, offering new hope for patients with genetic CD55 deficiency. Additionally, Dr. Özen's research team has helped identify numerous critical gene mutations, including IL37, ST6Galnac1, IRHOM2, PIK3R1, GIMAP5, and POLD2, enhancing our understanding of various diseases.

Dr. Jennifer Puck, MD
Professor of Pediatrics and Immunology, University of California San Francisc
USA

Dr. Puck received her MD from the Harvard/MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, followed by pediatric training at Washington University, St. Louis and fellowships in Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Immunology at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston. After holding faculty positions at the University of Pennsylvania and the National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH, she now directs the UCSF Jeffrey Modell Diagnostic Center for PIDs, sees patients, and teaches health professionals.

Dr. Puck’s research focuses on diagnosing and treating severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and other rare inherited immune disorders. She pioneered newborn screening for SCID based on quantifying T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs). While her laboratory studies basic science of T-cell development from hematopoietic stem cells, Dr. Puck also performs clinical gene therapy trials, including first-in-human lentiviral addition therapy for Artemis-deficient SCID. Dr. Puck leads the NIH-funded PID Treatment Consortium and has authored over 350 peer-reviewed publications.

Prof. Nima Rezaei, MSc, MD, PhD
Professor of Immunology and Vice Dean of Research and Technologies, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences
Iran

Professor Rezaei gained his medical degree from Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) and subsequently obtained an MSc in Molecular and Genetic Medicine and a PhD in Clinical Immunology and Human Genetics from the University of Sheffield, UK. He also spent a short-term fellowship of Pediatric Clinical Immunology and Bone Marrow Transplantation in the Newcastle General Hospital. Professor Rezaei is the Founding President of Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN) as well as co-founder and Head of the TUMS Research Center for Immunodeficiencies. He has served as Director of more than 200 research projects and has designed and participated in several international collaborative projects. Professor Rezaei is the editor, editorial assistant, or editorial board member of more than 50 international journals. He has edited more than 100 international books, has presented more than 600 lectures/posters in congresses/meetings, and has published more than 1,200 scientific papers in the international journals.

Dr. Helen Su, MD, PhD
Chief of Human Immunological Diseases Section in the Laboratory of Clinical Immunology & Microbiology, National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Helen Su received M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Brown University. She completed training in pediatrics at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Washington University, subspecialty training in allergy and immunology at NIAID, and postdoctoral training with Michael Lenardo, M.D. at the NIAID. She was tenured at the NIAID in 2016 in what is now the Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology. She is a recipient of the Society for Pediatric Research E. Mead Johnson Award and the Gale and Ira Drukier Prize in Children's Health Research. Her laboratory studies the molecular mechanisms of inherited human immunological diseases with a focus on host immunity to viruses. She has led discoveries into the understanding of human immunodeficiencies such as DOCK8 deficiency and MDA5 deficiency. More recently, she served as co-director of the NIAID Immune Response to COVID-19 Consortium and the COVID Human Genetic Effort to understand host susceptibility factors contributing to severe SARS-CoV-2 infections.

Dr. Kathleen Sullivan
Division Chief of Allergy/Immunology, Professor of Pediatrics, and Director of the Undiagnosed Disease Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
USA

Dr. Sullivan trained at University of California San Francisco and Johns Hopkins before joining the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in 1993, where she currently oversees one of the largest North American clinics for inborn errors of immunity (IEI). She is a past president of the Clinical Immunology Society and has served on the Basic and Clinical Immunology Committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI) and the AAAAI Board. She chairs USIDNET, the North American registry of patients with primary immune deficiencies and is a past chair of the International Union of Immunological Societies committee on IEI. Dr. Sullivan co-edits the textbook Stiehm’s Immune Deficiencies. Her research interests include understanding inflammation and the mechanism of regulating gene expression in inflammatory diseases. Her clinical interests include the study of patients with DiGeorge syndrome/Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, variables related to outcomes of patients with primary immunodeficiencies, and developing diagnostic methods using advanced technologies.

Holm Uhlig
Investigator, Translational Gastroenterology Unit, University of Oxford
UK

Professor Uhlig is an investigator in the Translational Gastroenterology Unit, University of Oxford and Honorary Consultant in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Children’s Hospital Oxford. Holm has developed a strong interest in supporting patients with primary immunodeficiency and monogenic forms of inflammatory bowel disease. He investigates the genetic and immunologic basis of disorders associated with intestinal inflammation, aiming to understand functional mechanisms that contribute to autoimmunity, tissue inflammation, and disturbed barrier function.

Dr. Jolan Walter, MD, PhD
Division Chief of Pediatric Allergy/Immunology, University of South Florida and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, Florida
USA

Dr. Walter earned medical and doctoral degrees at the University of Pecs Medical School in Hungary. She completed a research fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Eastern Virginia Medical School, a pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Virginia, and a fellowship in Pediatric Allergy/Immunology at Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard University Medical School. After fellowship, she directed research and patient care in the Massachusetts General Hospital Immunodeficiency Program. Now, Dr. Walter serves as USF Associate Professor and Robert A. Good Endowed Chair; and JHACH Jeffrey Modell Diagnostic & Research Center Director.

She focuses clinically on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with inborn errors of immunity (IEI), immune dysregulation, and genetically-defined combined immunodeficiencies (G-CID). She administers genetic evaluation, precision medicine/mechanism-based treatment, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and gene therapy for these patients. Her research goals are to understand G-CID mechanisms and breach in tolerance in immune dysregulation disorders.

Dr. Wanling Yang, PhD
Professor in the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University of Hong Kong
China

Dr. Yang, a medical graduate from China, obtained his PhD in Pharmacology and Bioinformatics at the University of Minnesota. After postdoctoral training at the Medical University of South Carolina, he joined the University of Hong Kong in 2006 and is currently a Professor in the Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

His research primarily focuses on identifying genetic factors in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) through genome-wide association studies and international collaborations. Dr. Yang also develops molecular diagnostics for Mendelian diseases, improving mutation detection using next-generation sequencing techniques.

Leading a multidisciplinary team at the University of Hong Kong, Dr. Yang's lab analyzes omics data to bridge the gap between big data and biomedical applications.

Dr. Waleed Al-Herz
Professor of Pediatrics, Kuwait University

Dr. Al-Herz is certified in pediatrics and allergy & clinical immunology by the American Board and has more than 120 publications in peer-reviewed journals about primary immunodeficiencies and allergies. He founded the Kuwait National Primary Immunodeficiency Registry and the Faculty of Clinical Immunology and Allergy at the Kuwait Institute for Medical specialization. He serves as a member of The International Union of Immunological Societies, Inborn Errors of Immunity Committee and on the editorial boards for multiple major allergy and clinical immunology journals. Professor Al-Herz has been honored with several awards, including Best Young Researcher by Kuwait University, Best Scientific Production by Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, and Distinguished Researcher by Kuwait Medical Association.

Dr. Bandar Al Saud MBBS, FRCPC, GDCE
Associate Professor, Alfaisal University
Riyadh, KSA

After studying medicine at King Saud University College of Medicine in Riyadh, KSA, Dr. Al Saud specialized in Pediatrics (FRCPC) and subspecialized in Allergy & Immunology at the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons, Canada. Recently, he earned a Graduate Diploma in Clinical Epidemiology (GDCE) from the Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada.

In addition to his professorship, Dr. Al Saud serves as a Consultant in the Section of Pediatric Allergy/Immunology at the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH&RC), KSA. He has also served as the Pediatric Allergy/Immunology Section Head at KFSH&RC, the Director of the Fellowship Training Program, and the Pediatric Allergy/Immunology Vice President at the Saudi Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Society.

Dr. Al Saud’s research interests led him to help establish the Saudi Primary Immunodeficiency Disease (PID) Registry at KFSH&RC and produce 56 publications in peer review journals.

Dr. Raed Alzyoud, MBChB
Consultant pediatric Immunologist and Rheumatologist, Queen Rania Children’s Hospital, Amman
Jordan

Dr. Alzyoud underwent fellowships in Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology at Queen Rania Children’s Hospital (QRCH) and (pediatric specialty) Boston Children’s Hospital, USA before completing a rotation in the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Unit at the Dana Farber Cancer Institution in Boston. Recently, he received a Global Clinical Scholars Research Training certificate from Harvard University Medical School.

In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Alzyoud serves as Chief of the Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology Division and of the Bone Marrow Transplantation for Inborn Errors of Immunity Program at QRCH. He has also spent time consulting in Pediatric Allergy/ Immunology at Hamad Medical Corporation and is associated with multiple regional and international collaborative research projects in Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology. These include the MENA Registry for Inborn Errors of Immunity Network, the Pediatric Rheumatology Arab Group, and the Jeffrey Modell Centers and Network and Registry for Primary Immunodeficiency Disorders.

Dr. Brahim Belaid
Assistant Professor of Medical Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Algiers 1 Benyoucef Benkhedda, Algeria
Principal Investigator, Primary Immunodeficiency Investigation Unit, Department of Immunology, Beni Messous University Medical Center, Algiers, Algeria
 

Dr. Belaid received degrees in Pharmacy and Immunology from the faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy at the University of Algiers in Algeria. His current appointments include Assistant Professor of Medical Immunology at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Algiers 1 Benyoucef Benkhedda and Principal Investigator of the Primary Immunodeficiency Investigation Unit, Department of Immunology, Beni Messous University Medical Center, Algiers, Algeria.

Dr. Belaid has more than 7 years of experience in hands-on investigation, follow up, and research on primary immunodeficiency diseases (PID). He was a former secretary of the African Society for Immunodeficiencies.

Dr. Belaid’s contributions to the field (research papers and review papers) are mainly focused on autoimmunity and the immunological and genetic diagnosis of primary immunodeficiency diseases.

Dr. Ibtihal Benhsaien, MD, PhD
Primary Immunodeficiency Unit Head, Pediatrics Infectious Disease Department, Ibn Rochd Hospital University, Casablanca
Morocco

Dr. Benhsaien earned her MD from Mohamed V University in Rabat, Morocco before being awarded a Specialist Diploma in Pediatrics from Hassan II University in Casablanca. She received clinical immunology training at several hospitals, namely King Faisal Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh and Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades in Paris. In 2010, she performed the first bone marrow transplant in Morocco. Recently, Dr. Benhsaien was awarded a PhD by Hassan II University and a hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) diploma from Sorbonne University in Paris.

Her clinical and research interests lie in inborn errors of immunity with a focus on therapeutics through HSCT and biotherapy. She leads many research projects in the field and leads training at the African Society of Immunodeficiency. Dr. Benhsaien currently serves as an associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy at Hassan II University as well as Treasurer for the Moroccan Society for Primary Immunodeficiency.

Dr. Deniz Çağdaş Ayvaz, MD, PhD
Professor of Pediatrics and Immunology Department Head, Hacettepe University Medical School, Ankara
Türkiye

After graduating from Hacettepe University Medical School, Dr. Çağdaş Ayvaz completed residencies at Numune Education and Research Hospital (in Internal Medicine), the Hacettepe University İhsan Doğramacı Children’s Hospital (in Pediatrics), and Hacettepe University Medical School (in Immunology). She completed the Pediatric Immunology and Allergy subspecialty in 2014 and PhD in Immunology in 2017 at Hacettepe University. Dr. Çağdaş Ayvaz continued her studies at the Türkiye High Specialty Education and Research Hospital’s Department of Pediatric Cardiology and as a visiting-scientist at Rockefeller University, Harvard University, and the NIH. During the Fulbright Scholarship program, she worked at NIAID on immunodeficiency and autophagy.

Dr. Çağdaş Ayvaz’s research interests include aging immunity, cancer pathogenesis, transplantation immunology and diseases associated with autoimmunity, immune dysregulation, and lymphoproliferation. She has contributed to research defining new primary immunodeficiency genes (RASGRP1, IL6ST, and GIMAP6) in over 500 publications – more than 140 of which can be found on PubMed.

Dr. Gehad ElGhazali, MD, PhD
Director, Diagnostic and Transplant Immunology Services, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City – Purelab
Abu Dhabi, UAE

Dr. ElGhazali received his MD from the University of Khartoum in Sudan before he was awarded a PhD in Clinical Immunology from Stockholm University in Sweden. He is certified in Clinical Immunology in Sweden as well as by the American Board of Medical Laboratory Immunology and the American Academy of Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics.

Currently, he is directing diagnostic and transplant immunology services at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City-Purelab in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. He has developed a career in primary immunodeficiency (PID), bone marrow transplant for PID, transplant immunology, and diagnostic immunology. He has more than 100 publications in international journals.

Prof. Aisha Elmarsafy
Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics, Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University
Egypt

In addition to her memberships in ESID, ASID, CIS, and J Project, Professor Elmarsafy has experience serving as the former Head of the Primary Immunodeficiency Unit and current Professor Emeritus at Cairo University in Egypt.

Professor İhsan Gürsel
Group Leader, ThorLab on Adjuvant Innovation and Nanobiotechnology Research Laboratory, Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center
Türkiye

With over thirty years of experience spanning various research and government institutes, his expertise lies in immunology, vaccinology, nanomedicine, and biomaterials. Professor Gürsel's research laboratory at the Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center is dedicated to unraveling the immunomodulatory properties of DNA on the mammalian immune system. Their interdisciplinary approach aims to develop more effective treatment modalities for cancer and autoimmune, autoinflammatory, and infectious diseases. Additionally, his lab endeavors to decode the advanced functional immunological responses of primary immunodeficiency patients. Notably, his research lab played a pivotal role in pioneering the development of a virus-like particle vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This vaccine candidate, harboring all four structural protein antigens, emerged as the first human clinical trials in Türkiye during the COVID-19 pandemic. He holds full membership in the Academy of Sciences of Türkiye and currently serves as the president of the Turkish Society of Immunology.

Dr. Kamile Aydan Ikincioğullari, MD
Professor and Head of the Department of Pediatric Immunology and Allergy, Ankara University Medical School
Türkiye

Dr. Ikincioğullari graduated from Ankara University Medical School and remained there to complete residencies in Pediatrics and Pediatric Immunology before a research fellowship at the Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit of the Royal Free Hospital in London. Upon her return to Ankara University, she played a major role in the establishment of the Pediatric Immunology Research laboratory.

Her major scientific interest is the achievement of early and accurate diagnosis in primary immune deficiencies (PIDs) and stem cell transplantation. Dr. Ikincioğullari has been a leader in the unification of the Turkish National Clinical Immunology Society and she currently serves as its Vice. She has contributed to the education of several young pediatricians in the field of Pediatric Immunology, thus ensuring the improvement of early diagnosis and effective treatment of PIDs in Turkey. She is among the authors of many scientific papers published in various prestigious journals.

Dr. Elif Karakoç-Aydıner
Faculty Member, Departments of Pediatrics and Pediatric Immunology/Allergy, Faculty of Medicine, Marmara University
Türkiye

Professor Karakoç-Aydıner is involved in pioneering studies on individualized immunoglobulin replacement therapies for immunodeficiencies in Türkiye, as well as projects related to immunodeficiencies and COVID-19 infection. She contributes to national and international projects on genetic background and targeted therapies in Primary Immunodeficiencies (PIDs). Additionally, she has conducted numerous studies on food and respiratory allergies and tolerance mechanisms, resulting in trademarked products. In recent years, she has initiated clinical and research centre activities on hereditary angioedema disease.

Dr. Karakoç-Aydıner also conducts postgraduate education, research, and awareness activities with her colleagues at the Işıl Berat Barlan Academy. She is a board member of various organizations, including the JMF Marmara Istanbul Center, IMYED Patient Association, Marmara University IBATTAM Translational Medicine Center, and Immunodeficiency Application and Research Center.

She is married and has two children and enjoys outdoor walks with her family, developing healthy and tasty recipes, and travelling.

Dr. Michel J. Massaad, MSc, PhD
Assistant Professor of Immunology and Director of the Research Center of Excellence in Immunity and Infections, Department of Experimental Pathology, Immunology, and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut
Lebanon

Dr. Massaad obtained his PhD in Biochemistry from McGill University and completed postdoctoral training in Immunology through Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) and Harvard Medical School. He served as an Instructor and Staff Scientist of Pediatric Immunology at Harvard before joining the American University of Beirut (AUB).

Dr. Massaad established the human immunology research laboratory at BCH to diagnose and study patients with Inborn errors of Immunity (IEI) using genetic and functional approaches. He then brought his expertise to AUB, where he established an immunology research laboratory to study IEI locally. His research also includes studying the immune response to cancer, infections, and vaccination against SARS-CoV-2.

Dr. Massaad serves on academic, journal, and grant review committees, and is the scientific advisor to the National Newborn Screening Program for SCID in Lebanon. He also teaches basic/clinical immunology to research/clinical fellows and students at the Faculty of Medicine of AUB.

Dr. Samar Al-Emadi, MD, MBA
Senior Rheumatology Consultant and Rheumatology Division Head, Hamad Medical Corporation
Qatar

Dr. Al-Emadi received her medical degree from the King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah, KSA. She began residency at Hamad General Hospital (HMC), Qatar, continuing it at the University of Western Ontario, Canada, in Internal Medicine. She then completed a rheumatology fellowship at the University of Toronto, Canada, before another fellowship in pregnancy and rheumatic disease under Professor Carl Laskin. In 2005, she established the first pregnancy and rheumatic disease clinic in the Middle East at Hamad General Hospital.

She has been certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the American Board of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology. She has also completed her Master of Executive Business Administration degree from London Business School, UK. Dr. Al-Emadi currently serves as the Fellowship Program Director in Rheumatology at HMC and an Assistant Professor at Weill Cornell Medical College, Qatar.  

Suleiman Al-Hammadi
Consultant Allergist and Clinical Immunologist, Al Jalila Children’s Hospital
Dubai, UAE

Professor Al-Hammadi underwent training in Pediatrics at McMaster University and in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology at the University of Toronto Hospital for Sick Children. In 2004, he founded the first Allergy and Immunology service in the UAE at Tawam Hospital, Al-Ain and went on to open similar clinics at Al Qassimi Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Sharjah (2020) and Al Jalila Children’s Hospital, Dubai (2021).

Professor Al-Hammadi is an active members of multiple international societies serving the specialty (RCPSC, AAP, AAAAI, EAACI, WAO, ARAPID,…).He is active in research and published 46 manuscripts mainly in the field of his specialty, and a referee to multiple peer-reviewed journals.

Currently, Professor Al-Hammadi is the Dean of College of Medicine at Mohammed Bin Rashid University, Dubai. He is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Allergy/ Immunology. He is an active educator and an advocate to the specialty in UAE and the Arab world.

Dr. Maryam Ali Al-Nesf Al-Mansouri, MD, MScR
Associate Professor in Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Qatar University
Qatar

Dr. Al-Nesf earned her MD from Sultan Qaboos University, Oman, and is certified in Internal Medicine by the Arab Board of Health Specializations. She completely fellowships in Pulmonary Medicine and Allergy/Clinical Immunology in Qatar and Cambridge, UK. Dr. Al-Nesf also earned an MScR from the University of Bristol, UK, and is a current PhD candidate at University College London.

She also currently serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Weill Cornell Medical Center, Head of the Allergy and Immunology (A&I) Division at Hamad Medical Corporation, and Program Director of the ACGME-I accredited A&I Fellowship Training Program. Since 2016, she has lead the Qatar Pollen and Fungal Calendar and Atlas.

Her research interests focus on personalized medicine using molecular medicine approaches. Her clinical interest is focused on primary immunodeficiency, systemic inflammatory diseases, asthma, urticaria, and other A&I disorders.

Prof. Medhat Askar
Professor of Immunology and Associate Vice President for Clinical Affairs, College of Medicine, Qatar University
Qatar

Professor Askar leads the Clinical Immunology Division at Hamad Medical Corporation and is a Clinical Professor at Texas A&M College of Medicine. Additionally, he is the advisor to The National Marrow Donor Program in the USA. Previously, Dr. Askar directed laboratories at Baylor University Medical Center and consulted at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Currently Dr. Askar is Treasurer of The Transplantation Society and The Association of Medical Laboratory Immunologists; Board Member of the Worldwide Network for Blood & Marrow Transplantation and The American College of the Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ACHI); Councilor of the International HLA & Immunogenetics Workshops; and Chair of the Histocompatibility Committee of the Foundation for Accreditation on Cellular Therapy.

Previously he served as President of The American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI) and ACHI; and on the boards of the United States United Network for Organ Sharing and The Arab Society of Histocompatibility & Immunogenetics.

Prof. Ibrahim Janahi
Chair of Medical Education, Designated Institutional Officer, and the Division Chief of Pulmonology, Sidra Medicine
Qatar

Professor Janahi studied medicine at King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia before completing residency in Pediatrics at the University of Illinois and postdoctoral fellowship in Pediatric Pulmonology at Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital.

Professor Janahi is responsible for all medical education programs at Sidra Medicine. In addition, he is currently the Associate Dean for Academic Medicine at Sidra and a Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Weill-Cornell Medicine - Qatar. Previously, he served as a Senior Consultant Pediatric Pulmonologist and Division Chief at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). He has also acted as the Director of the Pediatric Emergency Center and as Executive Director of Research.

Prof. Janahi’s clinical expertise includes interventional pulmonology, chronic lung diseases with genetic basis, and rare lung diseases in children. His research interest includes the relationship between pediatric asthma and obesity, primary ciliary dyskinesia, Cystic Fibrosis, lung disease genetics, and non-invasive airway inflammation monitoring.

Dr. Nayef Mazloum
Assistant Professor of Microbiology/Immunology and Assistant Dean for Student Research, Will Cornell Medical Center
Qatar

Dr. Mazloum attended the American University of Beirut, Lebanon and continued his studies at New York Medical College in Valhalla before graduating with a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. He started his postdoctoral training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center before continuing at Weill Cornell Medical Center (WCMC) in New York. There, he taught microbiology and immunology before moving to WCMC Qatar in 2011.

Dr. Mazloum’s lab studies altered molecular pathways in metabolic disorders including obesity, diabetes, and age-related diseases. His lab employs a combination of in-vitro cellular models, mouse models, and human data to uncover novel mechanisms that modulate metabolism.

He has on-going active collaboration with local stakeholders in Qatar including Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar University, Qatar Diabetes Association and Hamad Bin Khalifa University.