Speakers

Alexis C. Komor, Ph.D

Alexis C. Komor, Ph.D. developed base editing as a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of David R. Liu in 2016. Since 2017 she has been leading her independent group at UCSD developing and applying new precision genome editing techniques to the functional genomics field. Alexis's contributions to teaching, mentoring, and research have been recognized through many awards, including the Cottrell Scholar Award, the "Talented 12" recognition by C&EN News, an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award, an NIH early-stage investigator Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA), and a "40 under 40" recognition in healthcare by Fortune Magazine.

Humberto Insolera

"Humberto Insolera was born deaf from a deaf family. After his graduation, he attended and delivered various seminars, conferences, and workshops on various continents about the rights of deaf persons & persons with disabilities. He is an independent consultant, and he is involved in various DPOs for almost 20 years he is currently on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the European Disability Forum (EDF). With various responsibilities of the EDF, he is a focal point of EDF's ICT Expert Group."

Dr. Geraldine Dawson

Dr. Geraldine Dawson is the Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University. She is also a Professor of Pediatrics Psychology & Neuroscience. Dawson is the Director of the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development and the Duke Autism Clinic. Dawson has published > 350 articles on autism early detection, intervention, brain function, and digital health, which have been cited > 79,000 times. She is also an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Dawson was awarded the American Psychological Association Distinguished Career Award Association for Psychological Science Lifetime Achievement Award, Autism Society of America Award for Research Contributions, Autism Society Medical Professional of the Year, and Autism Society Award for Valuable Service. She is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, the American Psychological Association, and the International Society for Autism Research.

Dr. Joseph J. Murray

Dr. Joseph J. Murray is President of the World Federation of the Deaf and Secretary General of the International Disability Alliance. He is also a member of the IDA Inclusive Education Task Team. Dr. Murray has 26 years of international disability rights experience, has attended numerous CRPD Committee and UN meetings, and has presented to governments, NGOs, and disability communities in over 50 different countries. Dr. Murray is a Professor of Deaf Studies at Gallaudet University and currently serves as a government-appointed independent expert on the Norwegian Government Commission on Sign Language.

Prof. Majid Alfadhel

Prof. Majid Alfadhel is currently Deputy Executive Director of King Abdullah International Medical Research Centre (KAIMRC), Chairman of the Genetics and Precision Medicine department at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Director of the Medical Genomic lab at King Abdullah International Medical Research Centre (KAIMRC), and Professor of Pediatrics and Genetics at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS). Additionally, he is an editor and member of many Journals. Prof. Alfadhel's foresight and passion for innovation earned him an award for inventing a new application in the Apple store and Google play for the treatment of inborn errors of metabolism.

Dr. Maryam Al-Nafiei

Dr. Maryam Al-Nafiei is an associate professor in the Department of Information Technology at Taif University and a member of the Saudi Library and Information Association. She received her Ph.D. from Dalhousie University, Canada, in Computer Science. Her research interest is broad between human-computer interaction, accessibility, and interactive systems that enhance the cognition and capacity of persons with disabilities, including persons with visual impairments. She publishes in significant conferences and scientific journals affiliated with (HCI) including (ASSETS).

Dr. Mohammed Aldosari

Dr. Mohammed Aldosari, Director and Consultant Pediatric Neurologist, Center for Pediatric Neurosciences, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio. Dr. Aldosari has a long-standing interest in autism spectrum disorders research and has worked with former colleagues in Riyadh and the Gulf region to advance clinical and research programs. He is a member of the International Society for Autism Research as well as a member of the American Academy of Neurology. Dr. Aldosari is a funded Autism researcher with unique projects focused on Innovative and Objective Screening and Diagnostic Tools for Autism Spectrum Disorders working with Cleveland Clinic Innovation national and international collaborators.

Dr. Fowzan S. Alkuraya

Fowzan S. Alkuraya is a Professor of Human Genetics at Alfaisal University and the Chairman of the Department of Translational Genomics at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center. He established the Developmental Genetics Lab, which later evolved into the Center for Genomic Medicine at KFSHRC. He also is an authority in Mendelian genetics with more than 480 published manuscripts that describe his lab's discovery of hundreds of novel disease genes in humans as well as many other seminal contributions to the field of human genetics as featured in profiles published by The Lancet and Science. He also received William King Bowes Award in Medical Genetics (first non-US based winner), Curt Stern Award (first non-US based winner), and Sheikh Hamdan Bin Maktoum Award for Distinguished Medical Personalities.

Mr. Darryl Barrett

Darryl Barrett is a is a health and legal professional with 25 years' experience in service delivery, public policy, regulatory reform and program development. He has over 14 years' experience advising governments and civil society in more than 30 countries across the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific. Darryl currently leads the disability program at the World Health Organization Headquarters in Geneva. He is responsible for managing the development and coordination of guidance, advocacy, and capacity building on disability inclusion in the . health sector among Member States and global partners

Dr. Mai Alwesmi

Dr. Mai Alwesmi is an Assistant Professor of Neuroscience at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University. She spent five years at Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases at King's College London researching synaptic dysfunction in post-mortem brains from patients with Alzheimer's disease and Down's syndrome. Her current research interests include neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease and its relationship with the genetic factors of Down's Syndrome, behavioral neuroscience toward community well-being, and quality assurance in higher education.

Yasmin Ahmed bin Mubarak Al-Tuwaijri

Yasmin Ahmed bin Mubarak Al-Tuwaijri was the first Saudi physician and biologist. She is the Head of the Epidemiology Research Department at King Faisal Specialist Hospital, and the Head of the Biological Research Center at King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Hospital in Riyadh and has many scientific studies and research. She is one of thirty-five women featured in The Rising Arab Woman and has been included in the BBC's 2014 list of 100 women internationally.

Dr. Batoul AlBaz

Dr. Batoul AlBaz is a senior researcher and executive with a career of fifteen years of professional research and management experience. She serves today as the Vice President of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) for the Health Sector. Prior to her appointment, she was the Director of the National Centre for Genomic Technologies and Bioinformatics at KACST. Dr. AlBaz is a licensed Consultant by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties in Saudi Arabia. She is an active researcher with many scientific publications in peer review journals and a highly regarded speaker in national and international conferences. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Queensland, School of Medicine (Australia) in experimental dermatology and genetics, and completed her postdoctoral training in King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSHRC). Throughout her career, Dr. AlBaz has participated in various transformational projects sharing her expertise in managing research projects, building their strategies and enhancing their development and innovation stances. She has a special interest in strategy formation and execution for innovation in relation to health and scientific research systems nationally and internationally.

Dr. Amna Al Futaisieh

Dr. Amna Al Futaisieh, Head of the Pediatrics Department at Sultan Qaboos University and an Associate Professor at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences. She is also a Consultant Pediatric Neurologist at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman. Dr. Amna has an interest in researching neurological diseases in children, including genetic neurodegenerative diseases, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy in children. She has many contributions to medical education in the Sultanate of Oman and the Arab world through her participation in the establishment of the local program in pediatrics and the neurology fellowship program in the Arab Board. She is a member of several international associations and academies in the field of pediatric neurology and chairs the Omani Association of Epilepsy Diseases and the Vice President of the Omani Association of Neurology. She has several publications and collaborates with many researchers in Oman and abroad.

Prof. Mohammad A. Al-Muhaizea

Mohammad A. Al-Muhaizea, is a Professor at Alfaisal university college of medicine. He is also a consultant in pediatric neurology at Neuroscience Center, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre. He serves currently, as the chair of the examination committee under the Saudi commission for health specialties. Prof. Al-Muhaizea is active in clinical observational and interventional research in the field of child neurology. He is currently participating in multiple trials in the field of spinal muscular atrophy. He has 50+ publications and has participated in many national and international conferences.

Prof. Yahya Al-Farsi

Yahya Al-Farsi is a Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), Oman. He served in several leading academic positions, including the Assistant Dean for Training & Community Service, Acting Dean of the College of Medicine & Health Sciences, Chairman of SQU Hospital, and Member of SQU University Council. He is the Chairman of the Oman Autism Society, and Oman Public Health Society. Regionally, he has served as a Public Health Consultant at the Gulf Health Council, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he contributed towards the establishment of the Health Research Unit and the Gulf CDC Center. Internationally, he is an Adjunct Professor at Boston University, USA, and an Honorary Clinical Lecturer at Imperial College London, UK. He has numerous publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has supervised several masters and Ph.D. dissertations.

Dr. Ahmed B. Idris

MBBS, MSc TM& ID, ABHS (Pediatrics), PGCert (Public Health) Developmental Pediatric Specialist, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Sultanate of Oman.

Dr. Watfa Al-Maamari

Dr. Watfa Al-Maamari is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and a Fellow of the Royal Canadian College of Surgeons and Physicians. She also heads the Developmental Medicine Unit, Autism Research Group, and Child Protection Committee at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital. Her current research focus is on Neurodevelopmental science in Oman mainly autism spectrum disorders. Dr. AL-Mamari has received awards for recognition of her clinical, research, and educational work. She is regularly invited to present at local and international scientific meetings. Dr. AL-Mamari has established the first Developmental Pediatric specialty in Oman for both undergraduate and post-graduate training. She is the senior author of the Oman Autism Screening Program, as the first model for autism screening in the region.

Dr. Amal Suliman Alsaif

Ph.D. in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence. Expert in assistive technology for people with disability. Founder of Tawasal Association of assistive technology for people with disability. Active in social innovationentrepreneurship and enhancement of Arabic content on the internet. She received the Sinian Award for Social Innovation 2022 - Non-Profit Management Fellowship from Granada - and received the first-place award in the second Absher Challenge 2022 in a technical project to serve the deaf.

DR. Zayed Saleh Al Zayed

Arab Board in Orthopedic، FRCS ,Glasgow .UK. Canadian fellowship in pediatric orthopedic and spine, Sick Kids Hospital, Toronto, Canada. Consultant Pediatric Spine Orthopedic Surgeon. Chairman of Orthopedic Department at Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Humanitarian City. Chairman of Orthopedic Scientific Board for Orthopedic at Saudi Health for Subspecialties. Chair of Bone Bank at KFSHRC Surgeon in Charge of disabled children society in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.