Committee Members

Muna Shakhshir has over 15 years of experience. She returned to work as a clinical dietitian at
Nablus Speciality Hospital in 2006 after earning her B.Sc. in Nutrition from the University of
Jordan. She established the An-Najah National University Hospital’s Nutrition Department in 2013
and has been in charge of it ever since. She received her M.Sc. in Public Health from An-Najah
National University in 2020. She has written 27 publications in this time. She is a PhD student in
clinical nutrition at Universiti Sains Malaysia; her research program centered on quality of nutrition
care and clinical nutrition. She is also passionate about raising community awareness of nutrition.

Dr. Holland is a Professor at the School of Public Health (SPH) and a Director of the SPH Biorepository and the Children’s Environmental Health Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley since 1993.  She has a background in genetics with extensive experience in molecular epidemiology, cytogenetics and epigenetics. Dr.Holland’s main scientific interest is in biomarkers of children’s environmental health and the relationship of early life exposures with obesity, neurodevelopment and other health outcomes.  Since 1998, she has been involved with the CHAMACOS, a Mexican-American birth cohort study from Salinas Valley, CA. She has been also a co-PI for the longitudinal study of air pollution in children (CHAPS)  for the last 20 years. SPH Biorepository was established in 2003 and contains more than 500,000 biological and environmental samples from 46 completed and ongoing studies reflecting collaboration with the University of California, San Francisco, Children’s Hospital, Oakland, Public Health Institute, Stanford University and many other research organizations in the United States and abroad. Dr. Holland has been an invited speaker at many national and international meetings and has organized and chaired several Symposiums on Molecular Epidemiology of Children’s Environmental Health and/or Environmental Epigenetics. She is a founding member of the International Consortium on Micronucleus Assay in Human Populations (HUMN, since 1997), and an active participant in the Pregnancy and Children Epigenetics (PACE, since 2013) consortium. Dr. Holland served on many NIH and EPA grant review sections. She has published more than 200 papers and book chapters.

Dr. Yongmei Lu is a Professor of Geography and the Associate Dean of Research at the College of Liberal Arts, Texas State University. Dr. Lu served as the Chair of the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies during August 2018 – December 2023. Dr. Lu received her PhD degree from University at Buffalo – The State University of New York in 2001. Both of her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree are from Peking University. Dr. Lu’s research interests include GIScience and the application of geospatial methods to examine urban development issues, including urban gentrification, food security, environmental exposure and health, and crime. Dr. Lu has published extensively, including ~90 peer-reviewed papers, edited book volumes, and special journal issues. Dr. Lu’s research has been supported by federal, state, and local funding agencies.

Matthew Robinson earned his PhD from the Florida State University School of Criminology and
Criminal Justice in 1997 and is Full Professor of Justice Studies at Appalachian State University in
Boone, North Carolina. He has published more than 25 books in his fields of study (including his
book titled, Food Crime), as well as more than 100 other publications in academic journals and
book chapters. He is Past President of the North Carolina Criminal Justice Association and the
Southern Criminal Justice Association. And he was ranked the 19th most influential criminologist
in the world by Academic Influence.

Sansanee is in the final year of her PhD studies at the University of Glasgow, UK. She serves as a nursing lecturer specializing in Community Health Nursing at Boromarajonani College of Nursing, Saraburi, part of the Praboromarajchanok Institute, Thailand. Her expertise lies in community health nursing, with a research focus on managing chronic diseases in community settings

Tomasz Holecki Academic teacher whose interest in science and research are focused on healthcare management, public management and public health, with special emphasis on the role of local government. MA in political sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Social Sciences, Specialty – local self-governments. PhD, University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Social Sciences, Specialty – political scieUniversity of Silesia nces, social politics and policy. Post-graduate College of Management. University of Economics in Katowice. Direction studies „Management and marketing”. Habilitation in Health Sciences, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice.

Tanzeela Gala is a Colorectal trainee in London and is currently enrolled in MD Res program. She has an interest in Pelvic Floor Disorders and is currently doing research in Pelvic Floor Unit, St Thomas’ Hospital, London, United Kingdom. She has completed a Fellowship in General Surgery from Pakistan (FRCS-General Surgery) and holds a membership of Royal College of Surgeons England. She has published more than 10 papers in her field of interest. She enjoys teaching and has taught on multiple courses such as Total Integrated Pelvic Floor Ultrasound and anorectal manometry course, Basic Surgical Skills and Laparoscopic Surgical Skills to name a few. In future, she wishes to be a Colorectal Surgeon with Pelvic Floor Disorders as sub-specialty and would like to establish collaborative services with similar units internationally for academia as well as improved patient care.

Dr. Nilufer Demiral Yilmaz is an Associate Professor of Medical Education at Ege University School of Medicine, Izmir, Turkiye. She holds a doctorate (2010) and master’s degree (2007) in Educational Administration, following her undergraduate training in Nursing (1998). Dr. Yilmaz transitioned from clinical practice in internal medicine to medical education in 2003, integrating her clinical expertise with advanced educational strategies. She specializes in program development, instructional design, simulation-based learning, and faculty development. As the Simulation Laboratory Coordinator at Ege University, she has contributed to innovative teaching methodologies. Dr. Yilmaz has held leadership roles, including as President of the Association of Development Medical Education (2016–2022) and is currently a board member of the Association of Medical Education Programs Evaluation and Accreditation. Her research combines health sciences and education to advance medical training and improve healthcare outcomes.

Joanna Woźniak-Holecka Academic teacher whose interest in science and research are focused on health promotion, health education and public health, especially health programs and behavioral lifestyle factors. MA in biology, Jagiellonian University. PhD, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Specialty – medical biology. Habilitation in Health Sciences, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice.

My name is Owekisha Hermas Kwigizile, born and raised in the beautiful country of Tanzania. I have always had a passion for working on the field of Agricultural Sciences and hence my academic life would have eventually led to Agricultural research work in the field of Crop science and Molecular Plant Pathology particularly in the field of Food Mycology (Aflatoxins in maize). During that lifetime, I would have attained a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture (BSc.) and then I went on to the breeding for disease resistance research where I completed the Master of Science (MSc.) in Crop Science (Majoring plant pathology) followed by the PhD in Sustainable Agriculture (Molecular Plant Pathology) at School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering (LiSBE), The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology. I went on to work as the Mycologist at the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute where a problem within my field was realized, As such, I explored the problem of aflatoxin contamination in maize crop and soil which pose significant risks within food and feed systems hence affects public health of consumers and country economic status. Therefore; it is this topic I would be very interesting to share and discuss mostly.

Adjunct Professor at the University of Évora; PhD in Nursing from the University of Lisbon; Master in sociology -Human resources and sustainable development; Degree in Nursing, Specialist Nursing-Medical Surgical. Research on patients with advanced cancer and pain; empowering patients to self-management; and critical care. She has published scientific articles in indexed journals and with scientific arbitration and book chapters.

Jacques Kamangu is a public health specialist working for the Ministry of Health and Social Services for the past 13 years. For the past 3 years, he has been working as the Deputy Chief Clinical Mentor in the Directorate of Special Programmes HIV/STI subdivision. With the mentorship program, Dr. Kamangu and the team provide ongoing capacity building to healthcare workers on HIV prevention, care, treatment, and support to improve the quality of service and continuously strengthen HIV-related

Dan Ferguson has over thirty years of experience in higher education, non-profit management, health care and human services. He has a real interest in organizational culture and change management. In Dan’s current role as the Director of the Washington State Allied Health Center of Excellence, he is working to assist the community college system in increasing its capacity to be responsive to the health workforce needs of the health care industry and to the communities that they mutually serve. On a personal note, Dan has lived in Washington state for over 20 years, loves international travel, particularly to Taiwan (ask him why) and is an avid tennis player.

Eduardo Araújo is a clinical and forensic psychologist with a PhD in Psychology. He has contributed to numerous research projects on violent and deviant behavior, authored and co-authored publications, and serves as a reviewer for leading journals in his field.

Dr Hadi Sarvari is presently a sinior researcher at Birmingham City University. His area of research focuses on Construction Safety and Health as well as suatainability. He also serves as a researcher at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and as an Assistant Professor in Construction Management at the Islamic Azad University Isfahan (Iran). His teaching and research interests include Construction Contract Management, Management Information Systems, Construction Project Planning and Control, Engineering Systems Analysis, Maintenance Management, and Evaluation of Performance in the Construction of infrastructure projects. In 2018, he was awarded the Best Lecturer Award in the Educational field. He was also awarded as a distinguished researcher in 2021. He authored and co-authored several scientific articles and books in the following fields: Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects, Safety and Risk management, Building Information Modeling (BIM), and Maintenance Management. His work has appeared in the Journal of Habitat International, Building Engineering, International Journal of Construction Management, Journal of Facilities Management, Iranian Journal of Fuzzy Systems, Sustainability, Buildings, Applied Sciences, Energies, Administrative Sciences, and Journal of Civil Engineering and Management, among others. He is a reviewer and editorial board member in several international journals (e.g., Safety Science, International Journal of Construction Management, Frontiers in Built Environment, Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting, and Malaysian Journal of Civil Engineering) and leading conferences (e.g., European Safety and Reliability Conference).

Rebeca Mira Sánchez is Official Master’s Degree in Bioethics by the International
University of Valencia VIU, Spain (2019). Final Master’s Thesis in Bioethics:
“Environmental factors in neurodevelopment. Econeurotic approach”.Currently student
of the PhD program in Biolaw: Bioethics, health and human rights, at the International
Doctoral School EIDUM of the University of Murcia, Spain. Lead author “The landscape
of research on environmental factors in neurodevelopmental disorders: endocrine
disruptors and pesticides: a review”. Vice-President of Environmental Sciences and
Neurodevelopment Institute ICMYN, Murcia, Spain.

Dr. Syed A. Gillani’s journey into medicine was shaped by a personal tragedy—the loss of his father to a stroke, a condition that lacked adequate care facilities in Pakistan. This profound experience ignited his passion for medicine and research, inspiring him to seek ways to improve stroke care and overall medical practices.

Graduating from Shifa College of Medicine in Pakistan, Dr. Gillani’s quest for advanced training led him to the United States. At Houston Methodist Hospital, he completed his Neurology residency, benefiting from the guidance of esteemed mentors including Dr. Stanley H. Appel, Dr. Ashizawa, Dr. Jun Li, and Dr. John Volpi. His ambition to specialize in stroke neurology and neuro-intervention drove him to further his training at the University of Missouri under the mentorship of Dr. Adnan I. Qureshi, a leading authority in the field.

Today, Dr. Gillani is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of medical knowledge through research and improving clinical practices. His daily efforts are focused on translating scientific discoveries into actionable advancements that enhance patient care. Driven by a deep-seated commitment to public health, Dr. Gillani strives to make a meaningful impact on the lives of patients and contribute to the betterment of global healthcare.

Michail Kalogiannakis is an Associate Professor at the Department of Special Education at the University of Thellay in Greece. He is also associate tutor at School of Humanities at the Hellenic Open University. He graduated from the Physics Department at the University of Crete and continued his post-graduate studies in France. His field of specialization is science education at early childhood, ICT in Education, Public Healt etc.

As a graduate medical oncologist, having studied at Yerevan State Medical University and Harvard Medical School, I have always been driven to make a significant contribution to the fight against cancer. Throughout my career, I have encountered challenges when working with young cancer patients, which has motivated me to delve into basic research and undertake more impactful endeavors. Currently based in Hong Kong, I am pursuing a Ph.D. in the City University of Hong Kong Drug Discovery Lab, where my focus lies on developing novel anticancer treatments and unraveling the underlying mechanisms driving cancer progression. Additionally, I am proud to serve as the CEO of the Institute of Cancer and Crisis (www.cancerandcrisis.org). I am enthusiastic about fostering connections within the field and collaborating with like-minded individuals to work towards a brighter future collectively. My ultimate aspiration is to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice by translating impactful findings into clinical trials.

Dr. Hussein Al-Othman holds a PhD in Sociology from Mississippi State University, USA. Currently serving as Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (2019-2020), he previously held roles as Vice Dean, Acting Dean, and Assistant Dean in the same college. Dr. Al-Othman has extensive experience in academia and management, including leadership positions at the University of Sharjah and Mutah University. His contributions span research with over 30 published papers and multiple ongoing projects, alongside securing numerous research grants. Recognized for teaching excellence, he established doctoral and master’s programs in Applied Sociology and led initiatives in academic accreditation and quality enhancement. Dr. Al-Othman has also made significant community contributions, advising on social strategies and serving as a consultant to international organizations.