Speakers

Prof. Mark T. Ogino

Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
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Prof. Mark T. Ogino

(United States)

Professor of Clinical Pediatrics

Mark T. Ogino, MD, FAAP, FELSO, is an attending neonatologist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and holds dual academic appointments as a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at both the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii. A globally recognized leader in the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) community, Dr. Ogino served as the President of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) from 2018 to 2020. His extensive leadership within ELSO also includes serving as Chair of Logistics and Education from 2009 to 2015, during which he spearheaded the development of the organization’s international educational standards. Throughout his career, Dr. Ogino has led clinical innovation and specialized program development. He previously served as Medical Director of the Neonatal Cardiac Surgical Unit at Rady Children’s Hospital, a pioneering unit among the first dedicated cardiac NICUs in the United States. Additionally, he established and opened the first ECMO programs in both Hawaii and Delaware. His academic focus remains dedicated to advancing clinical team proficiency and patient safety through innovative educational frameworks. Dr. Ogino has held clinical and leadership positions at several other premier institutions, including Nemours Children’s Health, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, and Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Ogino earned his medical degree from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine. He completed his postgraduate training at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and returned to UCSD to pursue a clinical fellowship in Neonatology and a research fellowship in Pediatric Infectious Diseases.

Dr. Mohammed Almetlag

Vice President for Healthcare Delivery at Najran Health Cluster.
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Dr. Mohammed Almetlag

(Saudi Arabia)

Vice President for Healthcare Delivery at Najran Health Cluster.

Dr. Mohammed Almetlag is a Consultant Interventional Radiologist and Vice President for Healthcare Delivery at Najran Health Cluster. He leads healthcare transformation initiatives focused on improving access, efficiency, and quality of care, and serves as a Board Member of the Saudi Interventional Radiology Society.

Dr. Ahmed khedher

ICU consultant
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Dr. Ahmed khedher

(Tunisia)

ICU consultant

Icu consultant Head of department Ecmo physician

Prof. Yasser Elghoneimy

Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery
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Prof. Yasser Elghoneimy

(Egypt)

Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery

Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery Imam ABDULRAHMAN bin Faisal university Consultant cardiac @ Head of cardiac surgery division at King Fahd university hospital, Alkhobar

Prof. Kanzy Mostafa Hassan

Senior Clinical Pharmacist
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Prof. Kanzy Mostafa Hassan

(Egypt)

Senior Clinical Pharmacist

Currently a Senior Clinical Pharmacist working in the Critical Care Department at Cairo University Hospitals, with a focus on managing complex ICU and ECMO patients. Graduated 2014 from Cairo University Faculty of Pharmacy (Clinical pharmacy program). Also a PharmD and a Board Certified Critical Care Pharmacist (BCCCP), with a strong interest in evidence-based practice and optimizing patient care outcomes. Current role involves working closely with multidisciplinary teams to support safe and effective medication use, including dosing optimization, managing drug interactions, and improving overall patient care, also involved in teaching and training pharmacy students and other healthcare professionals, as well as developing clinical protocols and improving medication safety processes.

Matthieu SCHMIDT

Professor of Critical Care Medicine
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Matthieu SCHMIDT

(France)

Professor of Critical Care Medicine

Matthieu Schmidt is Full Professor of Critical Care Medicine at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital and Sorbonne University in Paris, France. The Medical ICU at Pitié-Salpêtrière is one of the largest ECMO centers worldwide. His research focuses on cardiogenic shock, mechanical circulatory support, rescue therapies for severe ARDS, including ECMO, and mechanical ventilation. He is the principal investigator of several ongoing clinical studies, including randomized controlled trials in the field of ECMO, and has authored more than 340 peer-reviewed publications and numerous book chapters. He is an active member of ECMOnet, a former Chair of the EuroELSO Scientific Committee, and currently serves as President of EuroELSO.

Issam El Rassi

Head of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Al Jalila Children’s Hospital, Dubai
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Issam El Rassi

(Lebanon)

Head of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Al Jalila Children’s Hospital, Dubai

Dr. Issam El Rassi is an internationally recognized congenital and pediatric cardiac surgeon with more than 30 years of experience managing complex congenital heart disease. His career combines clinical excellence, program development, innovation, education, and research. He graduated from Saint Joseph University in Beirut and completed advanced training in congenital cardiac surgery at leading institutions in France and Australia, including Necker Children’s Hospital, Bichat-Claude Bernard Hospital, and the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. He also received specialized training in ECMO, valve repair, ventricular assist devices, and medical education. Since 2021, Dr. El Rassi has served as Head of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Al Jalila Children’s Hospital, Dubai Health, and Professor of Cardiac Surgery at Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences. Previously, he led the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Program at the American University of Beirut, contributing to the development of a leading regional congenital heart center, including mechanical circulatory support and transplantation.
Dr. El Rassi has authored more than 120 peer-reviewed publications and is a frequent invited speaker at national and international scientific meetings. He is also committed to humanitarian work and initiatives that expand access to life-saving cardiac care for children in underserved communities.

Saud Khalid Aldeghaither

Consultant Trauma surgeon, Critical care, Advanced Cardiac critical care and ECMO specialist
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Saud Khalid Aldeghaither

(Saudi Arabia)

Consultant Trauma surgeon, Critical care, Advanced Cardiac critical care and ECMO specialist

Consultant Trauma surgeon, Critical care, Advanced Cardiac critical care and ECMO specialist

Dr Hesham Faisal Ali

Head of Cardiac Surgery ICU
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Dr Hesham Faisal Ali

(Saudi Arabia)

Head of Cardiac Surgery ICU

Dr Hesham Faisal Ali, is the Head of Cardiac Surgery ICU at Saud Al Bobtail Cardiac Center and the ECMO program Director at the Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia.

Yasser Kazzaz

Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Critical Care
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Yasser Kazzaz

(Saudi Arabia)

Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Critical Care
Dr. Yasser Kazzaz completed his Pediatrics and Pediatric Critical Care training at McGill University, followed by advanced fellowship training in critical care and Pediatric ECLS/ECMO at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), University of Toronto. He also holds a Master of Public Health in Health Systems and Quality Management from King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS). He currently serves as Division Head of Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care and Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Critical Care at King Abdulaziz Medical City and KSAU-HS. He is the Secretary General of the Gulf Pediatric Critical Care Society, a member of the Pediatric Acute & Critical Care Medicine Asian Network (PACCMAN), and a member of the Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Fellowship Scientific Committee at the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties. Dr. Kazzaz’s research focuses on improving the quality of pediatric critical care through quality-improvement projects and simulation, with particular interests in sepsis and organ donation.

Dr. Yasser A. Alheraish

Consultant Pediatric Cardiac ICU
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Dr. Yasser A. Alheraish

(Saudi Arabia)

Consultant Pediatric Cardiac ICU

Dr.Yasser Alheraish is a Consultant Pediatric Cardiac Intensivist at KFSH&RC, Riyadh, and Adjunct Assistant Professor at Alfaisal University. He completed advanced fellowships in Pediatric Cardiology then Pediatric Intensive Care and Cardiac Critical Care in Canada, at SickKids, Toronto. He is the founding leader and current Chair of the Scientific Committee for the Saudi Pediatric Cardiac ICU Fellowship. His professional interests include mechanical circulatory support, heart transplantation.

Dr. Marlice Van Dyk

President of SWAAC ELSO
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Dr. Marlice Van Dyk

(South Africa)

President of SWAAC ELSO

In May 2026, Dr. Marlice van Dyk was elected President of SWAAC ELSO, a testament to her leadership and longstanding contributions to the field of extracorporeal life support.

The SWAAC ELSO region represents approximately one-third of the world’s population and encompasses an exceptionally diverse healthcare landscape. While many parts of the region continue to face significant resource limitations and challenges in establishing mature ECLS programs, SWAAC ELSO is also home to some of the world’s most outstanding extracorporeal life support centres and training facilities. This success is driven by the remarkable individuals across the region—innovative, dedicated, and deeply passionate professionals committed to advancing ECLS care despite financial and structural constraints.

Under Dr. van Dyk’s leadership, SWAAC ELSO continues to strengthen collaboration, expand education, and promote excellence in extracorporeal life support throughout Southwest Asia and Africa.

Dr MA van Dyk

MBChB, FCA, Crit Care, Dip Clinical Ultrasound, M. Com Business Management

Dr. Ali Ait Hassain

Anesthesiologist, and ECMO Specialist at Hamad General Hospital
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Dr. Ali Ait Hassain

(France)

Anesthesiologist, and ECMO Specialist at Hamad General Hospital
Dr. Ali Ait Hssain is a Senior Consultant Intensivist, Anesthesiologist, and ECMO Specialist at Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar. With over two decades of critical care experience, he is a leading ECMO figure in the Middle East and Africa, founder of ECSiTeD (ECMO Simulation Team of Doha), and holds elected leadership roles within ELSO and SWAAC-ELSO.

Dr. Mohamed Azzam

Consultant in Trauma, Emergency & Critical Care Medicine
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Dr. Mohamed Azzam

(Saudi Arabia)

Consultant in Trauma, Emergency & Critical Care Medicine

Dr. Azzam is a Consultant in Trauma, Emergency, and Critical Care Medicine at Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group, Saudi Arabia. He previously served as Director of the Ministry of Health (MOH) ECMO Program and is an active member of the Saudi Extracorporeal Life Support Chapter under the Saudi Critical Care Society.

A recognized leader in extracorporeal life support and critical care operations, Dr. Azzam currently serves as Chairman of the Conference Committee of the Southwest Asia & Africa Chapter of ELSO (SWAAC ELSO). He is extensively involved in national-level initiatives related to trauma and disaster medicine training, ECMO education and operations, and critical care system development. His primary interests include trauma resuscitation, interfacility critical care transport, and ECMO program management.

Dr. Vinod Singh

Senior Consultant & Co-Chair
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Dr. Vinod Singh

(India)

Senior Consultant & Co-Chair

Dr. Vinod Kumar Singh is a distinguished intensivist and academician with extensive experience in
Critical Care Medicine, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), and Respiratory Medicine.
He serves as Senior Consultant and Co-Chair in the Department of Critical Care Medicine at Sir
Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, and leads the ICU–ECMO Program as its Program Director.
A Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (Edinburgh) and the American College of Chest
Physicians (USA), Dr. Singh has made significant contributions to critical care education, research,
and professional development both nationally and internationally.

Dr. Grace Van Leeuwen

Pediatric Cardiac Intensivist & ECMO Medical Director, Sidra Medicine
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Dr. Grace Van Leeuwen

(Brazil)

Pediatric Cardiac Intensivist & ECMO Medical Director, Sidra Medicine

Dr. Grace Van Leeuwen is a Pediatric Cardiac Intensivist and ECMO Medical Director at Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar, with more than 20 years of experience in pediatric critical care. She leads the institution’s ECMO program, which has earned the ELSO Silver-Level Award of Excellence for its achievements in patient outcomes, education, and safety.

A recognized ECMO educator, Dr. Van Leeuwen develops simulation-based training programs and competency-driven curricula for multidisciplinary critical care teams. She is actively involved in research, has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, contributed to ELSO guidelines and critical care textbooks, and serves as a reviewer for leading international journals. An invited speaker at global conferences, she also serves as Co-Chair of the Congenital Heart Academy and is a member of the ELSO SWAAC Steering Committee. She holds a Master of Science in Clinical Service Operations from Harvard Medical School and is committed to advancing excellence in both clinical care and healthcare operations.

Prof. Alia Abdelfattah

Professor of critical care
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Prof. Alia Abdelfattah

(Egypt)

Professor of critical care

Professor of critical care,Cairo University. President of ECMO working group,Egyptian college of critical care physicians. X-cheif of critical care department, Cairo University

Dr. Jana Assy

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PEDIATRICS AND PEDIATRIC CRITICAL CARE
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Dr. Jana Assy

(Lebanon)

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PEDIATRICS AND PEDIATRIC CRITICAL CARE

I am a Pediatric Intensivist and Pediatric Cardiac Intensivist with more than ten years of
experience in tertiary pediatric critical care, congenital heart disease, extracorporeal life support
(ECMO), and program development. My career has been dedicated to the care of critically ill
neonates and children, with a particular focus on advanced cardiorespiratory support, mechanical
circulatory support, and the development of high-quality pediatric critical care services.
Following my training in Pediatrics, Neonatology, and Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care in Belgium
and France, I joined the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) as Assistant
Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Critical Care. There, I played a central role in the
development of pediatric and cardiac intensive care services and founded the institution’s ECMO
program, which became the first comprehensive neonatal, pediatric, and adult ECMO program in
Lebanon. I subsequently established the country’s first ECMO retrieval service and led the
development of clinical protocols, multidisciplinary training programs, quality initiatives, and
regional collaborations. I have personally led three intercontinental fixed-wing transports of
critically ill children supported on ECMO, coordinating multidisciplinary teams across
international healthcare systems and transport networks.
My clinical practice encompasses the management of complex congenital and acquired cardiac
disease, postoperative cardiac surgical patients, severe respiratory failure, septic shock, multiple
organ dysfunction, and extracorporeal life support. Throughout my career, I have maintained a
strong commitment to patient safety, quality improvement, simulation-based education, and
evidence-based medicine.
In 2021, I joined the University Hospital of Liège as Chef de Clinique in Pediatrics, where I was
recruited to contribute to the development of a tertiary Pediatric and Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.
My responsibilities included the expansion of advanced pediatric critical care services, including
ECMO and cardiac critical care activities, while ensuring compliance with international standards
of care, education, and research. In parallel, I completed an Executive Master’s in Management of
Healthcare Institutions at the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management, graduating
with distinction.

Dr. Tolusha Harischandra

MB BS, MS, M Phil, FCSSL
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Dr. Tolusha Harischandra

(Sri Lanka)

MB BS, MS, M Phil, FCSSL

Educated at Sanghamitta College, Galle, Sri Lanka-obtained eight distinctions in 1984 and 4 A’s in 1987.

Obtained a Pre-University Research Fellowship for one year at National Institute of Fundamental Studies, Kandy, Sri Lanka where she developed an interest in academic research.

Entered Faculty of Medicine, Colombo, and graduated with honors in 1996.

Obtained the MS (Master of Surgery) degree in 2003; was awarded the Dr Milroy Paul Gold Medal for Clinical Surgery by the PGIM that year.

Board certified in 2008, becoming the first woman Cardiothoracic Surgeon in Sri Lanka.

Introduced ECMO (Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), a form of mechanical heart and lung support, to Sri Lanka. Founder president of GELSA (Galle Extracorporeal Life Support Association).

Obtained MPhil in 2011 for the thesis on coagulation changes during hypothermia in neonatal ECMO. Has 29 publications and presentations on ECMO and one SLMA oration on ECMO.

Presently, Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Teaching Hospital, Karapitiya, Galle.

Dr. Poonam Kapoor

Department of Cardiac Anaesthesiology
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Dr. Poonam Kapoor

(India)

Department of Cardiac Anaesthesiology

D, DNB, MNAMS, FIACTA (Hony), FTEE (Hony), FISCU (Hony) Professor, Department of Cardiac Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, Cardio Thoracic Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, IndiaPast President & Co-Founder: South West Asia and Africa Chapter of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (SWAAC ELSO)Editor-In-Chief: Journal of Cardiac Critical Care TSS (JCCC) President: SCA-Delhi & NCR Branch Founder Secretary & Chairman, Academics – The Simulation Society (TSS) Guest Editor: Journal of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin Past President: IACTA (2019-2020) Past President: ECMO Society of India Former Chief Editor – Annals of Cardiac Anaesthesia (ACA)

Dr. Vivek Kakar

Staff Physician Critical Care
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Dr. Vivek Kakar

( United Kingdom)

Staff Physician Critical Care

Dr. Kakar is a Staff Physician in Critical Care at the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. He set up and led the ECMO Program for over 9-years and the Cardiothoracic Critical Care for over 4-years. Under his leadership, the Cleveland Clinic ECMO Program developed into one of the most comprehensive services in the region and received the ELSO Gold Centre of Excellence award. He is also a Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of the Case Western Reserve University, Ohio. Dr. Kakar is formally accredited in Internal Medicine, Anesthesia, and Critical Care. He has a MA in Medical Ethics and Law from Keele University, MSc in Public Health from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and a Global Executive MBA from Insead. Prior to moving to the UAE in 2016, he was a Critical Care, ECMO, Anaesthesia, and Major Trauma Consultant at the King’s College Hospital, London where he helped set up a successful ECPR service.

Dr. Akram Abdelbary

Professor of critical care at Cairo University
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Dr. Akram Abdelbary

(Saudi Arabia)

Professor of critical care at Cairo University

Professor of critical care at Cairo University. Consultant critical care and interventional cardiology. Started the ECMO activity in Egypt in 2014 and was the founder of the dedicated one of a kind ECMO unit in Egypt in 2024

Prof. Mohamed Attia

Critical Care consultant
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Prof. Mohamed Attia

(Saudi Arabia)

Critical Care consultant

Critical Care consultant, Cairo university hospitals, Member of ECMO team , received train of the trainer course

Prof. Ehssan Rabie

Physiotherapy Team Lead
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Prof. Ehssan Rabie

(Saudi Arabia)

Physiotherapy Team Lead

Ehssan Rabie, PT, MSc, is a Critical Care Physiotherapist and PhD Candidate with over 12 years of experience in intensive care rehabilitation. She serves as the Physiotherapy Team Lead, ECMO Unit, Critical Care Department, Cairo University Hospitals. Her expertise focuses on ECMO rehabilitation, early mobilization, ICU-acquired weakness, and functional recovery of critically ill patients. She is actively involved in clinical education, research, and the development of evidence-based rehabilitation protocols to improve outcomes for patients receiving advanced critical care.

Dr. Mohamed Abdalmoneim

Critical Care Specialist, Cairo University
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Dr. Mohamed Abdalmoneim

(Saudi Arabia)

Critical Care Specialist, Cairo University

Critical Care Specialist, Cairo University

Critical care physician with extensive experience in advanced life support and extracorporeal therapies. Active member of the ECMO team for over 8 years, with hands-on expertise in both veno-arterial (VA) and veno-venous (VV) ECMO, including patient selection, cannulation, and ongoing management. Skilled in handling complex critical cases and multidisciplinary coordination in high-acuity settings.

Prof. Hany Zakaria

Lecturer Physician
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Prof. Hany Zakaria

(Saudi Arabia)

Lecturer Physician

Lecturer of critical Care medicine ECMO consultant Observed ECMO in UPSTATE medical University NY USA MD thesis of CHIP

Dr. Jumana Yusuf Haji

ECMO Consultant & Intensivist
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Dr. Jumana Yusuf Haji

(India)

ECMO Consultant & Intensivist

20+years post MD experience acquired in India and Singapore. Have acquired expertise with every change and current core interest is to develop and support ECMO programs as an ECMO specialist for rural and urban comprehensive care centers and support advanced critical care requirements of heart lung transplant patients. As the Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Specialist (ES) responsible for ensuring appropriate patient care through the continuous monitoring and assessment of the ECMO circuit, related technology, and patient status. Create protocols for every aspect of ECMO program. Liaise with all stake holders to ensure smooth uniform service.

In addition to clinical activities active in research and published widely in both national and international journals. A member of the ELSO Scientific Overview Committee (SOC), Guidelines committee a voluntary by-invitation post, representing SWAAC ELSO.

Passionate about training nurses Perfusionist’s emergency medicine and Intensivist’s in ECMO through Fellowship programs individualised and conceptualised by me. Run an indépendant ECMO program in Mumbai which offers in hospital and outsourced ECMO services for adult paediatric respiratory cardiac ECPR and EDCD runs. Run the first of its kind DCD NRP workshop in Asia.

Prof. Peter Rycus

Executive Director
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Prof. Peter Rycus

(United States)

Executive Director
Have worked for ELSO for 30 years and enjoy working side by side with Christine Stead our CEO.

Dr. Abdullah Alghobaishi

Saudi Pediatric ECLS Team
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Dr. Abdullah Alghobaishi

(Saudi Arabia)

Saudi Pediatric ECLS Team

Pediatrician and Pediatric Intensivist General and Cardiac Intensivist King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital, Jeddah – Director of the Fellowship Training Program in Pediatric Critical Care at King Fahad Armed Forces Hospital – Clinical Fellowship in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine (Saudi and Canadian – SickKids) – Director of Pediatric Department and Pediatric Critical care at AlSobh /Saudi German hospital- Jeddah – member of the Saudi ECLS education team – Conducting multiple ECLS workshops, webinars, and conferences in the Gulf region Supervised by the Saudi Society of Critical Care and SWAAC ELSO (South West Asia and Africa Extracorporeal Life Support Organization) Recent Engagement – Speaker at EUROELSO, Milan, April 2025 – Speaker at 36th Saudi Heart Association Annual Conference , Riyadh , October 2025⁠