5th Virtual International Digestive Disease Symposium (DDI)
4^th Virtual Diabetes, Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease Summit (DOCS)

USA

Ali Aminian, M.D. is Director of Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. He is Associate Professor of Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. His clinical interests include gastrointestinal surgery, advanced laparoscopic surgery, and specifically surgery for severe obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disease. As an academic surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic Main Campus, Dr. Aminian has been involved in clinical and experimental research on the role of minimally invasive gastrointestinal procedures in management of obesity, diabetes, metabolic disease, and fatty liver disease. He has an outstanding record of peer-reviewed publications (>200) in high impact journals including New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, Diabetes Care, and Annals of Surgery. His studies have been widely covered by the media such as New York Times, Wall Street Journal, TIME, Reuters, Forbes, among the others.

USA

Alisan Fathalizadeh is an associate surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland. She completed her medical degree and master’s in public health degree at Michigan State University followed by residency at Albert Einstein Hospital in Philadelphia. She completed a fellowship in minimally invasive surgery, bariatrics and surgical endoscopy at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland. Currently, she is a practicing surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic foundation. Her practice consists of foregut and revisional surgery, surgical endoscopy, and bariatrics. She is interested in research pertaining to surgical endoscopy and issues related to global surgery, diversity, and inclusivity in surgery.

USA

DEPARTMENT Center for Abdominal Transplantation Weston
PRIMARY LOCATION Cleveland Clinic Florida, Weston Hospital
TYPE OF DOCTOR Adults Only
LANGUAGES English, Italian
SURGEON Yes

Treatment & Services

• Abdominal Organ Transplant
• Liver Resection
• Liver Transplant

USA

Bartolome Burguera M.D, Ph.D. is Chairman of Endocrinology and Metabolism Institute (EMI). He joined the Cleveland Clinic as staff physician and Director of Obesity programs in the Department of Endocrinology Metabolic Institute and the Bariatric Institute, on September of 2013. He is also Professor of Medicine in the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine and has a joint appointment in the department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine.

He also serves as Executive Medical Director of the National Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute in Biloxi, Mississippi. A scientific and educational collaboration between the state of Mississippi, prominent medical and academic Mississippian institutions and the Cleveland clinic.

His clinical and academic interests are focused on the field of obesity, particularly the role of bariatric medicine and non-surgical weight-loss interventions to treat obesity and diabetes. He has also studied the prevention of childhood obesity. He has been very instrumental setting up a large interdisciplinary share medical appointment obesity therapeutic program, which is being offered face-to-face as well as through virtual visits.

He has served as a principal investigator, co-investigator on several federal and pharmaceutical funded projects, focusing on obesity therapy, both in the US and in Spain. He has published more than 100 articles and book chapters in the field of obesity and was the recipient of the 2018 “Novoa Santos Award,” one the most prestigious medical recognitions in Spain. He is currently the Principal Investigator of a large clinical trial evaluating the role of anti-obesity medication in the context of share medical appointments.

Dr, Burguera earned his medical degree from the University of Santiago (Spain). He also holds a PhD evaluating the role of glucocorticoid on the neuro-regulation of growth hormone secretion. He later completed research fellowships at East Carolina University and th

USA

Conor Delaney, MD, MCh, PhD, FRCSI, FACS, FASCRS, FRCSI (Hon)
Chairman, Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute
Victor W. Fazio MD Endowed Chair in Colorectal Surgery
Cleveland Clinic
USA

Dr. Delaney is Chairman of the Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute at the Cleveland Clinic, with responsibility for the Departments of Colorectal Surgery, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and Surgery throughout the Cleveland Clinic. The institute is recognized for patient care and academic leadership, and many of the academic staff, departments and sections are national and international leaders in their field.

Dr. Delaney holds a Master of Surgery and PhD degree from the University College Dublin in Ireland. His postgraduate education included a residency through the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and fellowships at the University of Pittsburgh, and the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Delaney holds the Victor W. Fazio MD Endowed Chair in Colorectal Surgery.

Dr. Delaney has received a number of prizes, scholarships and awards over the course of his career in training, education and research. He is a member and serves on administrative committees of many national and international professional societies, serves on the editorial board of eight national and international journals, is the past-president of the International Society for Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery, and the Midwest Surgical Association, and is the Treasurer of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons.

Dr. Delaney has given over 450 lectures nationally and internationally and has published 15 books and 400 original manuscripts, reviews and chapters relating to surgical education, colorectal cancer surgery, laparoscopic colorectal surgery and peri-operative care for intestinal surgery. His clinical interests include laparoscopic colorectal surgery, carcinoma of the colon, rectum and anus; Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, sphincter-saving surgery, re-operative abdominal surgery and colonoscopy. His research interests include various aspects of colorectal surgery, cost-efficiency in surgery, and surgical education.

Spain

Graduated with honors from Universidad Complutense de Madrid Medical School in 1988. PhD Summa Cum Laude from Universidad Complutense de Madrid Medical School in 1992. Residency training in General and Digestive Surgery 1991-1995. Research fellow in Surgery at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, 1996-1997. Attending and chief of the division of colorectal surgery/surgical oncology unit between 1997 and 2016 at Hospital Clinico San Carlos. Associate professor of surgery 1998-2011 and full professor of surgery 2011-present at Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Chief Medical Officer at Hospital Clinico San Carlos 2016-present. Secretary of the BJS Society, Coordinator of the Digital and Innovation Editorial Board of Surgery (Journal), member of the editorial boards of Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, World Journal of Gastroenterology and Turkeish Journal of Surgery. Member of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Spain.

USA

Michael Klingler, MD, MS is a 3rd year general surgery resident and the minimally invasive surgery and surgical endoscopy research fellow at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, USA. He is a graduate of Michigan State University medical school and completed his undergraduate degree at Pennsylvania State University and his master’s degree in physiology at California State University. He is interested in pursuing a fellowship in minimally invasive and bariatric surgery with a focus on advanced surgical endoscopy. His current research focus is on novel natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery procedures, such as the per-oral endoscopic pyloromyotomy (POP) for the treatment of gastroparesis and the per-oral endoscopic Zenker’s diverticulotomy.

Kuwait

MD FACS FASMBS
Professor of Surgery
University at Buffalo
ABC University
Jackson North Medical Center
Miami Beach, FL
USA

Dr. Zundel is a Clinical Professor of Surgery at the Department of Surgery University at Buffalo, NY. Additionally, Dr. Zundel functions as a consultant for the Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery of Fundacion program in Santa Fe de Bogota, and as Bariatric surgeon at Jackson North Medical center in Miami. Dr. Zundel has extensive experience with Minimally Invasive and bariatric surgical procedures.

He is an active member of the following societies, serving on various committees and executive boards: ACS, ASMBS, SAGES, IFSO, IFSES, FELAC, ABE, ASGE, ALACE of which he was also a former President.

Dr. Zundel has served as a Founder, Active or/and Honorary member of Surgical, Laparoscopic and/or Bariatric Societies in 44 Countries around the world.

In addition to being a world class educator in laparoscopic and bariatric surgery, Dr. Zundel has also been a leader. He was / is the President of several international surgical societies and meetings including the World Congress of Endoscopic Surgery (2012), International Federation for Obesity Surgery (IFSO) (2015-2016), the Latin-American chapter of IFSO (2013-2015), and the VI IFSO LAC Congress in Los Cabos, Mexico, (July 8-11,2015). He was former President and now currently serves as Governor for the ACS South Florida Chapter. Allso, President of IFSES (2020-2022). Dr Zundel was elected Executive Director of FELAC on March 2017, a Federation that comprises around Thirty Thousand-General Surgeons from Latin America for the next 4 years.

Dr Zundel was also voted by his peers and elected as a new member of ASMBS Executive Council.

He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, books chapters, and other educational platforms. He is Editor of or Co-Editor of 7 Books. He currently serves on several editorial boards including: Bariatric Times, Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases (SOARD), Obesity Surgery, Surgical Laparoscopy, Endoscopy, Percutaneous Techniques, Surgica

Raul J. Rosenthal, MD, FACS, FASMBS Chairman, Department of General SurgeryDirector, General Surgery Residency ProgramDirector, The Bariatric and Metabolic Institute,Director, Advanced GI Surgical FellowshipCleveland Clinic FloridaWeston, FLClinical Professor of Surgery atCleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine atCase Western Reserve UniversityAffiliate Professor of Surgery atHerbert Wertheim School of Medicine, Florida International University
Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University
Ross University, School of Medicine
Co-Editor in Chief, Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases (SOARD)
USA

Professional Activities and Distinctions:
Dr. Rosenthal completed his medical school and surgical residency in Rosario Argentina. In 1982 he emigrated to Frankfurt , Germany where he repeated general surgery residency and became attending surgeon at the Northwest Hospital. In 1993 Dr. Rosenthal emigrated to the USA. Three years of minimally invasive surgery fellowship at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in LA were followed by third general surgery residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in NY. Since 1999 he is Chief of MIS and Bariatric Surgery and director of Fellowship in Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery at Cleveland Clinic Florida. In 2019 Dr. R was appointed Regional Director of the Digestive Disease Center of Cleveland Clinic Florida. Since 2012 he is the Chairman of the Department of General Surgery and since 2011 the director of the General surgery Residency Program. Dr. Rosenthal served between 2014 and 2016 as Chief of Staff and Chairman of the Medical Executive Committee at Cleveland Clinic Florida. Dr. Rosenthal was appointed for 6 years in the Board of Governors of SAGES and served for equal amount of time in the SAGES Foundation .Dr. Rosenthal is Founding member and immediate past president of the Fellowship Council. He also served on multiple committee’s and is President of the American Chapter of the International Federation of Societies of Obesity Surgery and Past president of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons ( ASMBS) and past president of the ASMBS Foundation, South Florida Chapter of ACS and the Fellowship Council. He is founding Clinical Editor of Bariatric Times and Co-Editor in Chief of SOARD. He also serves as associate editor of Obesity Surgery. Additionally he is Editorial Board member of Annals of Surgery, Selected Readings in General Surgery, Langennbeck’s Archive , ACS Case Reviews in Surgery, and Surgical Endoscopy. He is the immediate past President of the South Florida Ch

Canada

USA

Scott Butsch, MD MSc Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland Ohio

Dr. Butsch is the Director of Obesity Medicine in the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic since 2018. He was one of two inaugural physicians in the U.S. to complete subspecialty fellowship in obesity medicine, first established at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) / Harvard Medical School(HMS) in 2007, and was an obesity medicine physician at the MGH Weight Center and an Instructor in Medicine at HMS from 2008-2017. He is a diplomat of the American Board of Obesity Medicine and a Fellow of The Obesity Society.

Dr. Butsch‘s clinical interests focus on the pharmacological management of obesity and combination pharmacological therapies in bariatric surgical patients and special populations with severe obesity. He is an author of numerous chapters and manuscripts and lectures nationally and internationally on many topics in obesity. His academic interests focus on obesity education. He was selected as the Curtis Prout Fellow in Medical Education at HMS in 2010 and was the Director of Education in the Division of Nutrition at HMS from 2014-2017. Dr. Butsch is a national leader in both obesity and nutrition education and his passion and commitment can be seen in his roles as a creator/co-creator of obesity education programs like the Harvard Obesity Medicine Board Review Course and the SCOPE Leadership Programme, as a past co-director in CME programs, e.g. the Harvard Blackburn Course in Obesity Medicine and the Cleveland Clinic’s Obesity Summit, as a member/chair on several professional committees within The Obesity Society, and as a teacher/mentor for obesity medicine fellows, residents, health professional students and practicing physicians and other health care providers.

India

Dr. Suviraj John is staff at the Institute of Minimal Access, Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, where he is teaching faculty and academic coordinator for the Post-Doctoral Fellowship (FNB) in Minimal Access Surgery under the National Board of Examinations (NBE). He is also engaged in proctoring and mentoring surgeons across India in basic and advanced laparoscopic surgery. He is the co-author for India’s first books on Endo-Suturing (2001) and Endo-Hernia Repair (2002). In addition, he has contributed to chapters, editorials, international guidelines and publications in endo-hernia surgery, bariatric-metabolic surgery, laparoscopic colo rectal cancer surgery and prevention of Hospital Acquired - Venous Thrombo Embolism (HA-VTE) in bariatric surgery in national and international publications. He is also the founder of the Minimal Access Surgical Clinics - GI Surgery initiative (www.masc.net.in) which is a professional-academic resource for training and practicing minimal access surgeons.

He is an active member of national endosurgical societies and invited faculty for national and international academic events. He currently is an Executive Committee Member, Indian Association of Gastrointestinal Endo Surgeons (IAGES). He is an active advocate for patient safety initiatives, primarily through positive professional culture change and member, committee on National Patient Safety Implementation Framework (2018-2025), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

Spain

Violeta Moizé received her doctoral degree in Food and Nutrition (Food and Nutrition Program) from the Barcelona University-(UB 2017). She has also completed a Masters degree in both Food Design and Innovation (UB 2011) and Public Health (UB 1998) and a Bachelor of Science and Technology of Food (Autonomous University of Barcelona 2008) and has been certified as a Registered Dietitian since 1996 (UB). She was awarded a Marie Curie Grant to conduct independent clinical research during a 3 year research fellowship at the New York Obesity and Nutrition Research Center of Columbia University (2013-2016.NY). In 2019 she was awarded with the Health Research and Innovation Strategic Plan (PERIS) by the Catalunya Department of Health and she is currently conducting a research project on the field of nutrition adipose tissue and bariatric surgery. Since 2000 she has worked as a staff nutritionist in the Obesity and Diabetes Unit of the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, where her research and clinical duties are focused on nutrition, bariatric surgery, diabetes and dyslipidemia. In her role as a healthy lifestyle educator, she emphasizes strategies for behavior change using a comprehensive and motivational approach. In addition, Dr. Moizé has served as advisor to commercial companies for development of weight loss programs, is a frequent national and international speaker on obesity, eating behavior and nutrition related topics and has authored numerous book chapters and scientific papers on obesity-related topics. Violeta Moizé is Associate Professor in the department of Medicine at the University of Barcelona (2018). Since January 2020 she serves as President for the Spanish Scientific Society of Nutrition and Dietetics (SEDYN).

MD
Staff Physician, Gastroenterology ＆ Hepatology, Digestive Disease Institute
UAE

Dr. Abdullah Shatnawei, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Shatnawei was a Staff Physician in the Center for Human Nutrition and Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, DDSI at Cleveland Clinic. He was also appointed as Medical Director at the Center of Gut Rehabilitation and Transplant.

Dr. Shatnawei received his medical degree from Jordan University of Science and Technology with a Bachelor of Surgery and Medicine in 2000. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine in 2002-2005 at Fairview hospital, Cleveland Clinic Health System, Cleveland, Ohio. He also completed a Clinical Nutrition fellowship at Cleveland Clinic, Ohio in 2007 and a fellowship in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in 2012.

Dr. Shatnawei resides in Abu Dhabi with his family. His hobbies include playing soccer and reading.

UAE

UAE

Ms. Adelaide D’souza completed her General Nursing Training in 2010, later she pursued Post basic BSc Nursing and completed in 2012.

She worked in Mumbai in Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Liver Transplant Unit for 2.2 Years, in the pre and post areas doing all the workup necessary for transplant patients and following up on their recovery.

Then she worked in P.D. Hinduja Hospital in Endoscopy Unit for 2.6 years, where she learnt about Endoscopic and bronchoscopy procedures starting from the basics and then the therapeutic procedures.

Presently in CCAD since November 2017 in Endoscopy Unit working as a staff nurse, performing all the advanced procedures as well as learning and improving her skills in other therapeutic procedures.

UAE

Dr. Ahmad Matalkah is a surgical oncology. He has been working in Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi for the last 4 years, interested in Breast cancer and endocrine surgery.

UAE

Dr. Ahmed Marwan Mansour, MD, is an Associate Staff Physician in the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Mansour was an Attending Physician and Faculty Member in the Liver Transplant Program, part of the Gastroenterology Surgical Center, GI and Endoscopy Unit at Mansoura University Specialized Medical Hospital, Egypt.

Dr. Mansour received his medical degree from Mansoura University, Egypt. He then completed his residency in Internal Medicine and his master's degree in 2010. Subsequently, he earned his doctorate degree in Gastroenterology and Hepatology from Mansoura University, Egypt in 2017.

Dr. Mansour resides in Abu Dhabi with his family. He enjoys football, swimming and horse riding.

UAE

Ahmed Sultan, M.D., PhD in Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt. Gastroenterologist in Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi & Healthpoint Hospital. Interested in Advanced endoscopy and IBD. Member of ASGE, ESGE, EASL

MD
Staff Physician, Gastroenterology ＆ Hepatology, Digestive Disease Institute
UAE

Amer AlKhatib, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Al Khatib worked as an interventional gastroenterologist at Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Tulsa, Oklahoma, US.

Dr. AlKhatib earned his medical degree from the University of Jordan in Amman before pursuing medical training in the US. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Texas in Houston and practiced medicine in Spokane, Washington. He later joined the University of Utah’s liver transplant team in 2007. He completed his gastroenterology fellowship from University of Utah. He was the first physician to join and finish Advanced Endoscopy fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona, US.

Dr. AlKhatib has published more than 40 papers, many of which are in elite international medical journals, including the American Journal of Medicine. He is passionate about medicine and his professional interests include pancreatic and biliary disorders. He is skilled in many routine and advanced endoscopic procedures and has taught medical students, residents and fellows for more than a decade. He had affiliation with Washington State University and Oklahoma State University as adjunct assistant professor.

MBBS
Staff Physician, Gastroenterology ＆ Hepatology, Digestive Disease Institute
UAE

Dr. Ammar Kheir, MBBS, is a Staff Physician in the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Kheir was a Consultant Gastroenterologist and Therapeutic Colonoscopist at Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee. He was also a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

Dr. Kheir received his medical degree from the University of Medical Sciences and Technology, Khartoum, Sudan. He completed his foundation medical training at James Cook University Hospital, UK. Following that, he completed Basic Physician Training at John Hunter Hospital and the University of Newcastle, Australia. He then completed his Core Gastroenterology and Hepatology Training at the Central Coast and Northern Sydney hospitals. After that, he completed an advanced Therapeutic Colonoscopy fellowship at Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Hospital, Brisbane, Australia. He also completed an advanced Endoscopic Training at Kyushu University Hospital, Japan.

Dr. Kheir has a particular interest and expertise in image-enhanced endoscopy, high-quality colonoscopy, bowel cancer screening in adults, inflammatory bowel disease, management of colonic polyposis, advanced endoscopic resection techniques, Barrett’s esophagus and screening for early gastric cancer. He presented at international meetings, was published in peer reviewed journals and authored endoscopy textbook chapters.

UAE

Asma AlNuaimi graduated from United Arab Emirates University with a Bachelor’s degree of Science in Dietetics. She started her career in Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in 2016. Since then, she has gained experience in a range of areas in both inpatient and outpatient settings. She is passionate about and has specialized for the last 4 year in Bariatric Nutrition .

MD
Staff Physician, Gastroenterology ＆ Hepatology, Digestive Disease Institute
UAE

Aydamir Alrakawi, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Alrakawi was a Gastroenterologist at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic, Manchester, New Hampshire, US.

Dr. Alrakawi received his medical degree from Damascus University, Damascus, Syria, 1990. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Fairview Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Hospital, Ohio, US.

After completing his residency, Dr. Alrakawi practiced as a Primary Care Physician in Mississippi until 1996. He then went on to complete a fellowship in Gastroenterology at Washington University in St. Louis and another fellowship in Biliary Endoscopy (ERCP).

UAE

Dr. Baraa M. Abduljawad, MD, is a consultant physician in Critical Care Medicine and Transplant Hepatology at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. He is also Lead Quality officer of critical care and Chair of Emergency Medical Response Committee. Prior to moving to UAE, Dr. Abduljawad was working as a Critical Care fellow at Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, USA.

Dr. Abduljawad received his medical degree with honors from the King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia. He then completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. After, he moved to Ohio, where he completed a fellowship in Transplant Hepatology at Cleveland Clinic. This was followed by Critical Care fellowship. Naturally his area of interest is care of patients with advanced liver disease, acute liver failure and transplant critical care.

UAE

Accomplished Level 3 Registered Nurse with over 38 years’ experience predominantly in the areas of patient care, training and development and case management as well as team leadership and mentoring. Certified Endoscopy professional with excellent academic background including a Master's Degree in Science of Nursing and a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health coupled with a Diploma in Nursing. Skilled in providing outstanding nursing care as a Maternity Nurse, School Nurse, and Rehabilitation Nurse. Demonstrating a thorough understanding of providing appropriate care to old aged patients. Outstanding track record of successfully monitoring and providing details of symptoms, or changes in patient’s condition while proactively building positive working relations with patients and their families. Significant exposure in monitoring nursing staff performance, enabling performance evaluations of entire staff, and monitoring quality and type of care provided to all patients. Expert nurse with in-depth knowledge of and use of standard practices and ethics for ensuring care, vigilance, and safety during patient care interventions to achieve clinical excellence.

MD
Staff Physician, General Surgery, Digestive Disease Institute
UAE

Bret Alan Cardwell, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Cardwell held a number of roles at Mayo Clinic Health Systems, Minnesota, US, including General Surgeon, Acute Care Surgeon, and a number of leadership roles. Dr. Cardwell takes pride in ensuring each of his patients is treated with the utmost care and respect.

Dr. Cardwell first trained as a veterinarian due to his family’s long history of involvement in agriculture in the US. Realizing he had a talent and passion for surgery, he continued his education to become a physician and surgeon at the University of Minnesota Medical School and Hennepin County Medical Center, the largest Level 1 trauma center in Minnesota.

Dr. Cardwell is married with two children and two grandchildren, and lives in Abu Dhabi with his wife of 36 years. He enjoys cycling, reading, movies, shooting sports, travel and experiencing new and interesting cuisines.

UAE

Dr. Carlos M. Abril Vega, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Vega was Chief of the Colorectal Section at the University Clinic Hospital of Valladolid in Spain.

Dr. Vega earned his PhD from the Experimental Surgery Laboratory at the School of Medicine, Valladolid in 1998. He then worked in acute care surgery for two years and moved to the Hospital El Bierzo (Ponferrada) as a Staff General Surgeon.

He then returned to the University Clinic Hospital of Valladolid as Staff General Surgeon and became Associate Professor of the Surgery Department within the School of Medicine at the University of Valladolid in 2006.

Dr. Vega received his medical degree at the University of Valladolid School of Medicine, Valladolid, Spain and the University of Madrid between 1986 and 1992. He completed his residency in General Surgery at the University Clinic Hospital of Valladolid.

Cipriano Mayor, BSN, PGCE, MClinED, Fellow - HEA
UAE

Cipriano Mayor joined CCAD last October 2016 as part of the Nursing Clinical Education Team. In November 2019, he joined the Quality, Patient Safety and Accreditation Team (QPSA) as Manager – Professional Excellence and Accreditation. As his main role, he oversees the Magnet Recognition Program for CCAD. In October 2019, they were awarded the Magnet Recognition status, making CCAD the first in UAE and the youngest organization to achieve the gold standard of Nursing excellence from ANCC (less than 5 years since opening its door to patients).

Previously, Cipriano Mayor worked in United Kingdom for nearly 18 years (Norwich and London) as a Staff Nurse, Clinical Educator and Manager in different settings. He also spent several years working in academia (King’s College London and University of East Anglia), teaching Renal Course and General Nursing Curriculum to both pre and post registration Nursing students. He completed his nursing degree in the Philippines and his Master of Clinical Education in UK. He obtained my Teacher status under UK Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) in 2010 and Fellowship for Higher Education Academy in 2016.

MD, MSc
Staff Physician, Gastroenterology ＆ Hepatology, Digestive Disease Institute
UAE

Dr. Cristobal Moreno, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Digestive Disease Insititute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Moreno was a Consultant Gastroenterologist at Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for the last 3 years, where he developed the Bariatric Endoscopy Unit. He also established the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Monographic Clinic.

Dr. Moreno received his medical degree from the University of Malaga, Spain. He completed his fellowship in Costa del Sol Hospital, Marbella and is certified by the Spanish Ministry of Education in Medicine and Gastroenterology disease.

He resides in Abu Dhabi with his family. He enjoys outdoor sports and meeting outside with friends.

UAE

Dorevie Joy Palon has earned her degree in Bachelor of Science in Nursing after graduating from Our Lady of Fatima University back in March 2008 and passed the nursing licensure exam on the same year in June. She also pursued higher education by acquiring units in Masters of Arts in Nursing in Trinity University of Asia. She was employed as a staff nurse in a tertiary hospital and gained the role of a senior nurse within 3 years prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in February 2015.

For almost 6 years, she is now one of the senior nurses in Digestive Diseases Institute since 2015 when CCAD opened its doors to the public. She is currently a shift leader in Gastroenterology department who attended the shift lead program in CCAD in 2017 and the leadership academy the following year. She is also an active member of the shared governance, representing the 3rd floor ambulatory care unit in the quality and safety council. Last 2018, she has passed her certification for ambulatory care nursing from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

Currently, she works closely with IBD physicians in coordinating care for IBD patients. Earlier this year, she was invited to be a speaker in the IBD summit 360 and had the opportunity to talk about Pediatric IBD as well as be part of the panelists about the expanding role of IBD nurses.

MD
Staff Physician, Hematology ＆ Oncology, Medical Subspecialties Institute
UAE

Elie B. Choufani, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Medical Subspecialties Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Choufani practiced in several US-based hospitals as a Hematology and Oncology consultant physician. Dr. Choufani has 15 years experience treating patients with cancer and blood disorders. He also has experience in autologous bone marrow transplantation for blood cancers.

Dr. Choufani graduated from Saint Joseph University, Faculty of Medicine in Beirut, Lebanon, and went on to complete his residency training in Internal Medicine and Fellowship in Hematology/Oncology at Boston University Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, US.

Dr. Choufani current resides in Abu Dhabi with his wife and three children.

UAE

MD
Staff Physician, Cardiology, Heart ＆ Vascular Institute
UAE

Dr. Hani Sabbour, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Heart and Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Sabbour graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Basic Medical Sciences and another in Medicine and Surgery from Kuwait University Faculty of Medicine in 1994 with first class honors. He was also twice-awarded His Highness the Emirs Gold Medal for academic excellence in both degrees.

He subsequently went on to train in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease at SUNY Stony Brook in New York and was elected both Resident and Fellow of the Year several times. He then completed his training in Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and was appointed Clinical Instructor in Cardiology at Harvard Medical School in 2001, as well as at SUNY Stony Brook.

Dr. Sabbour has six American Board Certifications and is currently certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Cardiac Electrophysiology, Advanced Heart failure and Transplant Cardiology, Cardiovascular Disease, Internal Medicine, Echocardiography and Nuclear Cardiology. He has always been heavily involved in teaching and has been a part of the teaching faculty at Brown University since 2006. He was promoted to Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine and Cardiology at Brown University Warren Alpert School of Medicine in 2013.

Dr. Sabbour has been active in research and is currently an active PI in two international multi-center trials in the field of pacing and ICDs and has had several publications in the field. He was also appointed as the Internal Medicine Residency Program Director at Al Ain Hospital, as well as Arab Board Cardiology Fellowship Site Co-Director. He had been practicing in Rhode Island for 11 years and then moved to the UAE in 2013 to be a Consultant Cardiologist at SEHA (SKMC, Mafraq, Al Ain Hospital and Tawam) Hospitals. Following that, Dr. Sabbour ha

UAE

Dr. Hicham T. Abada, MD, is Chief of Interventional Radiology in the Imaging Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Prior to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Abada was appointed Associate Professor at the University of Kentucky and University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, where he led different clinical programs, such as, the Uterine Fibroid Program and the Peripheral vascular Imaging program. Dr. Abada also has prior experience working in Europe (Belgium & France). Dr. Abada has extensive clinical expertise in the field of peripheral vascular disease, embolization and interventional oncology. He co-developed, in France, the program of Post-Partum Hemorrhage that is still one of the most active in Paris.

His areas of research include imaging of aorta, endovascular aortic repair follow up and management, radiation dose optimization and renal denervation.

UAE

Homero Rivas, MD, MBA, FACS, FASMBS is a Professor of Surgery, and Associate Dean of Innovation and the Future at the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Dubai, UAE. Formerly he was Associate Professor and the Director of Innovative Surgery at Stanford University. As a digestive and bariatric surgeon, he has 18 years of experience. After his training in general surgery at the University of North Dakota, he completed two one-year fellowships in Minimally Invasive Surgery at the University of Louisville and also at the Hospital Clinic in Barcelona, Spain. He is certified by the American Board of Surgery. He is a pioneer and leader in numerous state-of-the art innovative techniques of minimal access surgery including: scarless surgery; natural orifice surgery; Per Oral Endoscopic Myotomy (POEM) for achalasia, robotic surgery, and more. He has been involved in minimal access surgery both nationally in the US and internationally in nearly all continents, as a surgeon-in-training, a practicing surgeon and also as teacher of other expert surgeons. Dr. Rivas Co-Chairs the International Committee for the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and he has been inducted as Honorary Fellow for both, the Brazilian College of Surgeons and the Brazilian College of Digestive Surgery.

Dr. Rivas has been involved in Digital Health for many years and has founded and advised many Digital Health startups. As a thought leader in Digital Health, he often collaborates with entrepreneurs and innovators from the Silicon Valley and now in the Middle East. He is also a Co-Founder and Director of the 8-Lab (Emergent Innovations in Global Health Lab). He is strong proponent of novel technologies in healthcare such as wearables, augmented and virtual reality, telemedicine, 3D printing, drones, artificial intelligence engines, etc. He teaches does some research on those subjects and also on implementing design thinking in medical education. He is t

MD
Institute Chair, Endocrinology, Medical Subspecialties Institute
UAE

Hussein Saadi, MD, is the Institute Chair of the Medical Subspecialties Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, where he oversees nine medical subspecialties including dermatology, endocrinology, hematology and oncology, hospital medicine, infectious disease, general internal medicine, nephrology and rheumatology.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Saadi was Professor and Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UAE University, and Consultant Endocrinologist at Tawam Hospital in Abu Dhabi. He is a former member of the Cleveland Clinic Departments of General Internal Medicine and Endocrinology staff in the US.

Dr. Saadi is a Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American College of Endocrinology. Dr. Saadi is also a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University. His specialty interests include diabetes mellitus, vitamin D deficiency, osteoporosis and general endocrinology.

With a medical degree from the American University of Beirut, Dr. Saadi trained in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, in the US.

He enjoys reading, traveling, walking and soccer.

MBBS
Staff Physician, General Surgery, Digestive Disease Institute
UAE

Javed Raza, MBBS, is a Staff Physician in the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Raza was a Consultant General and Upper Gastrointestinal and Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgeon at the Royal Derby Hospital, UK. In 2010, he became the Clinical Lead for Foregut Surgery and Regional Bariatric Surgery Unit at the Royal Derby Hospital.

Through his bariatric surgery work, he appeared on Regional (BBC) and National TV (Channel 4) in UK. His national TV appearance was a documentary about gastric bypass surgery, including a video of the actual surgery. He has participated in many live TV discussions and has served as the anchor for a three hour fund raiser in UK.

Dr. Raza has been a technical advisor to National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) in UK for bariatric surgery since 2010, and was also involved with formulating national guidelines for provision of bariatric surgery in the UK.

Dr. Raza is also is the Vice Chairman of Midland Doctors Association in the UK, a charitable organization that delivered emergency health care following an earthquake in Pakistan in 2005. Since then, the organization has constructed and is managing an 80-bed state of the art charitable health facility in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan.

He has extensive experience in development of bariatric services and has led the development of three bariatric surgery units in UK. He has also helped to support the development of laparoscopic surgery in Egypt and Pakistan. His special areas of interest are bariatric surgery, foregut cancer surgery and emergency laparoscopic surgery.

He has presented outcomes of his bariatric and advanced laparoscopic work at many international conferences and has chaired and moderated the sessions on multiple occasions. He has also served as director for advanced laparoscopic courses, including live transmission of his own laparoscopic surgery cases.
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MD
Chief, Office of Physician Staff Affairs and Consultant Gynecologic Surgeon in the Surgical Subspecialties Institute
UAE

M. Jean Uy-Kroh MD, is the Chief of the Office of Physician Staff Affairs, Chair of Gynecology, and Consultant Gynecologic Surgeon in the Surgical Subspecialties Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. She specializes in advanced laparoscopic gynecological procedures such as robotic and hysteroscopic surgeries with a particular focus on endometriosis and fibroid surgery. She is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Uy-Kroh spent 7 years at Cleveland Clinic, Ohio, where she served as a Consultant in the divisions of Benign Gynecology and Minimally Invasive Surgery. She established and served as the Director of the interdisciplinary, Chronic Pelvic Pain Program and built it into a national referral center. She has been elected to leadership positions for international, academic societies and is a Board Member of the International Pelvic Pain Society.

Dr. Uy-Kroh is passionate about improving women’s health care and quality of living through research, education, and surgical innovation.

Dr. Uy-Kroh received her undergraduate degree from Brown University and graduated with the highest departmental honors. She attended the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio and completed her residency at the Cleveland Clinic-MetroHealth Medical Center Program. She is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is a Fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Dr. Uy-Kroh has published peer-reviewed scientific articles and authored several surgical videos and book chapters on Benign Gynecology and Gynecologic Surgery. She is the co-editor of the textbook, Operative Techniques in Gynecologic Surgery (Lippincott, 2017). Dr. Uy-Kroh served on the editorial board and is a manuscript reviewer for the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology.

UAE

Ms. David is currently one of the Senior Staff Nurses at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (CCAD) specializing in Robotics surgery for different surgical specialties. She has obtained certification as a Certified Nurse Operating Room (CNOR) as administered by American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). She has recently completed the Registered Nurse First Assist (RNFA) Program under National Institute of First Assisting (NIFA).

Ms. David has earned her Bachelor of Nursing degree in the Philippines. With 13 years of nursing experience as an operating room nurse, she has worked as a scrub nurse, circulating nurse, team leader, preceptor and a shift leader. She obtained her foundation training as an operating nurse at St. Luke’s Medical Center Philippines, which is a JCI-Gold sealed tertiary hospital, and progressed to become an Assistant Nurse Manager of the OR. She was grateful that she had a chance to work hand in hand with surgeons in building up their Minimal Invasive and Robotics Surgery Center (MIRSC). She was sent to Seoul Korea for an intensive training for the Da Vinci Coordinator Program. With this program, she has become a resource person in Robotics Surgery for Nurses in the Philippines. With passion in teaching, she was able to share her knowledge in Robotics Surgery by providing trainings and lectures to aspiring nurses.

MD
Associate Staff Physician, Colorectal Surgery, Digestive Disease Institute
UAE

Lameese Tabaja, MD, is an Associate Staff Physician in the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Tabaja completed her sub-specialty in Colorectal Surgery at Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium, which also houses the European Cancer Center. In this role, she was involved in the management of complex colorectal and anal disorders, both benign or malignant. She also led enhanced recovery protocols and Single Incision Laparoscopic Surgery (SILS) to accelerate patients’ recovery.

Dr. Tabaja earned her sub-specialty degree in Colorectal Surgery from the Catholic University of Louvain in Brussels. She also received an Advanced Laparoscopic Training Certificate from the University of Strasbourg in France.

Her clinical expertise is in colorectal and anal surgery. She is devoted to evidence-based practice and alongside her clinical expertise. Dr. Tabaja has special interest in complex anal disorder management and has been involved in research activities, as well as presented in multiple conferences on the subject.

UAE

Mary Angellin Guaño-Calimutan is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2008 at Far Eastern University, Manila, Philippines. She passed her nursing licensure exam on the same year, had her US licensure exam in 2011, and HAAD licensure exam in 2015. She was a senior staff nurse in a private hospital in the Philippines for six years prior joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in 2015.

She has been in Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi for five and half years now and one of the senior staff nurses and shift leaders in Digestive Disease Institute – Gastroenterology clinic. In addition, she is also a member of the Shared Governance – Representative for Research, a Hand Hygiene and Magnet Champion.

In 2016 she started the esophageal manometry and 24-hour pH monitoring here at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi under the training of Dr. Sigurbjorn Birgisson, Director of the Center for Esophageal & Swallowing Disorders in the Digestive Disease Institute. Currently Mary Angellin is the lead nurse for esophageal manometry and 24-hour pH monitoring who conducts trainings for her colleagues too.

UAE

Dr. Matthew Kroh, MD, is Chief of the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Kroh spent fourteen years at Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio.

He has served as the Section Head of Surgical Endoscopy in the Department of General Surgery, the Program Director for the Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery and Flexible Surgical Endoscopy Fellowship, the Clerkship Director for Surgery in the Lerner College of Medicine and the Surgical Director of both the Advanced Endoscopy Center and the Esophageal Center. He has also held the position of Director of the Center for Advanced Skills Training in the Cleveland Clinic Simulation Center.

After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Boston College and a master's degree from Boston University. Dr. Kroh received his medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine of New York University. He completed his General Surgery residency at Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, where he also underwent fellowship training in Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery and Flexible Surgical Endoscopy.

Dr. Kroh is committed to clinical excellence and patient-centered care, with a particular focus on surgical and endoscopic innovation. He is licensed by the State Medical Board of Ohio and board-certified by the American Board of Surgery. His specialty interests include advanced laparoscopic surgery, bariatric surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, surgical endoscopy, endoluminal procedures and robotic surgery.

Dr. Kroh is also a Consultant to Medtronic, Cook Medical, Teleflex and Levita.

MD, FRCS (Glasg), FACS
UAE

Dr Hadad is a Consultant Bariatric Surgeon and he is the Head of the bariatric and metabolic surgery centre, Centre of Excellence in Metabolic and bariatric surgery, at Healthpoint Hospital in collaboration with Imperial College of London Diabetes centre in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Dr Hadad has extensive experience in bariatric surgery and advanced laparoscopy. He is a graduate of Baghdad University, school of medicine, Fellow of the American College of surgeons and Royal college of Surgeons of Glasgow and Ireland. Moreover, Dr Hadad hold a PhD in clinical epidemiology and biostatistics. He is specialized in advanced laparoscopic bariatric and upper gastrointestinal Surgery. Course Director and instructor in more than 200 courses of basic, advanced laparoscopy, bariatric and trauma management in the UAE and internationally. He was a member of the advisory board for the general surgery residency program of the UAE university for many years. Have many Publications in a peer reviewed journals in Bariatric surgery, Endoscopy and trauma management.

MD
Staff Physician, Gastroenterology ＆ Hepatology, Digestive Disease Institute
UAE

Mohammad Alam, FRACP, is a Staff Physician in the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Alam was a Consultant Gastroenterologist at Burjeel Hospital and Mafraq Hospital, both in Abu Dhabi.

Dr. Alam received his medical degree from Kolkata University, India. He completed his Internal Medicine residency at Liverpool Hospital, New South Wales, Australia. He also completed his Gastroenterology and Hepatology fellowship at Westmead Hospital, New South Wales, Australia.

UAE

Dr Nadeem Abdullah is a pediatric endocrinologist at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) in Abu Dhabi. He completed his CCT and training in endocrinology in the UK. He subsequently completed an MSc in paediatric diabetes from the University of Warwick, UK. He worked as a consultant in the department of paediatric endocrinology, RVI, Newcastle upon Tyne and at Cambridge University NHS Hospitals before moving to SKMC in 2017.

Dr Nadeem Abdullah has completed many projects successfully both regionally and nationally in the field of diabetes and has written several guidelines. He has delivered several educational programs nationally in the UK and contributed towards structured patient education.

He has received formal training in medical education and obtained a certificate in clinical education form the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. He has taught undergraduate medical students on the PPG course at the University of Cambridge, UK and has been a Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Tutor for many years.

His expertise involves caring for children with diabetes, hormonal disturbances, growth problems and obesity. His research interests lie primarily in type 1 diabetes and obesity in children and adolescents. More recently his contributions have been instrumental in establishing department of health obesity guidelines in Abu Dhabi to help launch weight management programme for children and adolescents.

UAE

Nayla Mezher, is a clinical dietitian and nutritionist specialized in Obesity and Bariatrics at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Nayla started her career at the Middle East Institute of Health in Lebanon in 2012, where she consulted inpatients and outpatients. She then also became the head of the food services department in 2015. Nayla received her Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Notre Dame University – Lebanon in 2011 and her Master’s degree in Human Nutrition from the same university in 2016. Nayla is very passionate about her career and considers her job as a tool to provide an added value to her community by always ensuring to provide the best to her patients in order to improve their well being and have a better health.

MD
Department Chair, Executive Health, Medical Subspecialties Institute
UAE

Nicole Sirotin, MD, is Chair of Preventive Medicine in the Medical Subspecialties Institute and leads the Executive Health Program at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Dr. Sirotin is among the first medical professionals globally to be certified as Diplomates of the ABLM/American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) and the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine. Lifestyle Medicine is the use of evidence-based lifestyle therapeutic approaches, such as a predominantly whole food, plant-based diet, physical activity, adequate sleep, stress management, tobacco cessation, and other non-drug modalities, to prevent, treat, and reverse chronic disease.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Sirotin was Assistant Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Sirotin also served as Medical Director of the Weill Cornell Center for Human Rights and conducted research as co-PI of a study on food insecurity in northern Uganda with Cornell University.

Prior to Weill Cornell, Dr. Sirotin was Associate Program Director of the Primary Care/Social Medicine Residency Program Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center. She also co-directed the Global Health course and was an Attending Physician in the Bronx Human Rights Center.

Dr. Sirotin earned her medical degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School and completed her residency in Primary Care/General Internal Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, with a Health Equities Area of Distinction. After residency, Dr. Sirotin completed a research fellowship in Global Public Health at the University of California, San Diego.

Dr. Sirotin’s greatest accomplishments have always been the positive changes she has helped her patients realize, whether they were UAE nationals struggling with diabetes and obesity, New Yorkers with heart disease, or refugees seeking asylum in the US.

UAE

Dr. Noé Quesada-Vázquez, MD, is an Associate Staff Physician in the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, specializing in Gastroenterology. Prior to joining CCAD, Dr. Vázquez was a staff endoscopist at the Santa Isabel Clinic in Seville, Spain, where he performed complex endoscopic procedures for diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of conditions.

Dr. Vázquez has a specific interest in the treatment of pancreatitis, having contributed to several research projects related to acute pancreatitis and pancreatic disorders. He has also completed a clinical and research rotation in the Division of Gastroenterology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, gaining experience in advanced treatments such as, total pancreatectomy and islet autotransplantation (TP/IAT).

Dr. Vázquez gained his medical degree from the University of Granada and worked as an occupational physician before completing a residency in general practice at the Virgen de la Victoria Hospital, Málaga, Spain. He also completed his fellowship in gastroenterology at the General Hospital of Alicante, Spain and his Master of Science in Clinical Medicine Research from Miguel Hernandez University, Alicante, Spain.

UAE

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Balci was Chairman of Radiology in Bilim University and Director of Oncologic Imaging in Florence Nightingale Hospitals in Istanbul, Turkey. Dr. Balci was in charge of the first PETMRI scanner in Turkey and in the Region.Dr. Balci has been a part of the Living Donor Liver Transplantation Team in Istanbul, Turkey and Responsible for the Radiologic preparation of recipients and donors. Dr. Balci received his medical degree from Istanbul University, Turkey in 1991. He completed his residency at Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich in 1996. Dr. Balci performed a 2 year research fellowship at University of North Carolina, USA in Body MRI in 1997 to 1999. Dr. Balci worked as Associate Professor in Kocaeli University Turkey from 2003 to 2005. Dr. Balci worked as Visiting Professor in Saint Louis University, USA for 5 years from 2005 to 2010.

Dr. Numan Balci has 91 peer reviewed original publications, 4 book chapters. He is reviewer in six internationally recognized journals and Editorial Board Member in Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Dr. Balci is Clinical Professor of Radiology in Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine since 2018.

MD
Staff Physician, Gastroenterology ＆ Hepatology, Digestive Disease Institute
UAE

Pascale Anglade, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. She brings experience, as well as a compassionate and thorough approach to the practice of medicine.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Anglade was the Lead Consultant in the Department of Gastroenterology/Hepatology and the Director of Endoscopy at King’s College Hospital Clinics, Abu Dhabi.

Dr. Anglade earned her undergraduate degree with great distinction from McGill University, Montreal, Canada. She then received her medical doctorate from Dartmouth Medical School, New Hampshire, US. She completed her resideny in Internal Medicine at New York Presbyterian/Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, serving as Assistant Chief Resident in her senior year. She then completed three more years of subspecialty training in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York.

She has been practicing medicine for the past 16 years and has been working as a Gastroenterology Consultant since 2006. Dr. Anglade recently obtained with distinction (top 10% GPA) an executive Master in Business Administration (MBA) from INSEAD, the number 1 ranked business school worldwide.

Food Services, Director at CCAD since October 2013
UAE

Born in Alsace, France, Patrick’s love of different cuisines has taken him around the world. With over 35 years’ experience as a chef, Patrick has worked for the finest luxury hotels in the United Arab Emirates, France, Bahamas, Mauritius, Greece, Morocco, Qatar, Oman, and South Africa. In 2013, Patrick joined Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, where he oversees the Food Services Division, providing healthy, quality cuisine for patients.

MBBS
Staff Physician, Primary Care - Family Medicine, Medical Subspecialties Institute
UAE

Rahat Ghazanfar , MD, is a Staff Physician in the General Medicine Department in the Medical Subspecialties Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Ghazanfar worked as a Family Medicine Consultant at Intercare Health Center and Kings College Clinic in Abu Dhabi. Her personal mission is to help shape Primary Care and Family Medical care in the UAE. In addition, Dr. Ghazanfar aspires to have a role in shaping a cost effective but world class Community Care for the population of Abu Dhabi.

Prior to her 3 years in Abu Dhabi, Dr. Ghazanfar worked as a Family medicine consultant in Taplow, UK where she was lead clinician for Walk-In services and the Urgent care center. She has a special interest in Obesity and Weight Management.

Dr. Ghazanfar completed her Family Medicine Training at Oxford Deanery, UK after earning her medical degree from Sindh Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan.

Dr. Ghazanfar currently resides in Abu Dhabi with her husband and 2 children. She enjoys baking, swimming, walking and travelling.

UAE

Ranim Kaddoura is the lead inpatient dietitian at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. She joined CCAD 6 years ago and has over 10 years of experience in clinical dietetics across ICU, surgical and medical specialties. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Adelaide, South Australia. She completed her Honours in the intensive care unit of the Royal Adelaide Hospital studying the relationship between nutrition status of critically ill patients and clinical outcomes. She has a strong interest in nutrition support, education and research.

UAE

Dr. Ricard Corcelles, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Corcelles was a Consultant Gastrointestinal Surgeon at Hospital Clinic Barcelona in Spain.

Dr. Corcelles received his medical degree from the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Spain in 1999. He completed a residency at the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona in 2006 and became Staff in General Surgery at the same establishment.

He has dedicated most of his scientific career to the realm of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. In 2011, Dr. Corcelles obtained his PhD with cum laude honors at the University of Barcelona, evaluating the effects of Gastric Bypass procedures on the metabolic syndrome and type2 diabetes. After earning his PhD, Dr. Corcelles underwent a two year fellowship in Bariatric Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, Ohio.

Dr. Corcelles specializes in Minimally Invasive Surgery, with a particular focus on metabolic and bariatric surgery. He also has a special interest in education and has been a keynote speaker and lecturer in numerous international meetings. He is a reviewer of international scientific journals, including the Obesity Surgery journal, Surgical Endoscopy, Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases and Cirugia Española.

Dr. Corcelles resides in Abu Dhabi with his wife and two kids. He enjoys traveling and playing sports.

UAE

Job Title: Bariatric Coordinator
Department: Digestive Disease Institute
Short Biography:

Roland Ortiz Jr. is a graduate Bachelor of Science in Nursing year 2006 at Southern Luzon Polytechnic College (Southern Luzon State University) with Academic Distinction. He passed the Nursing Licensure Exam of December the same year. He was a practicing nurse for 14 years now.

Prior to joining at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi he was an Acute Care Nurse in a Surgical Floor for 8 years at UP Philippine General Hospital serving a wide range of surgical cases in the pre and post-op phase of patient care. He started working at CCAD November 2014 as one of the pioneer nurse in our DDI Clinic. He started the role of Nurse Team Lead/Shift Lead for the DDI clinic from 2014- mid 2017 sharing his expertise in activating services, leading the nursing team, training nurses, and improving our clinic workflow to better serve our patients in the Clinic.

In 2017 up to the present he started the role of Bariatric Program Coordinator at CCAD. He shared his expertise in managing the bariatric program by running the service and being the core member of the team in terms of care coordination. He has been valuable in the operation of bariatric program at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

UAE

Dr. Ronney Shantouf, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Heart and Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Shantouf was a Health Sciences Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, where he has served as the Director of the Cardiac Catheterization lab of Olive View-UCLA Medical Center since 2016. He further served as the Cardiology Education Course Chair for the Olive View-UCLA Internal Medicine Residency program. As an Interventionalist, he specializes in transradial coronary interventions, intravascular imaging and invasive hemodynamic assessment. He has also performed thousands of cardiac catheterizations throughout his career.

Dr. Shantouf is American Board certified. He received his medical degree from the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) and went on to complete his residency in Internal Medicine at the UCLA Medical Center.

Dr. Shantouf enjoys spending his free time with his wife and son. When not at work, he enjoys playing the guitar, listening to music, discovering new travel destinations and reading.

UAE

Sana Alzaafaralli is a clinical dietitian working in the inpatient setting at Cleveland Clinic Abudhabi, Sana has an experience in nutrition support to patients with complex medical conditions including heart failure, renal and hepatic disease. Sana also provides counseling to patients with obesity, diabetes, renal failure and cardiac diseases. She has worked with a wide variety of patients with a focus on improvement in health status, dietary behavior modification, prevention and treatment of malnutrition and deficiencies.

MD
Staff Physician, Colorectal Surgery, Digestive Disease Institute
UAE

Shafik Sidani, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Sidani completed a two-year postdoctoral research fellowship in Gastrointestinal Physiology at Yale University, US. He completed his training in General Surgery at Yale New Haven Hospital and Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, US.

Subsequently, he completed a fellowship in Colon and Rectal Surgery at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, US. He also served as Chief of Colon and Rectal Surgery at the Virginia Hospital Center, Arlington, VA, US.

He specializes in the minimally invasive surgical treatment of colorectal cancer using laparoscopic and robotic techniques. Dr. Sidani established the colorectal surgery Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program at Virginia Hospital Center. He is an active member of the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, and has authored numerous publications and book chapters.

Dr. Sidani lives in Abu Dhabi with his wife and three children. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and staying active by playing soccer and tennis.

UAE

Dr. Shiva Kumar, MD, is the Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology in the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Kumar served as Medical Director of Liver Transplantation and Primary Liver Physician at two liver transplant centers in the US for more than eight years. He was also Director of Hepatology sub-specialty fellowship training at Ochsner Clinic, New Orleans, Louisiana, US. He also served as Clinical Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, US.

Dr. Kumar graduated from the University of Kerala Medical School, India and completed his residency and chief residency in Internal Medicine at Our Lady of Mercy University Medical Center, New York, US. He then pursued sub-specialty fellowship training in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, US. He completed additional clinical and research training in Hepatology at the Liver Unit of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, US. He also received a master's degree in Healthcare Management from the University of Texas, Dallas, Jindal School of Management in Richardson, Texas, US.

He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology and Transplant Hepatology. His primary areas of clinical and research interests include general-transplant hepatology and liver and hepatobiliary endoscopy.

He is a fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) American College of Physicians (ACP), American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), American Association for the study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). He has served on many committees of national scientific societies, including practice parameters and patient care committees of ACG and public and member outreach, as well as international committees of the Ame

MD
Staff Physician, Gastroenterology ＆ Hepatology, Digestive Disease Institute
UAE

Sigurbjorn Birgisson, MD, is Staff Physician in the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Birgisson was the Director of the Center for Swallowing and Esophageal disorders at Cleveland Clinic, Ohio.

Dr. Birgisson received his medical degree and master's degree in Medical and Biomedical Ethics from the University of Iceland. He began his career in Iceland in 1990 with a one-year internship. He then completed a residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Gastroenterology at Metro Health Medical Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, US.

Additionally, he completed a one-year fellowship in Motility at Cleveland Clinic Ohio under the mentorship of Dr. Joel E. Richter, former Chief of Gastroenterology at the hospital. Following that, Dr. Birgisson returned to Iceland to work as a part-time Gastroenterologist at the National University Hospital of Iceland and at a private practice.

In 1999, he became a full-time Consultant Gastroenterologist at the National University of Iceland. He established and directed a Gastrointestinal physiology laboratory at the hospital. In 2005, he was appointed as a Director of the Endoscopy Unit at the National University Hospital Iceland. He also served for one year as a Chief of the Division of Gastroenterology at the same establishment.

UAE

Dr. Stephen R. Grobmyer, MD, is the Institute Chair of the Oncology Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Grobmyer was Professor of Surgery, Section Head of Breast Surgery and Co-Director of the Cleveland Clinic Comprehensive Breast Cancer Program at Cleveland Clinic Main Campus in Cleveland, Ohio.

Dr. Grobmyer received his medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas and completed his residency in General Surgery at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center in New York. He completed a fellowship in Surgical Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering in 2004.

Dr. Grobmyer’s innovative clinical care and research focuses on developing new approaches to prevent, diagnose and treat breast cancer. He has published over 170 peer-reviewed manuscripts, twenty book chapters and edited a textbook on innovative cancer therapies. Additionally, he has given over one hundred invited lectures nationally and internationally.

Dr. Grobmyer has been elected to Best Doctors in America every year consecutively since 2007 and has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards including, The Lester Dragstedt Physician Scientist Award, The Society of Surgical Oncology Clinical Investigator Award and The American College of Surgeons Japan Travelling Fellowship. His influential clinical care and research has been featured widely in the Unites States media including NBC Nightly News, MSNBC, National Public Radio, The New York Times and Vogue.

MD, PhD, Colorectal Surgery, Proctology, Female Pelvic Floor Diseases, Minimally Invasive Surgery
Associate Fellow of American College of Surgeons (ACS)
UAE

I am a General Surgeon working in Dubai Healthcare City, with particular interest in Colorectal Surgery, Proctology and Pelvic Floor Diseases, focusing on Minimally Invasive Techniques such as STARR (Stapled TransAnal Rectal Resection), VAAFT (Video Assisted Anal Fistula Treatment) and EPSiT (Endoscopic Pilonidal Sinus Treatment).

I graduated from Medical School at ‘Sapienza’ University of Rome, Italy. I also trained in the USA, with a clinical clerkship at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, Boston. I completed my residency in General Surgery at ‘Sapienza’ University of Rome, Italy. I won different national and international prizes for my research activity, publishing many papers and writing a book chapter.

I have been focusing my clinical activity on the latest Minimally Invasive Techniques for treating haemorrhoids, rectal prolapse, anal fistula and pilonidal sinus. These new approaches allow patients to experience less pain and very quick return to daily activities. I also take care of rectal bleeding, acute and chronic rectal pain, anal itching, anal fissure and anal stenosis. I perform all other general surgery procedures including: inguinal hernia, breast surgery, thyroid surgery, laparoscopic cholecystectomy and laparoscopic ventral hernia repair.

I have also good experience in Biofeedback and Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation, especially concerning after delivery incontinence and pelvic dyssynergia. In addition, I perform anoscopy, rectoscopy, 3D Endoanal Ultrasound and Rectal Manometry.

I have a patient-centered approach, very respectful and compassionate, with a special interest in clinical research and teaching.

I am an Associate Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

UAE

Valsala Visno is the Interim Assistant Endoscopy Nursing Unit Manager at the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. She has master’s in business administration, in addition to her bachelor degree in nursing.

She has 15 years of interventional endoscopy nursing experience in CCAD, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. Prior to joining CCAD, she was the in charge nurse at the endoscopy unit in King Faisal Hospital, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

UAE

Dr. Koutoubi joined Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in 2014 as Consultant Gastroenterology & Hepatology.

Dr. Koutoubi did his Internal Medicine Residency training at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, US, and is American Board Certified in Internal Medicine. He did also his Gastroenterology Fellowship at Saint Louis University in Saint Louis, Missouri, where he also served as Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and is American Board Certified in Gastroenterology.

Dr. Koutoubi is interested in all aspects of gastroenterology & hepatology, with special interests in the field of inflammatory bowel disease. He is active in research and has been involved with many projects focused on Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Hepatitis B and C and gastrointestinal bleeding.

Dr. Koutoubi currently serves on the editorial boards of several scientific journals, including the Journal of General Internal Medicine (JGIM) and Gastroenterology & Hepatology Open Access.