The International Scientific Advisory Committee is composed of six renowned scientists in their respective fields from five different countries, UK, Germany, Italy, Greece, and Qatar. The Committee meets once a year and discusses issues regarding the activities of the Center of Excellence and ways to promote its research studies in pursuit of better health outcomes. The experts also advise on avenues to attract more funding.
Dr Nahla Afifi
Qatar National Research Foundation, Qatar Biobank
Dr. Nahla Maher Afifi is the director of Qatar Biobank, a long-term health initiative that gathers biological samples and information on the health and lifestyle of Qatar’s citizens. Dr. Afifi’s expertise and research lie in biobanking, biomedicine and health sciences. Dr. Afifi started her academic career as a medical researcher in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) in New York.She then served as assistant professor of anatomy and embryology at Ain Shams University, Egypt, and at Dubai Medical College for Girls, UAE. Read More
Prof. Aristidis S. Charonis
Biomedical Research Foundation of Academy of Athens
Aristidis S. Charonis was born in Athens, Greece, in 1952. He graduated from Varvakion High School and attended the Medical School of the University of Athens, where he received his M.D. degree in 1976. He received his Ph.D. in Cell Biology in 1982 from the University of California San Francisco. He did postdoctoral work at Yale University Medical School and from 1987 till 1998 he was a faculty member (Assistant and Associate Professor with tenure) at the Department of Pathology, University of Minnesota Medical School. Read More
Prof. Maria Luisa Lavitrano
University of Milano-bicocca, Italy
Marialuisa Lavitrano is full professor of Pathology at the University of Milano-Bicocca, director of Molecular Medicine Unit, director of the residential program in Oncology and in Laboratory Medicine and director of the Executive Masters’ in Management of Research Infrastructures. As vice-rector for International Affairs [2006-2013], she was responsible for the international teaching and research activities and coordinated Faculty, Staff and Students training and mobility. Prof. Lavitrano is member of Research and Health Ministries joint Commission for strategic planning. Read More
Prof. Daniel Gale
University College London, UK
Daniel Gale is the St Peter’s Associate Professor of Nephrology at the UCL Department of Renal Medicine, Royal Free Hospital where he leads the North/Central Thames renal genetics service, delivering specialised care for patients and families with hereditary kidney problems including polycystic kidney disease, aHUS, Alport Syndrome and unexplained familial kidney failure. Read More
Prof. Robert Hewitt
BiosampleHub, Carmarthen, UK
Dr. Robert Hewitt joined Trans-Hit Bio in November 2017. He is responsible for developing THB’s existing international networks of biobanks and for enhancing interactions between industry and academic partners. Robert holds a medical degree from St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, UK (1983) and a PhD in tumour virology from the Institute of Virology, University of Glasgow, UK (1989). Read More
Prof. Oliver Gross
Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Germany
Prof. Constantinos Deltas (Observer)
Director, biobank.cy CoE
