Speakers

British trained consultant Neurosurgeon with highly specialised fellowships in open and endoscopic skull base surgery in the U.K. , France and Canada as well as Neuroncology (Canada). Dr Asha is currently the Chair of Neuroscience Council (SEHA), A/Chair of Neuroscience Institute STMC and Chief of the Neurosurgery Department at Tawam Hospital (National Oncology Tertiary Centre in Abu Dhabi).

Dr Asha is a pioneer in complex brain tumors surgery in UAE for adults and pediatrics. He has keen interest in open vascular surgery and functional Neurosurgery as well.

Dr Asha is very motivated educator. He holds masters degree in evidence based medicine, Cardiff University and A degree in Global Health Education, University of Toronto. In addition to his clinical roles, he holds a position as adjunct professor at the University of UAE.

Prof. Nicandro Figueiredo is a Consultant Spinal Neurosurgeon and Professor of Neurosurgery with over 25 years of international experience across Brazil, the USA, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. He completed medical training and a PhD in Brazil, with postdoctoral training at top U.S. institutions including Johns Hopkins and the University of Wisconsin. He has served in leading academic and clinical roles, and currently practices at King’s College Hospital in Dubai. An active researcher, editor, and international speaker, he is a member of NASS and other global societies, contributing significantly to spinal surgery, education, and evidence-based neurosurgical practice.

Mr Thomas Santarius is a consultant neurosurgeon and a university lecturer in Cambridge, UK. His clinical work and research have been focused on brain tumours, ranging molecular biology to surgical techniques, but also includes pioneering and impactful work on symptomatic pineal cysts and chronic subdural haematoma.
 
Mr Santarius has a keen interest in neurosurgical anatomy and techniques. He directs the Cambridge Lectures in Neurosurgical Anatomy and served as a faculty in the UK and around the world. He severed on the WFNS Anatomy Committee, which he now chairs. In 2015 he was elected a member of the World Academy of Neurological Surgery.

Training at the Department of Neurosurgery at the Medical University Vienna under Prof. Koos and Prof. Knosp.

Specialisation in Neurosurgery and Intensive Care Medicine.

Research focus on cerebrovascular microsurgery, endovascular neurosurgery, and neurosurgical intensive care medicine.

Director of the Department of Neurosurgery at the Kepler University Hospital Linz, Austria.

Dean of research at the Medical Faculty of the Johannes Kepler University Linz, Austria.

President of the Austrian Society of Neurosurgery.

Secretary of the Section of Neurosurgery at the European Union of Medical Specialists.

Board Member of the CV Section of the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies.

Dr. Francesco Doglietto works in Rome (Italy) as Professor of Neurosurgery at the Catholic University School of Medicine and Neurosurgeon at the Gemelli Foundation Hospital.

Among other giants in the field of neurosurgery and skull base surgery, he trained with Dr. Giorgio Frank and Pasquini (Bologna, Italy) in 2005 during his residency, and with Prof. Fred Gentili in 2008-2009 in Toronto, Canada. Back in Italy, he worked in Brescia with Prof. Nicolai.

He is now back in Rome, in one of the largest academic Italian hospitals, and is dedicated to open and endoscopic skull base surgery, as well as neuro-oncology.

Luciano Mastronardi, MD, PhD, is a senior academic neurosurgeon and departmental leader with more than three decades of clinical, educational, and scientific experience. He has served as Chief of Neurosurgery at San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, since 2010 and Head of the Department of Surgical Specialties since 2017. His clinical expertise includes skull base surgery, acoustic neuroma, microsurgical neuro-oncology, microvascular decompression, and cerebrovascular surgery. He has performed more than 5,000 neurosurgical procedures and has co-authored 624 scientific papers. He is Founder and Director of R.O.M.A., Executive Board Member of the International Academy of Neurosurgical Anatomy and of WANS.

Mr Barazi is Consultant Neurosurgeon to King’s College Hospital in London, specialising in pituitary, skull base, and facial pain.
He was born in Copenhagen and attended Winchester College, after which he served as Regimental Medical Officer in the 14th Parachute Regiment in Toulouse.
He is the lead for the Royal College of Surgeons accredited senior clinical fellowship at King’s, and he is Chair of the Medical Advisory Board of the Trigeminal Neuralgia Association of the UK.
He speaks French, Danish, German, Swedish and English fluently.

Mario Teo is a Consultant Neurosurgeon and Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at Bristol Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, North Bristol University Hospital, UK, having completed a Cerebrovascular and Skull Base fellowship at Stanford University, California, USA. He trained in Neurosurgery at Glasgow, Cambridge and London.

His clinical focus includes management of complex brain tumours and cerebrovascular pathologies, incorporating various surgical techniques (keyhole surgery, endoscopic approaches, cerebral revascularizations) and technological advancement (3D reconstruction, fiber-tracking, virtual reality, intraoperative neuromonitoring).

Academically, he has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications, editorials, book chapters, and is an advocate of collaborative clinical and scientific research, at local, national and international level.

Prof. Atul Goel is a distinguished neurosurgeon and academic leader with pioneering contributions in craniovertebral junction surgery, spine surgery, and neuro-oncology. He has served as President of the Neurological Society of India (2018–2019), the Craniovertebral Junction and Spine Society, and the Indian Society of Neuro-Oncology.

He has held prominent editorial positions, including Chairman of the Editorial Board of Journal of Neurosurgery (Spine), Section Editor of World Neurosurgery, and Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Neurology and Neurosurgery and the Journal of Craniovertebral Junction and Spine.

Prof. Goel has authored landmark textbooks, including Neurosurgery of Complex Tumors and Vascular Lesions and The Craniovertebral Junction: Diagnosis, Pathology, Surgical Techniques. With over 800 PubMed-indexed publications, 150 original surgical techniques, and an h-index of 64, his work has shaped contemporary neurosurgical practice worldwide. He is also an innovator, holding 2 U.S. patents and 21 Indian patents.

Dr. David H. Aguirre-Padilla is an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Chile and a Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgeon in Santiago, Chile. He completed his neurosurgical training at the University of Chile, followed by a research fellowship at Harvard Medical School, USA, and a clinical fellowship in Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery at the University of Toronto, Canada. He pursued doctoral studies at the University of Chile and the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. His clinical and academic interests include deep brain stimulation, ablative surgery and spinal cord stimulation, with a particular focus on movement and psychiatric disorders. He is the Director of Chile’s first Neuromodulation and Functional Neurosurgery Program, which he established in the public health system, and has been actively involved in the development of deep brain stimulation in the country, as well as in education, training, and the expansion of functional neurosurgery across Latin America.

Professor Imad N. Kanaan is a distinguished Senior Consultant Neurosurgeon with 36 years of experience and internationally recognized expertise in microneurosurgery, skull-base and vascular surgery, pituitary and endoscopic surgery, and minimally invasive neurosurgery. He has played a pioneering role in introducing advanced skull-base and minimally invasive techniques to the Middle East and Gulf region.

He chaired the Department of Neurosciences at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre for more than 10 years and currently serves as Professor of Neurosurgery at Alfaisal University. He has held several leadership positions, including Director of Neurosurgery Residency Training, and has mentored numerous neurosurgeons who have gone on to become leaders in the region.

A dedicated educator, Professor Kanaan founded the International Academy of Neurosurgical Anatomy (IANA) and launched WFNS neuroanatomy educational webinars and courses. He has received numerous national and international awards and recognitions and has an extensive record of scientific publications, presentations, society leadership, and editorial board appointments.

Dr. Abdulaziz Abdullah A. Almusa is a Skull Base Neurosurgeon and Head of the Brain Tumor Division in the Department of Neurosurgery at Prince Sultan Military Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He specializes in the surgical management of complex skull base and brain tumors, with a focus on advanced neurosurgical approaches and multidisciplinary care.

Dr. Faisal Farrash is a Consultant Neurosurgeon specializing in skull base surgery and neuro-oncology at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre. He also serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Alfaisal University and as a Scientist at the King Faisal Research Center, contributing to clinical care, academic education, and neurosurgical research.

Dr. Mohammad Muhtadi Al Jallad is a Jordanian neurosurgeon with special interests in surgical neuro-oncology, skull base surgery, and complex minimally invasive spine
surgery.
He completed his basic neurosurgical training in Jordan and is Arab Board certified in Neurological Surgery, followed by dedicated local fellowship training in skull base surgery.
He subsequently pursued a fellowship in surgical neuro-oncology in Australia, broadening his experience in the management of complex cranial and neuro-oncological conditions.
Dr. Al Jallad currently practices in the private sector in Amman, Jordan, with a clinical practice encompassing surgical neuro-oncology, skull base surgery, and complex
minimally invasive spine surgery.

Dr. Mohammad Khalil Al-Barbarawi is a Consultant Neurosurgeon and Head of the Spine Department at King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC), Amman, Jordan.

He previously served as Head of the Neuro-Spine Center at the Academic Hospital of Brandenburg University in Dessau, Germany. He is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurosurgery and holds German Board Certifications in Neurosurgery and Neurosurgical Intensive Care. His subspecialty expertise includes spine surgery, spine oncology, and neuro-oncology, with particular interests in minimally invasive spine surgery and complex spinal tumor management. His academic interests include surgical innovation, augmented reality, education, and clinical research.

Dr. Ahmed Quateen is a Clinical Assistant Professor at McMaster University and a dedicated neurosurgeon at Hamilton Health Services. Renowned for his expertise in neurosurgery, Dr. Quateen combines advanced surgical techniques with compassionate patient care, contributing significantly to both medical education and neurological health in the community.

Prof. Abdul Karim Msaddi is a leading neurosurgeon in Dubai with over 38 years of experience and international recognition in neurosurgery and spine care. Trained in France and certified by both the European and French Boards of Neurosurgery, he specializes in minimally invasive brain and spine surgery, traumatic injuries, tumors, pediatric and vascular neurosurgery, and chronic pain management. He has treated thousands of patients worldwide and is fluent in Arabic, English, and French. Beyond clinical work, Dr. Msaddi is Chairman of the Arab Spine Scientific Committee, founder of DISC Dubai, and past president of several regional neurosurgical societies. A passionate educator and researcher, he continues to shape neurosurgical practice and innovation across the Middle East and globally.

Dr. Rami Alqroom is a Consultant Neurosurgeon and Spine Surgeon and Head of the Neurosurgery and Spine Surgery Divisions at KSSH. He is a former President of the Jordanian Spine Society and has completed advanced neurosurgery and spine fellowships in Germany and Denmark. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS) and holds the EUROSPINE Master Diploma. Dr. Alqroom is a member of several international spine and neurosurgical societies and has authored 55 peer-reviewed publications and delivered 88 national and international presentations.

Dr. Khaled Fares AlAli is Chief of the Department of Neurosurgery at Zayed Military Hospital in Abu Dhabi, UAE. He has subspecialty expertise in spine surgery, peripheral nerve surgery, and pediatric neurosurgery, with particular interests in minimally invasive spine surgery, complex trauma, and advanced neurosurgical techniques.
He is among the first generation of Emirati neurosurgeons and the first neurosurgeon from the UAE to obtain North American board certification. Dr. AlAli was a founding member of the Emirates Society of Neurological Surgeons and has contributed to the development of neurosurgery in the UAE, including the introduction and advancement of minimally invasive spine surgery.
An active educator, author, and academic neurosurgeon, he has published three books in neurosurgery, spine surgery, and peripheral nerve surgery, in addition to numerous scientific and educational projects. He has a particular interest in surgical education, practical anatomy, and translating operative experience into structured learning for surgeons and trainees.
Dr. AlAli is actively involved in the neurosurgical community nationally and internationally and has more than a decade of experience in humanitarian and global neurosurgery, including volunteer surgical missions in conflict zones.

Dr. Mohamed Samy Elhammady is an American Board-Certified Neurosurgery Consultant at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (CCAD) and serves as Section Head of Neuro-oncology in the Neuroscience Institute. Additionally, he holds the position of Clinical Professor of Neurological Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Ohio, USA. Dr. Elhammady earned his medical degree from the University of Mansoura in Egypt and completed his neurosurgical residency at the University of Miami, Florida, USA. He pursued further sub-specialization through three fellowships, including neuro-endovascular surgery and open cerebrovascular/skull-base surgery at the University of Miami as well as minimally invasive/endoscopic surgery for brain and spine tumors at the Center for Minimally Invasive Neurosurgery in Sydney, Australia.

Dr. Elhammady is a prolific author and presenter having delivered over 111 lectures worldwide. His bibliography includes 98 peer reviewed scientific articles, 17 book chapters, and 46 citable abstracts.

Dr. Debora Garozzo is a Consultant Neurosurgeon with over 34 years of clinical experience, specializing in complex peripheral nerve surgery. She is recognized internationally as a leading authority in adult and pediatric brachial plexus micro-reconstructive surgery, as well as in the management of peripheral nerve tumors, including those associated with Neurofibromatosis.

Dr. Garozzo has an established leadership record and currently serves as Chair of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) Peripheral Nerve Surgery Committee. Her extensive academic contributions include serving as editor of three books, authoring 18 book chapters, and publishing more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles. She is also frequently invited internationally as a keynote speaker and visiting professor.

Dr. Hassan Seif is a Consultant Neurosurgeon at Sheikh Tahnoon Medical City, UAE. Born in Damascus, Syria, he has around 20 years of experience in Germany and is German Board-certified in Neurosurgery with a Master’s degree in Complex Spine Surgery. His expertise includes advanced minimally invasive, endoscopic, robotic spine surgery, and neuromodulation. He is a proud father of two daughters.

Dr. Anwar Ahmad is a Dow Medical College graduate with surgical training from Aga Khan University Hospital. He began his career in Northern Pakistan, serving as a comprehensive general surgeon in a rural 30-bed facility, significantly reducing maternal and infant mortality. He later led a 70-bed missionary hospital in Ghana, managing high patient volumes and performing over 500 procedures in a year. In 1996, he moved to the UK and retrained in neurosurgery, completing advanced training and a fellowship in paediatric and spinal neurosurgery at top institutions including King’s College London and Oxford. Since 2008, he has worked as a consultant neurosurgeon, with a focus on paediatric neurosurgery. He joined SKMC Abu Dhabi in 2014, performing complex neurosurgical procedures and supporting intensive care units. In 2022, he established the paediatric neurosurgery service at Al Jalila Children’s Hospital, Dubai. Dr. Ahmad is also an active educator and has presented and taught internationally.

Dr. Aseem Alhaj is a German Board-Certified Neurosurgeon and Spine Surgeon and Head of the Neurosurgery Department at Emirates Hospital Jumeirah, Dubai. Trained in Germany, he holds the DWG Master Certificate in Spine Surgery and the EUROSPINE and EANS Spine Diplomas. His expertise includes minimally invasive and complex spine surgery, cervical and lumbar reconstruction, spinal deformity, and motion-preserving procedures. He is an active member of DWG, EUROSPINE, and EANS and regularly contributes to international spine meetings as faculty and speaker.

Graduated from the Alexandria Faculty of Medicine in 1984. Holds a Master of Surgery (MS). Trained in neurosurgery at Alexandria University Hospitals (Egypt), and further trained in the UK — notably in Bristol and Oxford. Board‑certified in Neurosurgery by the UK intercollegiate examinations.

Professional Career
Over 35 years of experience in adult and pediatric neurosurgery. Has worked at multiple institutions, including Oxford University Hospitals (UK), King Saud University Medical City, and Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi, UAE. At Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, he established the first Pediatric Neurosurgery unit in the UAE. Currently Consultant & Head of Neurosurgery at Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi. 

Areas of Expertise / Speciality
Navigation‑guided brain tumour surgery (adults & children). Complex hydrocephalus and neuro‑endoscopy. Spina bifida; spinal cord tumours; neural tube defects; craniosynostosis. Chiari malformation, syringomyelia; spinal lipoma; spinal cord tethering. Fetal diagnosis / counselling for brain and spinal cord anomalies.

Publications & Research
More than 55 peer‑reviewed journal articles and 5 book chapters. Active in research on hydrocephalus, neural tube defects, craniosynostosis, pediatric neurosurgery and related fields.

Memberships & Recognition
Member of multiple professional societies: Egyptian Society of Neurological Surgery; International Society of Pediatric Neurosurgery; Saudi Association of Neurological Surgery; Asian Conference of Neurological Surgeons. Has received awards, including The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Abdullah Bin Abdul‑Aziz International Award for Translation in Natural Sciences.

Dr. Mostafa Raafat Allam is a Consultant Neurosurgeon, European Board-Certified in Neurosurgery, and Fellowship-Trained Spine Surgeon with over 12 years of clinical experience across Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. He completed a Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Fellowship with AO Spine at Galeazzi Hospital in Milan, Italy, in 2025. His clinical practice covers the full spectrum of spinal disorders, with specialist expertise in minimally invasive spine surgery and complex spinal conditions. He currently provides neurosurgical and spine surgical care through Mediclinic Middle East in Al Ain and Dubai, with a focus on evidence-based, patient-centered surgical management and contemporary techniques in spinal surgery.

Dr. Mahmoud Abdallat is an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Jordan and a board-certified neurosurgeon with German, Jordanian, European, and Arab Boards of Neurosurgery, as well as the German Board of Pain Therapy. He completed residency and subspecialty training in functional neurosurgery and pain therapy at Hannover Medical School in Germany, followed by a fellowship in epilepsy surgery at Western University, Canada. Formerly a Consultant Neurosurgeon at Hannover Medical School, he specializes in functional neurosurgery, epilepsy surgery, spine surgery, and advanced pain therapy, combining academic expertise with innovative patient-centered surgical care.

Dr Ziad Ibrahim Aljian is a Senior Consiltant and  Spinal Surgeon .He is a leading expert in the field of Spine Surgery for Pediatric and adult with extensive experience in complex spine deformity surgeries in adults and children 

He obtained his training in Spinal  surgery from  Germany and has the German Board in Orthopedic Spine surgery  German Board in pain management 

Dr Ziad has served as Head of Spine Surgery Dept in Berlin and currently works in Bone Care Center for Day Surgery 

Dr Ziad will share his insights on the challenges and advancements in this area