Speakers

Prof Aaron Han recently joined Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago, USA, as Director of Digital Pathology after a distinguished service at American Hospital Dubai, and King's College Hospital Dubai, and faculty appointment at Mohammed bin Rashid University School of Medicine (teaching pathology and health systems science). He earned his MD and PhD degrees from Baylor College of Medicine in the United States, where he also attained board certification in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, and Hematopathology. His career is marked by leadership roles and a commitment to advancing healthcare through clinical expertise, research, and education. He currently is involved in the Dermatopathology Fellowship at Loyola, and signs out breast and GI pathology cases. His contributions extend beyond traditional pathology roles, including significant involvement in administrative areas such as Chief Medical Officer, head of clinical informatics, quality management, education, and infection control. He currently is Pathology Specialty Champion for the Loyola EPIC EMR upgrade. He is a past officer of the Emirates Pathology Board, served on the Committee of the ESPC program. He is currently on the Board of Governor's for the College of American Pathologists, serving as Vice-Chair of the Council on Accreditation. He is the Deputy Commissioner for the CAP and received the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award. He advises UAE institutions on undergraduate and medical programs, and is an international pathology mentor for the International Gynecologic Pathology Society. He speaks regulary on lab quality improvement, digital pathology and AI.

Dr Alison Finall is a Consultant Cellular and Molecular Pathologist and Head of Department at Purelab, UAE, with extensive international experience in anatomical pathology, molecular diagnostics, oncology research, and precision medicine. She holds an MD in solid tumour genomic testing, an MSc in Genomic Medicine with Distinction, an MSc in Medical Education, and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists and the Higher Education Academy. Dr Finall has held senior clinical, academic, research, and leadership positions in the UK and UAE, including at Swansea Bay University Health Board, Swansea University, and Burjeel Medical City. Her clinical interests include thoracic, gynaecological, gastrointestinal, and skin pathology, with particular expertise in molecular pathology, digital pathology, AI, integrated morphomolecular diagnostics, and biomarker testing in oncology. An accomplished researcher and educator, she has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, led and contributed to national and international research projects, and has been invited to speak at conferences and scientific meetings worldwide. She is passionate about advancing precision medicine, digital pathology, and innovative diagnostic approaches to improve patient care.

Anas Bernieh obtained his medical degree from the Gulf Medical University in UAE, and did his pathology residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He did one fellowship of surgical pathology at MD Anderson Cancer Center and one fellowship of pediatric pathology at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital where he also worked as a staff pathologist for 4 years. He is an American-board certified in anatomic and pediatric pathology.

Dr. Nahal is a Staff Physician and consultant anatomic pathologist and cytopathologist in the Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi/National Reference Laboratory. His main interests and expertise include the interpretation of biopsy and resection specimens in the fields of soft tissue and bone tumor pathology, genitourinary pathology, cytopathology, and he is the medical director of digital pathology as well. In cytopathology, his expertise include the cytologic diagnosis of thyroid nodules and endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspirations of pancreatic solid and cystic tumors, among others. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in 2014, Dr. Ayoub Nahal had 12 years’ working experience in Anatomic Pathology and Cytopathology from McGill University Health Center in Montreal, Canada. At McGill University, he also held an academic appointment of Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine where he was a regular lecturer. He specialized in Cytopathology, and in Soft tissue and bone tumor Pathology where he had a consultation service providing expert opinion on cases received from the entire province of Quebec. He holds two American Board Certifications both in Anatomic Pathology and Cytopathology. He received his pathology residency training at St Vincent’s Hospital and Medical Center of New York, followed by three fellowships, two of which obtained from Hartford Hospital, Connecticut in General Surgical Pathology and Cytopathology respectively, and a third fellowship in Oncologic Pathology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. At Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, he established the ePathology (digital Pathology) program to be used for rapid response digital pathology consultation services with the main campus at Cleveland Clinic, and to be integrated in a range of educational and laboratory applications at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. He also acts as an expert consultant in bone and soft tissue tumor pathology for various Pathology departments and laboratories in the UAE. He is an active member at the International Skeletal Society and, in addition to being member at the Memorial Hospital Alumni Society, College of American Pathologists (CAP), and the Canadian Association of Pathologists. He is a reviewer for the Skeletal Radiology Journal. He is also an adjunct faculty at Khalifa University School of Medicine. He has lectured at numerous meetings in Canada and currently in the UAE and has over 60 publications in peer-reviewed journals, mostly in Bone and Soft tissue tumor pathology.

Emad Rakha, MB BCh, MSc, MD, PhD, FRCPath Professor Emad Rakha is an internationally recognised breast pathologist, Consultant Anatomic Pathologist at the National Reference Laboratory and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, UAE, and Honorary Professor at the University of Nottingham, UK. He previously held the posts of Professor of Breast Pathology at the University of Nottingham and Honorary Consultant Pathologist at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, where he established and led internationally recognised research and diagnostic programmes in breast pathology. He also served as a professor and adjunct professor of pathology at some other universities. With over two decades of experience, Professor Rakha has made major contributions to breast cancer classification, prognostic and predictive biomarkers, and international pathology standards. He has authored more than 610 peer-reviewed publications, numerous book chapters, and has contributed extensively to successive editions of the WHO Classification of Breast Tumours (Blue Book), as well as UK national breast pathology guidelines. He is the lead author of the UK HER2 testing guidelines. He is the editor of a forthcoming comprehensive breast pathology textbook published by Cambridge University Press. Professor Rakha has held leadership roles in several international organisations, including the International Society of Breast Pathology, BIG18, the European Working Group for Breast Pathology, the UK National Coordinating Committee for Breast Pathology, and other national committees. His research interests encompass challenging diagnostic areas in breast pathology, molecular pathology, and the integration of digital pathology and artificial intelligence into diagnostic practice. He also undertakes research in pathology quality assurance, patient safety, diagnostic error, and medico-legal aspects of pathology. He is an internationally invited speaker and educator, organising the annual Nottingham & Singapore Breast Pathology Masterclass attended by participants from around the world. Professor Rakha has received numerous awards recognising his contributions to research, education, and clinical practice, including the UK National Teaching Fellowship, the UK Silver Clinical Excellence Award, and the International Society of Breast Pathology–Breast Cancer Research Foundation Larry Norton Award. He has an h-index of 99, an i10-index exceeding 474 with 46775 citations, and is ranked among the world's most highly cited breast pathology researchers. Google Scholar: scholar.google.com/citations?user=5k9xzAEAAAAJ&hl=en

Dr. Forgó is an Assistant Professor of Gynecologic and Gastrointestinal Pathology in the Robert J. Tomsich Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine in the Diagnostics Institute at the Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio. She completed her anatomic and clinical pathology residency training, as well as both gastrointestinal pathology and gynecologic pathology fellowships at Stanford University School of Medicine in Stanford, California. She is active in resident and fellow teaching. She is currently serving as the Associate Program Director for the Gynecologic Pathology Fellowship and is the Gynecologic Pathology Education Coordinator for resident teaching. She is an author of the Mills and Sternberg's Diagnostic Surgical Pathology Review (3rd edition, 2025), has authored a book chapter in the Atlas of Diagnostic Pathology of the Cervix: A Case-Based Approach (1st edition, 2021) and has contributed to over 30 peer-reviewed journal publications. She is currently a member of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP), the International Society of Gynecologic Pathologists (ISGyP) and the College of American Pathologists (CAP).

Eyas M. Hattab, MD, MBA, AJ Miller endowed Professor and Chair of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at University of Louisville, is an internationally recognized neuropathologist and pathology business leader and a frequent invited speaker. Under his leadership, University of Louisville has become one of the first academic centers to implement a fully digital workflow and employ artificial intelligence (AI). Dr. Hattab is an expert in the study of brain cancer and the characterization of its morphologic, immunohistological, and molecular features. His practice also includes ophthalmic pathology, transplant pathology, and immunohistochemistry. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and contributed to many books and media appearances. Dr. Hattab is a passionate educator and the recipient of multiple teaching awards. He serves on many national and international pathology professional societies, including AANP, AAPath, CAP, IAP, and USCAP. Dr. Hattab obtained his medical education from Jordan University of Science and Technology and completed his pathology training at the University of Florida, Stanford University, and Washington University. In addition, Dr. Hattab holds an Executive Business of Medicine MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. He is an avid runner and cyclist and enjoys international travel and fine dining.

Hauke Busch is a Professor of Medical Systems Biology at the University of Lübeck, Germany, and serves as the Speaker of the Center for Personalized Medicine at the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH). With a background in theoretical physics, his research focuses on integrating multi-omics data with clinical information to advance precision medicine in inflammation, cardiology, neurology, and oncology. A key aspect of his work is bridging bioinformatics and clinical practice. He leads the bioinformatics unit of the Molecular Tumor Board (MTB) at the UKSH, where he is instrumental in implementing next-generation sequencing analysis and variant interpretation to guide individualized treatment strategies for cancer patients. His efforts in medical informatics extend to developing data warehouse infrastructures and visualization concepts within the German Medical Informatics Initiative and the German Network for Precision Medicine, enabling standardized, interoperable clinical and molecular data integration. Since 2023, he has directed the Center for Personalized Medicine at the UKSH, fostering translational research and harmonizing molecular diagnostics across disciplines. He also founded and leads the university’s Single Cell Service Unit, establishing cutting-edge technologies for high-resolution analyses in inflammation, autoimmunity, and oncology. His research portfolio is characterized by the application of machine learning and systems biology to decipher complex disease mechanisms, with over 350 peer-reviewed publications and extensive service as a reviewer for leading journals in bioinformatics, oncology, and systems biology.

Dr. Hemad Yasaei, PhD is Department Head of Molecular Diagnostics & Genomics at the National Reference Laboratory (NRL), M42, Abu Dhabi, and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Khalifa University. A molecular geneticist with a PhD in Cancer Genetics from Brunel University London, Dr. Yasaei has extensive experience in molecular pathology, cancer genomics, inherited disease testing, and translational laboratory medicine. He has played a leading role in establishing and expanding advanced molecular diagnostic services in the UAE, with particular focus on precision oncology, next-generation sequencing, hereditary cancer genomics, and integrated molecular reporting. His work bridges clinical service, research, innovation, and education, with the aim of delivering high-quality, patient-centered genomic diagnostics and advancing precision medicine in the region.

Dr. Hicham El Attar is a Pathologist specializing in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, with expertise in histopathological diagnosis and laboratory medicine. Dedicated to accurate diagnosis and patient-centered care.

Dr. Imran Mirza, MBBS, MS, FRCPC, FCAP, FASCP is a Consultant in Anatomical and Clinical Pathology and Chair of Clinical Pathology at the National Reference Laboratory, Abu Dhabi. He has over 28 years of experience in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology, Hematopathology, and Molecular Genetic Pathology. He previously served as the founding Chair of the Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and holds adjunct academic appointments at the University of Calgary and University of Alberta. His expertise includes hematopathology, molecular diagnostics, and precision oncology.

Professor Matalka is currently the President of Ras Al Khaimah Medical & Health Sciences University since February 2023. Just before that he was the Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at School of Medicine at Jordan University of Science and Technology in Irbid, Jordan, and a Consultant Pathologist at King Abdullah University Hospital for about 22 years. He is the Vice President of the International Academy of Pathology for Asia and the Clinical Director of the International Activities at the Royal College of Pathologists (UK). He served as CEO of King Abdullah University Hospital (2016-2018), which is the main tertiary hospital in North Jordan, and as the Dean of School Medicine between September 2014 and September 2016, as well as Vice Dean and Chair of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine for many years. He is the Past President of the Arab Division of International Academy of Pathology (IAP) and the Jordanian Society of Pathologists and served as Chairman of the Arab School of Pathology. Between May 2015 and November 2020, he served as the International Advisor of the Royal College of Pathologists in UK for MENA region. He is a member of the supreme council of the Arab Council of Health specializations, Chairman of the Accreditation and Quality Assurance Committee, and has been the Secretary of Arab Board of Pathology for the last 12 years. Between June 2018 and June 2022, he served as a Member of Board of Trustees, Al-Balqa` Applied University by a Royal Decree. Dr. Matalka finished his undergraduate and postgraduate training in Jordan and pursued further training in Glasgow where he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists in 2000 and obtained the CCST in the UK in 2001 and developed a special interest in Gastrointestinal and Liver pathology. Dr Matalka has published 92 publications with a focus on epidemiologic, and molecular characteristics of tumors. He has also a special interest in medical education, curriculum development, and assessment and worked as an assessor for most of the Jordanian medical school’s accreditation by the Accreditation and Quality Assurance Commission for Higher Education Institutions (AQACHEI) and has led the team prepared for the recognition by WFME and currently is one of WFME Recognition Program assessors. He served at many boards of directors of academic and health institutions and joined several national and regional committees on health issues and pathology and laboratory medicine, licensing, and accreditation, and drafting relevant instructions and regulations. He served as a member of committees for the recognition of non-Jordanian universities, equivalence of certificates, and the Medical and Pharmaceutical Sector Committee (Scientific Research Fund) in the Ministry of Higher Education and scientific research. He received the Achievement Award in Education (2020) by the Royal College of Pathologists, and the achievement recognition plaque by the Jordanian Medical Association (2021).

Dr. Jane Nguyen serves as the Director of Genitourinary Pathology at Cleveland Clinic and Assistant Professor of Pathology at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. She completed her MD and PhD at Case Western Reserve University, followed by residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and a fellowship in Genitourinary Pathology at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Nguyen’s clinical and research expertise focuses on prostate, bladder and kidney cancer. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, contributed to international consensus guidelines, and serves on the Executive Board of the Genitourinary Pathology Society.

Dr Manal Abdulrahim achieved her primary medical degree from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 2001 and did her post graduate training in Ireland where she completed her Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists in Histopathology (FRCPath) and received the certificate of satisfactory completion of specialised training in histopathology (CSCST) in 2008. She is appointed as a Consultant Histopathologist at Dubai Hospital since 2009, is currently the Division Chief of Anatomic Pathology/ Histopathology and works part time at Mohamed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) as a Clinical Associate Professor teaching undergraduate medical students. Her special area of interest is Breast Pathology.

Dr Najla Saleh Ben Ghashir is a Consultant Anatomic Pathologist at Dubai Hospital, Dubai Health and an Associate Professor at Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU). She has 18 years of postgraduate experience in diagnostic histopathology, including 13 years as a consultant histopathologist in tertiary care centres across the United kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. She completed her specialist histopathology training in the UK, where she was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists (FRCPath), Certificate of Higher Autopsy Training, and Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training (CCST) in Histopathology. Dr Ben Ghashir has a broad experience in general surgical pathology and cytopathology. Her areas of specialist interest include thoracic, gastrointestinal and gynaecological pathology. She has held several leadership roles in anatomic pathology, leading laboratory quality improvement initiatives, digital pathology implementation and validation, and CAP, ISO and JCI accreditation programmes. She maintains an active academic portfolio with peer-reviewed publications and presentation at regional and international conferences. She is an external examiner for the Royal College of Pathologists, serves on the UAE Pathology Residency Programme Committee, and is committed to advancing pathology practice, education, and innovation in the UAE.

Dr. Scott Kilpatrick, MD is a Professor of Pathology at Cleveland Clinic and Director of Orthopaedic Pathology and Medical Director of Anatomic Pathology at Cleveland Clinic Laboratories. He is board-certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology and specializes in bone and soft tissue pathology, particularly the diagnosis of benign and malignant tumors. He completed his surgical pathology fellowship at Mayo Clinic and has extensive experience in musculoskeletal pathology, research, and medical education.

Dr. Adsay is an internationally-recognized pathologist in the field of gastrointestinal and pancreatobiliary cancers. He has published over 350 articles, authored several chapters in the WHO’s “classification of tumors” series. He was instrumental in the pathologic characterization of various tumor types and was also the member of an international group that put forth the definition and criteria for the early cancerous lesions of pancreas and biliary tract and prognostication of their tumors. He served as President for the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, as well as the first President of Pancreatobiliary Pathology Society (PBPS) in addition to committee membership in several major organizations. He has given over 350 international lectures and courses, and served in the editorial board of 8 medical journals. He is also the recipient of multiple teaching and science awards including AACR team science award.

Yasin K. Ahmed, MD, FCAP is an American Board-Certified Anatomic, Clinical, and Cytopathologist. He currently serves as a Consultant Pathologist at the National Reference Laboratory, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Prior to relocating to the UAE, Dr. Ahmed practiced in the United States as an attending pathologist in Florida, where he was actively involved in diagnostic surgical pathology, cytopathology, and multidisciplinary oncologic care. Dr. Ahmed completed a fellowship in Oncologic Surgical Pathology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York and a Cytopathology fellowship at Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center in Michigan. He also worked as a Clinical Research Fellow in the Hematopathology Department at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas, USA. His clinical and academic interests include thyroid and head and neck pathology, lymphoma, gastrointestinal and pancreatobiliary pathology, as well as digital pathology and quality improvement in diagnostic pathology practice. Dr. Ahmed has actively participated as a speaker in several national and international conferences, contributing to continuing medical education and advancing the field of diagnostic pathology. Dr. Ahmed is an active member of several professional organizations, including the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, the College of American Pathologists,