Speakers and Moderators
Speakers
Dr. Cari Kitahara
Dr. Gregory Randolph
Inaugural Claire and John Bertucci Endowed Chair
Thyroid Surgical Oncology
Professor – Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
Harvard Medical School
Surgeon
Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary
Dr. Gregory W. Randolph MD FACS FACE MAMSE FEBS (Endocrine) FRCEd (ad hominem) is a Professor of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, and the Inaugural Claire and John Bertucci Endowed Chair in Thyroid Surgical Oncology at Harvard Medical School in the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, and Surgeon at Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary. He trained at Cornell and Harvard Medical Schools. He founded and directed the Division of Thyroid and Parathyroid Endocrine Surgery. Dr. Randolph has a thyroid and parathyroid surgical practice focused on thyroid cancer, benign thyroid surgery and hyperparathyroidism exclusively and sees patients and operating at both Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary and Mass General Hospital. He has started the first otolaryngology head and neck surgery endocrine surgery fellowship through the American Head and Neck Society now in its 20th year.
Dr. Randolph has focused the bulk of his research on recurrent laryngeal nerve anatomy, preservation, and monitoring during thyroid cancer surgery with focus on importance of laryngeal exam, recognition of lymph node metastasis and revision cancer surgery with over 300 peer reviewed publications, 170 chapters and 10 books. He has lead thyroid surgical missions to thyroid surgical units in St. Petersburg, Russia, Guangzhou, China, Kenya, rural India and in the Chernobyl region of the Ukraine. He founded and directs the Harvard Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery Course for surgeons and has directed international surgical courses in Italy, Germany, Switzerland, London, Turkey and Russia. He has received board certification from the European Union’s Board of Surgery in Neck Endocrine Surgery. He has published an endocrine surgical text: “Surgery of the Thyroid and Parathyroid Glands” published by Elsevier Saunders now in its third edition as well as a text centered on surgery of the recurrent laryngeal nerve “The Recurrent and Superior Laryngeal Nerves” published by Springer Publishers now anticipating its second edition. He is currently the PI on a funded clinical trial studying the use of neoadjuvant Lenvatinib in surgery for advanced thyroid cancer (NCT04321954).
Dr. Marika Russell
Assistant Professor
Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
Harvard Medical School
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
Dr. Trevor Angell
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
Keck School of Medicine
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA
Dr. Yasuhiro Ito
Department of Surgery
Kuma Hospital, Japan
Panelists
Dr. Ahmad Matalkah
Staff Physician
Consultant Breast and Endocrine Surgeon
Oncology & Integrated Surgical Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Dr. Aly Bernard Khalil
Senior Consultant Endocrinologist
Endocrinology Division Head
Al Reem Hospital Abu Dhabi
Dr. Aly B. Khalil is a Senior Consultant Endocrinologist and Head of Endocrinology Division at Al Reem Hospital Abu Dhabi, UAE.
He graduated from the University of Marseille, France and trained in Internal Medicine at Queen’s University, then in Endocrinology at the university of Toronto Ontario Canada.
He is American Board-certified in both internal medicine and endocrinology, Fellow of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE), ex-fellow of the American college of endocrinology USA, ex-president of Ontario diabetes association (Canada) and ex-President of the AACE Gulf chapter.
He is active in education and research.; His publications reflect interest in wide aspects of diabetes and endocrinology with a focus on thyroid disorders as well interventional thyroidology.
Dr. Balaji Balasubramanian
Consultant Surgical Oncologist
NMC Specialty Hospital, Abu Dhabi
Dr. Basel Altrabulsi
Dr. Basel Altrabulsi is the Vice Chief of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Cleveland clinic Abu Dhabi and is also the Chair of Anatomic Pathology.
He is certified by the American Board of Pathology, combined Clinical and Anatomical Pathology and brings to NRL more than 18 years’ international experience in the field of laboratory medicine and diagnostic pathology.
He started his internship in pathology at Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Texas and completed his residency training in 2003. He then completed his Selective Pathology Fellowship, followed by a Clinical Research Training Program, at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
He has authored many research publications and is a member of global organizations, such as the International Society of Urological Pathology, the International Society of Breast Pathology, and the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology. Dr. Basel is passionate about research and education and is the Pathology Course Director at Khalifa University, College of Medicine and Health Sciences in Abu Dhabi. 
Dr. Christian Nasr
Clinical Professor
Department of Internal Medicine – Division of Endocrinology
The University of Arizona
College of Medicine – Phoenix
Dr. Eiman Alseddeeqi
Consultant Endocrinologist and Thyroidologist
Assistant Professor of Medicine.
Chair of Emirates Thyroid Congress
President Arab Thyroid Association
UAE representative of WCTC
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Dr. Hammad Hussain
Consultant / Staff Physician Endocrinology Department Medical Specialty Institute Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Dr. Hashem Younes
Staff Physician
Cancer Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Dr. Hashem Younes is a staff Physician within the Cancer Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
Dr. Hidayath Ali Ansari
Consultant Radiologist Chief
of Nuclear Medicine Imaging Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Dr. Hidayath Ali Ansari is Consultant Radiologist, Chief of Nuclear Medicine at the Imaging Institute of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, where he has been for the last 10 years.
Prior to his career in UAE; Dr. Ansari worked as a Consultant Radiologist and Clinical Director for the Department of Radiology at the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay (NHS) Trust in Lancaster, UK and as Chair of the Radiology, Lancashire Cancer Network. He completed his residency and Fellowships in Specialist Radiology Training at Manchester with PET-CT fellowship at the University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland.
He has extensive clinical expertise in Oncological imaging including PETCT’s, and wide range of Nuclear medicine studies. He has established and led PETCT Dementia / Epilepsy imaging, Choline Parathyroid imaging, PSMA- Prostate, Neuro Endocrine imaging and many other innovative isotopes.
Dr. Hussain Alsaffar
Consultant Head and Neck Oncology Surgery
and Microvascular Reconstruction Surgery
King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Reseach Center
Dr. Hussain Alsaffar is a distinguished Otolaryngologist and Head and Neck Surgeon specializing in oncology and complex microvascular reconstruction. After earning his medical degree from King Faisal University, he completed his residency in Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at Western University, London, Ontario, followed by a two-year fellowship in Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Reconstruction at the University of Toronto.
He previously served as Program Director for the Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Residency Program and Fellowship Director for Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Reconstruction at the University of Ottawa, where he also chaired the weekly Head and Neck Mucosal Oncology Tumor Board.
In 2023, Dr. Alsaffar returned to Saudi Arabia to join King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh. Renowned for his commitment to excellence in patient care and education, he continues to advance innovation in surgical oncology and reconstruction.
Dr. Alsaffar brings his wealth of expertise and engaging leadership to guide meaningful clinical discussions and knowledge exchange. 
Dr. Juan Pablo Pantoja
Associate Staff Physician
General Surgery
Digestive Disease Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Dr. Joseph Scharpf
Professor Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
Vice Chair Education
Director Head and Neck Endocrine Surgery
Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Dr. Mario Skugor
Catherine and Edward Lozick Chair Endocrinology and Metabolism
Director of Education Endocrine and Metabolic Institute Cleveland Clinic
Dr. Majid Al Abdulla
Hamad Medical Corporation,
Qatar
Dr. Naveed Ahmed
Professor of Surgery
Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
Staff/Consultant Physician
Digestive Disease Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Dr. Naveed Ahmed, MD, is a Staff Consultant in the Digestive Disease Institute at Cleveland Clinic and have been providing premier patient care for over 30 years.
He is a Diplomate with the American Board of Surgery in General Surgery as well as Surgical Intensive Care. He is also a surgeon with Focused Practice Designation on Adult complex thyroid and parathyroid surgery (ACTPS) that by ABS developed and the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (ABOHNS).
He worked as a Staff/Consultant in General Surgery, Trauma & Critical Care Surgery and Endocrine & Hepatobiliary Surgery from at University of Mississippi Medical Center and at Cleveland Clinic Healthcare System.
Dr. Yasir Elhassan
Endocrinology Staff Physician
Medical Specialty Institute
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Dr. Yasir Elhassan, MBBS, MRCP, PhD, is a Staff Physician within the Endocrinology Department of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s Medical Specialty Institute.
Dr. Yogesh More
Consultant Surgeon
Director – Thyroid Parathyroid Center
Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi
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