Speakers 2026

Ahmad Al Ghoche

Medical Oncologist and Hematologist | Oman

Dr. Ahmad Ghoche is a certified Medical Oncologist and Hematologist with the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS). He brings extensive experience from his work in tertiary and academic hospital settings, with a strong background in healthcare management, clinical research, and medical education. Dr. Ghoche currently serves at the Sultan Qaboos Comprehensive Cancer Center – UMC in Oman.

Ajit Venniyoor

Senior Consultant Oncology | Oman

Dr Ajit Venniyoor is currently a Senior Consultant in Oncology at National Oncology Center, The Royal Hospital, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. He served in the Indian Army for 28 years as Physician and Sr Advisor (Medical Oncology) and he has been working in The Royal Hospital in Sultanate of Oman since 2011. He mase more than 25 publications in peer reviewed journals and a reviewer for over a dozen journals. He is a member ESMO, ICON, ISMPO and NAMS.

Alaaeldin Shablak

Consultant Medical Oncologist | Qatar

Dr. Alaaeldin Shablak is a Consultant Medical Oncologist at Qatar’s National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR) with over 12 years of oncology experience, including nine at consultant level. He specializes in gastrointestinal malignancies, focusing on upper GI, hepatobiliary, and colorectal cancers, and serves as lead for the Upper GI multidisciplinary team. Dr. Shablak is Associate Program Director for the NCCCR Oncology Fellowship, contributing to program development, trainee mentorship, and research integration. An active member of the NCCCR Senior Research Committee, he frequently chairs scientific sessions and participates in national and regional oncology conferences.

Ali Chamseddine

Consultant Medical Oncologist | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Ali Chamseddine is a Consultant Medical Oncologist at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai and Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Sharjah. French board-certified in medical oncology and clinical haematology, he has more than 17 years of experience in oncology. He trained in France and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center, then served as a senior consultant at Gustave Roussy, with a focus on digestive cancers and precision oncology. He holds a PhD in methodology and clinical epidemiology in molecular oncology from Paris-Saclay University, has authored more than 45 publications, and founded the French Lebanese Oncology Meeting.

Aref Chehal

Consultant Medical Oncologist and Hematologist | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Aref Chehal, MBCHB, FACP, is a consultant medical oncologist and haematologist at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC) in Abu Dhabi. Dr. Chehal has more than 20 years of extensive oncological and haematological consultation experience. He is a recognised and established adjunct professor of medicine at both Khalifa University and Gulf Medical University in the United Arab Emirates.

Arun Karanwal

Medical Oncologist | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Arun Karanwal is a Specialist Medical Oncologist with over 12 years of experience in cancer care. He completed his DM in Medical Oncology in year 2013 from India 2013 and has since gained extensive clinical experience across leading centers in India. For the past 8 years, he has been practicing in the UAE, currently serving at Prime Hospital, Dubai. Dr. Karanwal is committed to providing comprehensive, patient-centered cancer management with expertise in chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy.

Ashok Bohra

Consultant General Surgeon | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Ashok has had experience of surgical training and practice in the United Kingdom since 1995. Prior to that he did his graduation and post-graduation in India. He has been working as a Consultant General, Laparoscopic, Upper GI Surgeon in the UK since 2005 after obtaining CCST. In 2005 he set up the advanced laparoscopic unit in Wigan, UK. He has experience of a vast range of general surgical procedures with special interests in Upper GI surgery with emphasis on advanced laparoscopic procedures including gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomies, and mini-bypass; radical oesophageal and gastric cancer surgery, cholecystectomy, hiatus hernia, achalasia, and body wall hernia. He also performs all routine operations/procedures including skin lumps and bumps, minor ano-rectal surgery and endoscopies.

Ayman Al Harakeh

Consultant General Surgeon | United Arab Emirates

Ayman Al Harakeh, MD, FACS, is a consultant surgeon at Mediclinic City Hospital in Dubai. He received his medical education and specialty training from multiple prestigious regional schools and international American hospitals and institutions. He is a certified diplomate of the American board of surgery and a fellow of the American college of surgeons. He specializes in general and oncologic surgery. He specialises in liver transplantation, hepatobiliary, and pancreatic surgery. He also specialises in laparoscopic, robotic bariatric, and foregut surgery.

Batool Aboud

Oncology Specialist | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Batool Mamdouh Aboud, Specialist Oncologist at Saudi German Hospital Ajman, has over 15 years of experience in oncology, having worked in leading hospitals across Syria and the UAE. She is proficient in managing a wide range of solid tumors and skilled in chemotherapy, hormonal, targeted, and immunotherapy treatments.

Bhawna Sirohi

Medical Director & Breast Medical Oncologist | India

Dr Bhawna Sirohi is the Medical Director at BALCO Medical Centre, Raipur and a Breast Medical Oncologist. She has more than two decades of experience as an oncologist in UK & India. Having qualified as an oncologist from Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, she further completed her training at Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, UK. She has published more than 150 papers in national and international journals and has lectured worldwide. She has been involved in varied capacities to create cancer awareness in India be it through cancer screening camps in various states to the initial setting up of cancer centers in the private or public sector to enabling protocols and procedures for safe care of patients. She is deeply involved with charities like CanSupport and has even set up a charity New India Cancer Charity Initiative or NICCI.

Claude Chidiac

Nurse Consultant and Clinical Lead for Palliative & End-of-Life Care | United Kingdom

Claude is a Nurse Consultant in Palliative Care and Clinical Lead for Palliative and End-of-Life Care at Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. Claude has assumed a variety of academic and clinical roles in acute, hospice, and community settings in the UK and internationally. Claude’s current work focuses on improving palliative care access and provision for marginalised populations. Claude has been involved in a number of national and international consultations on palliative care programme development, and promoting equity in palliative care for certain minoritised groups. He is an Executive Board Member at the Lebanese Medical Association for Sexual Health and a founding Director of the Dementia Advisory Group Community Interest Company, UK.

David Ilson

Gastrointestinal Medical Oncologist | USA

Dr. David H. Ilson is an internationally recognized medical oncologist specializing in gastrointestinal cancers, particularly esophageal and upper GI malignancies. He is an Attending Physician at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. His research focuses on novel therapies for advanced and locally advanced esophagogastric cancers. He also serves on leading national oncology committees and cochairs several international clinical trials.

Deborah Mukherji

Medical Oncologist | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Mukherji joined the American University of Beirut in June 2012, where she is currently an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine. Since October 2022, she has also served as a Consultant Medical Oncologist at Clemenceau Medical Center Dubai. She is an ESMO faculty member for the Genitourinary Tumors (Prostate) group and a panelist for the Advanced Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference (APCCC).

Elizabeth Smyth

Consultant Medical Oncologist in Upper GI Oncology | United Kingdom

Dr. Elizabeth (Lizzy) Smyth works as a consultant medical oncologist in upper GI oncology at Oxford University NHS Foundation trust with a research focus in oesophagogastric cancer. Her interests are clinical trials and translational research, and she has worked on trial design and management of national and international investigator initiated trials. Dr. Smyth has published more than 200 peer-reviewed manuscripts in her field. She is a member of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Upper GI Faculty, and is the current Director of Education for ESMO. She has previously served as the Chair of the ESMO OncologyPRO Working Group, Chair of the ESMO National Societies Committee and was Subject Editor for the most recent ESMO Gastric Cancer and Oesophageal Cancer Guidelines. Dr. Smyth is the current Chair of the EORTC GI Trials Group (2024-2027). In 2022, Dr. Smyth was a founding member of the UK & Ireland Oesophagogastric Cancer Group (UKIOG) and is a trustee of the UKIOG Charity. She is committed to furthering national and international collaboration in GI trials research and improving outcomes for patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

Erica Mayer

Director of Breast Cancer Clinical Research | USA

Dr. Mayer is a nationally recognized medical oncologist specializing in the care of patients with all stages of breast cancer, and serves as the director of Breast Cancer Clinical Research in the Dana-Farber Breast Oncology Program. Dr. Mayer has led national and global clinical trials designed to answer some of the most relevant questions in breast oncology. Her work has focused on novel agents for breast cancer, with a special interest in identifying strategies to improve the tolerability and feasibility of the newest cancer therapies. She also leads the Dana-Farber Breast Cancer in Pregnancy Program, overseeing the care of and research for of women diagnosed with breast cancer in pregnancy. She is the director of the Advanced Fellowships in Breast Oncology, and mentors students, residents, and fellows at Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber.

Erin Buczek

Douglas A. Girod Associate Professor and Residency Program Director - Department of Otolaryngology | USA

Dr. Erin Buczek is dedicated to novel techniques and innovations in the treatment of head and neck endocrine (thyroid/parathyroid) diseases and head and neck tumors. This includes using leading-edge laryngeal monitoring techniques to maximize voice outcomes during thyroid surgery. She also provides in-office procedures, such as ultrasound-guided biopsies and radiofrequency ablation to diagnose and treat thyroid disease. Dr. Buczek is committed to multidisciplinary, patient-centered care to maximize treatment, patient satisfaction and quality of life. She is certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology with a focused practice designation in adult thyroid/parathyroid surgery. She earned her medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine. She then completed a fellowship in head and neck oncology and microvascular reconstructive surgery at the University of Alabama Birmingham, where she also completed her residency.

Fathi Azribi

Consultant Medical Oncologist | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Fathi Azribi took several positions as a consultant Medical Oncologist in the UK and UAE and had been the Chief of the Medical Oncology Division at Tawam Hospital, UAE over the past 5 years. Dr. Fathi also has a special interest in medical education and has established the first Medical Oncology Fellowship Program in the UAE.

Filippo Pietrantonio

Head of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Unit | Italy

Filippo Pietrantonio is a Medical Oncologist and the Head of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy. He leads a team focused on developing new therapies for gastrointestinal cancers and identifying resistance mechanisms to targeted therapies, immunotherapy, and novel agents. He is Principal Investigator for more than 100 active profit and non-profit trials and is Chair or member of the Steering Committee of several national and international clinical trials. He is an author of more than 400 publications in peer-reviewed journals, he sits on the Board of Directors of the Gruppo Oncologico Noord Ovest (GONO) Foundation – a non-profit organization dedicated to the design and conduct of non-profit trials end he is the Editorial Lead of the GI Section of Annals of Oncology.

Francois Clement-Bidard

Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medical Oncology | France

François-Clément Bidard, MD PhD, is a Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medical Oncology at Institut Curie & UVSQ/Université Paris-Saclay. He is also the co-coordinator of breast cancer research at Institut Curie, the #1 center for breast cancer in France, and, since 2023, the vice-Chair of the French Breast Cancer research group UCBG (Unicancer).

Hala Abdellatif

Consultant Medical Oncology | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Hala graduated from the University of Alexandria, Faculty of Medicine, Egypt, in 1994 and undertook her specialty qualification in Medical Oncology and Radiotherapy in 1996. She also attained her Master's degree and PhD in Clinical Oncology in Egypt. She has achieved FRCR in Clinical Oncology from the Royal College of London and she is European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) certified. She is now Assistant Prof. in Oncology and Radiotherapy Department at the University of Alexandria, Egypt. Since 2001 Dr. Hala has been working in the UAE, first at Mafraq Hospital then at Mediclinic Al Noor Hospital since 2008, where she is Head of the Oncology department). Dr. Hala has 30 years of experience in oncology field and all kind of solid tumors .She contributed to numerous research projects and has published articles in international and domestic journals. She also actively participates in numerous conferences and CME activities.

Hemant Vadeyar

Gastrointestinal & Liver Surgeon | United Arab Emirates

Dr Hemant Vadeyar is a Gastrointestinal & Liver Surgeon with a particular interest in Diseases of the Liver, Gallbladder, Bile Duct, and Pancreas. He specializes in managing patients with jaundice, gallstones, pancreatitis, liver, gallbladder, bile duct and pancreatic cancers, liver cirrhosis and transplantation. He is presently a Consultant Gastrointestinal, Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary and Transplant Surgeon at Mediclinic City Hospital, with over 25 years of experience in the field in the UK and India. He is highly experienced in performing complex surgeries for gastrointestinal and liver cancers and in Liver & kidney transplantation. Dr. Hemant specializes in laparoscopic and robotic surgeries for the gastrointestinal tract and the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas.

Husam Marashi

Consultant Clinical Oncologist | United Arab Emirates

Dr Husam Marashi is a Consultant Clinical Oncologist based at the Tawam Hospital. He underwent post graduate training at the West of Scotland hospitals and became a consultant in 2015. He developed a special interest in the non-surgical management of Upper gastro-intestinal and Breast malignancies including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy. He is a principle investigator for many clinical trials and involved in many precision medicine programmes. He is also an active member of the oligometastasis SABR radiotherapy team. Dr Marashi has an active role in medical education/training for clinical oncology trainees in Scotland, and a member of RCR recruitment team. He is a member of the breast cancer MCN advisory board for the West of Scotland.

Javier Cortes

Head of IBCC and Co-Director of IOB Madrid | Spain

Dr. Cortés is the Head of the International Breast Cancer Centre (IBCC) in Barcelona and co-director of IOB in Madrid, founding partner of Medica Scientia innovation Research (MedSIR). According to the American Expertscape 2023 ranking, he is considered the world’s leading expert on HER2+ and fourth world oncologist with the greatest expertise in breast cancer and in 2022 and 2023 was identified as Clarivate™ world’s most influential researchers.

Kakil Rasul

Senior Consultant in Haematology/Oncology | Qatar

Dr. Kakil Ibrahim Rasul, CABM, FRCP, ESMO, is a Senior Consultant in Haematology/Oncology at the National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR) and an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College, Qatar (WCMCQ).

Lizza Hendriks

Pulmonologist, Department of Pulmonary Diseases | Netherlands

Prof Hendriks is a pulmonologist specialising in thoracic oncology at the Maastricht University Medical Center, the Netherlands, where she leads the clinical lung cancer research department. She is the representative for thoracic oncology in the Maastricht UMC Comprehensive Cancer Cancer, and chairs the Innovative Cancer Diagnostics Therapy group at the School for Oncology and Developmental Biology (GROW) at Maastricht University, where she is also appointed as full professor. She is heavily involved in clinical and translational research, and is (local) principal investigator in several phase II and III clinical trials, focusing on (locally) advanced NSCLC and SCLC, targeted treatments and immunotherapies.

Maroun El Khoury

Chief of Cancer Centre, Oncologist / Hematologist | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Maroun El Khoury is a Consultant Oncologist/ Hematologist at American Hospital in Dubai from September 2010 till Present. He was previously the Director of Cancer Care Center and President of Medical Staff from 2018 to 2020. He was also the Medical Director Of Oncology And Hematology Services And Chief Of Medicine At Great River Health System and was the Hospice Medical Co-Director of Epec (Education In Palliative And End-Of-Life Care) Trainer.

Mazin Aljabiri

Consultant Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist and Head of Gastroenterology and Digestive Diseases | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Mazin Rasool Aljabiri, MBChB, FRCP (London), CCST (UK), is a Consultant Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist and Head of Gastroenterology and Digestive Diseases at Mediclinic Parkview Hospital and Mediclinic Dubai Hills, Dubai. He has over 20 years of international experience, including a substantive Consultant position at a UK teaching hospital. Dr. Aljabiri has performed more than 60,000 advanced endoscopic procedures, including gastroscopy, colonoscopy, ERCP, SpyGlass cholangioscopy, EMR/EPMR, ESD, and Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty. He is widely recognized for his expertise in complex pancreato-biliary interventions, early cancer endoscopic resection, inflammatory bowel disease, and hepatology, including post–liver transplant care. He completed advanced ESD training at the National Cancer Centre in Tokyo, Japan, and pioneered several advanced endoscopic therapies in the UAE, including SpyGlass, TIF, STRETTA, GERD-X, ESG, and AI-assisted colonoscopy. His work has contributed to significantly improving adenoma detection rates and colorectal cancer prevention. He is actively involved in research, international conferences, and postgraduate medical education. Dr. Aljabiri is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and a member of the AGA, BSG, BMA, and GMC.

Peter Fasching

Associate Professor | Germany

Dr. Peter Fasching is Associate Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics Translational Medicine, at the University Hospital Erlangen and Comprehensive Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN, Germany. He obtained his MD degree at the University of Cologne, Medical School and in 2006 he earned his Board Certification in Gynecology and Obstetrics at University Hospital Erlangen. He was a Research Fellow at the Department of Hematology/Oncology, UCLA, Los Angeles. Since 2011 is the Head of the Clinical Trial Unit and Coordinator of the Breast Cancer Center and Gynecologic Oncology Center at the University Hospital Erlangen. He has served as Steering Committee member and Principal Investigator in several key breast cancer trials. Dr. Fasching’s research focus is on big data, statistical modelling, genomics and systems biology.

Rakesh Rai

Consultant Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary and Transplant Surgeon | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Rakesh Rai is a distinguished Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) and Transplant Surgeon with over 20 years of experience. He currently heads the HPB and Transplant Surgery unit at King’s College Hospital London in the UAE. Dr. Rai earned his MBBS from Patna University, MS from the University of Mumbai, and MD from the University of Newcastle. He trained at leading UK institutions, including Royal Free Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and completed a Transplant Surgery Fellowship in the USA. He also trained in living donor liver transplantation in South Korea. Dr. Rai is widely published and frequently invited to speak at international scientific forums, with expertise in liver, kidney, and pancreas transplantation.

Rehaan Nensey

Consultant Radiologist | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Rehaan is a Consultant Radiologist with a specialist interest in gastrointestinal radiology and cardiac CT. He worked in the UK for over 15 years, including 7 years as a Consultant Radiologist at SWBH NHS Trust, Birmingham, before moving to the UAE. During his time in the UK, he led multidisciplinary team meetings for upper GI & hepatobiliary cancers, colorectal cancers, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Roger Gerjy

General Surgeon | United Arab Emirates

Dr Gerjy is the Director of Robotic Surgery at Mediclinic Middle East. He has trained and practised general and colorectal surgery in Sweden and has 20 years of experience in surgery. With his early interest in proctology he published several papers in this topic and accomplished his PhD degree in 2008. He is internationally known for his efforts in robotic and laparoscopic surgery, and is often invited as speaker at international conferences. Dr Gerjy is a faculty member of EARCS (European Academy of Robotic Colorectal Surgery) and also a founding member of the ESCP (European Society of Coloproctology) work group for robotic colorectal training. He has trained surgeons in robotic surgery both in Europe and South Africa, until this date Dr Gerjy has trained surgeons in 44 different hospitals around the world. Dr Gerjy was born in Lebanon but has lived most of his life in Sweden. He speaks fluent English, Arabic and Swedish.

Sara Al Bastaki

Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Sara Al Bastaki is a Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon from the UAE with expertise in complex gastrointestinal, colorectal, abdominal wall, and pelvic floor surgery. She graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and completed visceral surgery training and a three-year colorectal fellowship in Germany and London. Formerly Division Head of General Surgery at SKMC, she is Founder and President of the Emirates Society of Colon & Rectal Surgery and chaired three editions of the Emirates International Colorectal Congress. She is currently a Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at Mediclinic City Hospital, Dubai, and Mediclinic Airport Road Hospital, Abu Dhabi.

Sathis Mogan

Consultant Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Sathis Mogan is a Consultant Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist at Mediclinic Parkview Hospital, with over 17 years of experience in the UK’s National Health Service. He holds dual CCT accreditation in Gastroenterology and General Internal Medicine from the GMC and is fully JAG accredited in gastroscopy and colonoscopy. Trained in the Southeast Thames (London) rotation, Dr. Mogan has a major interest in pancreatobiliary disease and advanced interventional endoscopy. His expertise includes EUS, ERCP, SpyGlass cholangioscopy, ampullectomy, luminal stenting, large polyp EMR, GI bleed management, and cancer staging, delivering patient-centred care with compassion and precision.

Shailesh Shrikhande

Deputy Director | India

Shailesh V. Shrikhande is a Professor of Surgical Oncology and Head of GI, HPB Surgical Service & Division of Cancer Surgery at the Tata Memorial Center in Mumbai, India. He is also the Deputy Director of Tata Memorial Hospital. He was ranked first in the Master of Surgery examinations of Mumbai University in 1997 and later received specialist training in Pancreatic Research and Pancreatic Surgery at the University of Bern, Switzerland and the University of Heidelberg, Germany. He was the first Asian to receive the Kenneth Warren Fellowship of the International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (IHPBA) in 2005. He earned his Doctor of Medicine (magna cum laude) by the University of Heidelberg for his original clinical and basic research on chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer in 2006.

Sonia Otsmane

Consultant Medical Oncology | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Sonia Otsmane is a Consultant in Medical Oncology. She earned her Doctor of Medicine in 1994 and completed her post-graduation in Medical Oncology – Hematology in 2004 from Pierre & Marie Curie Oncology Institute, France. Dr. Otsmane is a member of both ESMO & ASCO. Before joining Burjeel, Dr. Otsmane was the Medical Oncologist-Hematologist at Cleveland Clinic, Abu Dhabi and SSMC with Mayo Clinic affiliation Abu Dhabi, UAE with around 20 years of experience, Dr. Otsmane specializes in treating various subtypes of cancer including Genito-urinary Malignancies, Sarcomas, Lung Cancer, Head & Neck Cancer, Lymphomas, Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, and Multiple Myeloma. She also has a special interest in Breast cancer and De-novo research in treatments. She has participated in many national and international conferences and has several publications to her credit. She is also a speaker in multi international expert oncology meetings .

Syed Monawer Karim

Consultant in Medical Oncology | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Syed Monawer Karim is a Consultant in Medical Oncology with 15 years of clinical experience, including 9 years in oncology. He is UK board-certified with prior experience at Nottingham University Hospital’s NHS Trust. He has worked at leading institutions, including Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, and Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. He completed his oncology training in Nottingham and has held academic roles such as Associate College Tutor for the Royal College of Physicians and ESMO (European Society of Medical Oncology) Ambassador. Dr Karim earned his MBBS from Katihar Medical College, India. He holds postgraduate certifications from the University of Edinburgh and University of Nottingham, and has contributed to several clinical trials, national conferences, and academic publications.

Tarek Dufan

Group Chief Medical Officer | United Arab Emirates

Dr Tarek Dufan is the Group Chief Medical Officer at American Hospital Dubai. He also serves as Medical Advisor to the Mohamed & Obaid Al Mulla Board of Directors, the holding Group of American Hospital Dubai.His other responsibilities include being a board member of the Monrol Board of Directors and Medical Practices Higher Committee of Dubai Health Authority.

Tarkan Yetisyigi

Consultant and Acting Head of Medical Oncology | Bahrain

Prof. Tarkan Yetişyiğit is a Medical Oncologist with over 15 years of experience in clinical practice, research, and academic leadership. He currently serves as Consultant and Acting Head of Medical Oncology at the Bahrain Oncology Center, Royal Medical Services, where he also leads NHRA accreditation initiatives. He holds a PhD in Basic Oncology and Immunology and is an ESMO Board Certified Oncologist. Prof. Yetişyiğit has authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications, with research interests spanning breast and colorectal cancers, immuno-oncology, and precision medicine. He is a frequent speaker at ASCO and ESMO meetings and is committed to advancing evidence-based, collaborative cancer care.

Tobias Arkenau

CMO and Global Head of Drug Development | United Kingdom

Professor Tobias Arkenau is a highly-respected Consultant Medical Oncologist who works at several HCA Healthcare locations, including Sarah Cannon Research Institute, The Harley Street Clinic, The Princess Grace and The Wellington Hospital. He also has an NHS post at University College London Hospital where he is a Professorial Research Associate. Professor Arkenau is one of the founding Medical Directors of the Sarah Cannon Research Institute UK and is currently serving as Executive Medical Director for SCRI UK. He also has the role of Clinical Lead for the HCA Healthcare UK Cancer Service Line. He currently leads the Sarah Cannon Institute UK as Chief Investigator for a number of clinical trials involving new anti-cancer treatments like immunotherapy and cellular therapy.

Zakir Mohamed

Consultant Colorectal Surgeon & Regional Medical Director | United Arab Emirates

Dr. Zakir K Mohamed is the Regional Medical Director for NMC Dubai and a UK-trained Colorectal Surgeon who brings decades of top-tier medical and leadership experience to the UAE. Currently serving as Vice President of the Emirates Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery, his clinical passion lies in the precise, minimally invasive, and robotic treatment of colorectal cancer, IBD, and proctology. Equipped with a CCT from the Newcastle deanery and prestigious fellowships from the UK and Hong Kong, he previously served as an NHS Consultant and Mediclinic Chief of Staff. He pairs world-class surgical expertise with a highly tuned, human-first approach to patient care.