Dr. James Giordano
Chief of Georgetown University's Neuroethics Studies Program and Co-executive Director for the Center for Policy on Emerging Technology
James Giordano, PhD, MPhil, is Professor in the Departments of Neurology and Biochemistry, Chief of the Neuroethics Studies Program of the Pellegrino Center for Clinical Bioethics, and Co-director of the O'Neill-Pellegrino Program in Brain Science and Global Health Law and Policy at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA. He is also Distinguished Visiting Professor of Brain Science, Health Promotions and Ethics at the Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Coburg, Germany, and was formerly 2011-2012 JW Fulbright Foundation Visiting Professor of Neurosciences and Neuroethics at the Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.
Dr. Giordano currently serves an appointed member of United States Department of Health and Human Services Secretary’s Advisory Council on Human Research Protections (SACHRP), is a Researcher and Task Leader of the European Union Human Brain Project; and has served as an appointed member of the Neuroethics, Legal and Social Issues (NELSI) Advisory Panel of the Defense Advanced Research Projects’ Agency (DARPA), and Senior Science Advisory Fellow of the Strategic Multilayer Assessment Branch of the Joint Staff of the Pentagon.
The author of over 260 publications in neuroscience and neuroethics, 7 books, and 13 government whitepapers on neurotechnology, ethics and biosecurity, he is an Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Philosophy, Ethics and Humanities in Medicine; and Associate Editor of the Cambridge Quarterly of Health Care Ethics. His ongoing research addresses the neurobiological bases of neuropsychiatric spectrum disorders; and neuroethical issues arising in and from the development, use and misuse of neuroscientific techniques and neurotechnologies in medicine, public life, global health, and military applications. In recognition of his work, he was elected to membership in the European Academy of Science and Arts.
Dr. Blair Heinke
Georgetown University-Team Physician
Dr. Blair Heinke joined the Hoya sports medicine staff and the Georgetown University Student Health Center in the fall of 2012.
Dr. Heinke received a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and biology from McDaniel College. She earned her medical doctorate at the State University of New York, Downstate College of Medicine. Dr. Heinke completed her residency at Beth Israel Medical Center in urban family medicine and followed that up with a fellowship at University of South Carolina/Palmetto Health Primary Care Sports Medicine. Working at USC, she also aided the university's athletic teams and was an assistant professor in family medicine.
Dr. Heinke is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians as well as a member of the American Medical Society of Sports Medicine.
The Sykesville, Md., native currently resides in Washington, D.C.
Erin Humphries
Tenleytown Fire Department Washington, D.C.-First Response Team Lead EMT & Paramedic
Dr. Aisha Garba
LI Medical Summit Education Director
For over 8 years, Dr. Aisha Garba has been a noteworthy medical Student in Zamfara. Dr. Aisha Garba has been honored with a certificate of honor for outstanding performance during her graduation. She holds a degree from the university of Szeged, Hungary, one of the most prominent higher education institutions in Central Europe and of one of Hungary’s most important universities and currently resides in Nigeria.
Dr. Aisha has so far led an impressive career as a medical doctor and in her 3rd year of being in the medical field. She is a doctor that has always received excellent feedback from her employers in Nigeria, Germany, and Hungary.
Serving as a medical officer at Defence headquarters, Dr. Aisha plays a major role as the lead doctor in diagnosing, treating and counseling patients. Through her commitment to this role, she has helped the Defence headquarters improve patient health, drug-adherence to those on long term medication or the depressed individuals and general well-being.
Prior to her current role at the Defence headquarters, Dr. Aisha worked as a doctor in National hospital Abuja, participating along with the surgical team with preparing patients for surgery, assisting surgeries, discharging and follow- up of patients. Before joining the National hospital team, she was a fresh medical doctor at Federal medical center from 2016-2017.
A self-described medical doctor, Dr. Aisha is a medical officer who is committed to touching lives in a positive way. She has spent the last two years creating awareness about different infectious and non-infectious diseases and is currently passionate about the work she’s doing to help the less privileged.
As a medical officer turned public health specialist, Dr. Aisha has developed a unique perspective when it comes to community health and health protection. Influenced by her parents and Dr. Mustapha Abubakar, she aspires to start working with an international Non-governmental organization in the next stage of her career.
She has contributed to a number of different medical outreach charity Programmes, included donation of medical equipment to primary healthcare centers in her state. She has a degree from the university of Szeged, Hungary and a master’s degree from the same university.
In her spare time, she cooks, dances, exercises and meets with friends. Dr. Aisha has been featured in Hungary and Nigeria and spoken at several medical events, including schools, hospitals, and religious gatherings.
She is a medical doctor and her impressive medical background allows her to utilize her skills and knowledge while touching the lives of people especially the less privileged all over the world. Ask her about how to make her patient’s happy. It is her secret talent.
Tamara L. Owens MEd
Howard University Health Sciences-Founding Director, Clinical Skills and Simulation Centers
Ms. Tamara Owens is the founding Director of the Clinical Skills and Simulation Centers at Howard University Health Sciences. She holds a Master's degree in Education with a concentration in Curriculum and Instruction and is currently pursuing a PhD in Health Communication. She serves on key curriculum committees for Howard University in an effort to develop clinical skills and simulation curriculum for a spectrum of healthcare professionals.
Ms. Owens served on the Board of Directors for the international Association for Standardized Patient Educators (ASPE) as President and Chair of the Education and Professional Development Committee. She is also a member of the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH) and served on the Subcommittee for Program Accreditation. Additionally, Ms. Owens served on a taskforce for the American Association for Medical Colleges (AAMC) to develop a simulation inventory evaluation which was later published. Also, she has worked with the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) on research and development taskforce.
Ms. Owens has several publications and is first author of a chapter in the Defining Excellence in Simulation Programs. She has presented at national and international conferences such as the Association of Medical Education in Europe (AMEE), Ottawa Conference, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), American Society for Microbiology and the Society for Simulation in Healthcare (SSH). She has also worked as a special technical consultant for the American College of Surgeons Education Division on the development of a 10 station Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) for surgical residents.
Ms. Owens' research interest have covered a diverse range of topics and has taken her globally, as far as South Africa. Her current international research is in Kenya where she will train standardized patients to portray adolescent patients in an effort to train healthcare professionals on how to communicate with adolescent patients with HIV and AIDS.
Ahmed Mohammed
Harvard Medical School-Director of Talent Acquisition
Ahmed has been in the human resources and management field for over 13 years. His professional experiences extend over for-profit and non-profit organizations within the United States. He has managed human resource activities in a Fortune 50 company with sales of up to $50 billion a year and has also successfully lead and transformed recruitment, management functions, and talent acquisition activities at two Ivy League institutions, Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts and Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire.
Ahmed’s academic accomplishments include a Diploma in Computer Studies from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University in Bauchi State Nigeria, an Associate Degree in Computer Applications Management from Bay State College, Boston Massachusetts, a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Northeastern University, Boston Massachusetts, and an MBA in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management from Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, New Hampshire. He is also an Administrative Fellows Program graduate at Harvard University in Boston, MA.
A native of Bauchi State in Nigeria, Ahmed has lived and visited various countries around the world including Europe, Asia, The Middle East, North and South America, and Africa, earning him the title, “global citizen” among his friends and colleagues. He now resides in Boston, MA and travels to Nigeria following his passion for social change in Africa and the world. Balancing everyday life is a process according to Ahmed. “One step leads to the next in an ever-changing cycle. There are no silver bullet solutions. The key is to always be analyzing your personal and professional situation, and making decisions that will have a cumulative effect towards your personal definition of success.”
Rachel Selekman
Pediatric Urologist at Children's National
Rachel Selekman, M.D., M.A.S., graduated from Cornell University and earned her medical degree from New York University School of Medicine. She completed her Urology residency at the University of California, San Francisco and developed interests in pediatric urology. She completed her fellowship in Pediatric Urology at the University of California, San Francisco. During her fellowship training, Dr. Selekman also completed her Master’s Degree in Advanced Science and obtained rigorous training in the epidemiologic and biostatistical methods of human subjects research.
Dr. Selekman was drawn to Pediatric Urology due to the lasting impact she could have on children’s views of a healthy self as well as the special relationship between a physician and a family. Her research focuses on the implications of antibiotic utilization in the pediatric patient. This includes not only the efficacy of this treatment at the individual level but also the consequences of treatment, such as antibiotic resistance, for both the individual and for the population.
Nancy Warneke
Lead Health & Safety Instructor American Red Cross
Dr. Oyetewa Oyerinde
Georgetown University Hospital-Resident Doctor & The National Institute Of Health-Researcher
Carmine C. Carullo
ExxonMobil-Planning & Performance Analysis Manager for Medicine & Occupational Health (Retired)
Since graduating from Wagner College with a BA in economics and masters in finance, Carmine C. Carullo has built a nearly 40-year career with ExxonMobil Corporation. It is here that he has combined his business expertise with civic engagement locally and worldwide. Carullo's ExxonMobil career has taken him from New York, where he worked in accounting and finance; to Singapore and Indonesia to Virginia, where he has worked in various controller and finance positions, as coordinator of government reporting, and as assistant secretary for shareholder relations.
Now, as the planning manager of medicine and occupational health worldwide, he is charged with the well-being of 80,000 employees in 50 countries. He travels extensively to visit the company's more than 100 medical clinics. He is also involved in community health initiatives such as malaria control, HIV/AIDS prevention, clean water delivery, medical waste disposal, and medical donations. He has also worked on hospital projects in Papua New Guinea and Nigeria.
Carullo is a dedicated supporter of civic organizations in his home community as well, especially Food for Others, of which he was a board member and treasurer, 2003-2010. It is the largest distributor of free food directly to people in need in Northern Virginia. He is also a member of the Knights of Columbus since 1989, finance leader for the Emergency Oil Spill Response Team, and treasurer of Felicity Cove Association Inc.
Gabriel Felix
Board of Trustees for the National Medical Association-Board Member
Gabriel Felix is fourth-year medical student at Howard University College of Medicine. He attended Binghamton University in New York, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. He has worked at the Kessler Foundation doing research on survivors of traumatic brain injuries and individuals living with disabilities. His interests lie in advocacy, mental health, mentoring, and health disparities. He currently serves as the National President for the Student National Medical Association and is currently on the Board of Trustees for the National Medical Association. He hopes to use his position to continue to support medical and premedical students to become culturally competent and socially conscious physicians that advocate for underserved communities.
Dr. Eric Glasgow
Molecular Biologist/Assistant Professor of Oncology at Georgetown University Medical Center
My lab is currently developing technology to test drug sensitivities of cancer directly from tumor biopsies. Small fragments of tumor biopsy are implanted into zebrafish embryos where the response of the cells to drug treatments can be observed at the cellular level through the small, transparent, embryos. This technology, if successful, has the potential to transform cancer treatment by directly identifying the best chemotherapy for every individual cancer patient. In addition to this clinically directed enterprise, we are pursuing a number of basic science and translational projects in neuroscience and cancer biology, all utilizing the zebrafish model. I am broadly trained in molecular, cellular and developmental biology, genetics, and neuroscience, and I have utilized zebrafish as an experimental model for over twenty-five years. I developed the Zebrafish Shared Resource at Georgetown University, one of the first of its kind in the world to offer full-service access to the zebrafish model. I enjoy research and spend as much time as possible in the lab. I also enjoy teaching and have trained over sixty students in my lab over the last ten years.
A complete list of my published work can be found in MyBibliography:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/myncbi/1VGhVn2U03m/bibliography/40535147/public/?sort=date&direction=ascending
My lab website is at: https://sites.google.com/a/georgetown.edu/glasgow-lab/
Ed Meyertholen
ssistant Dean and Director of Pre-Health Programs at Georgetown College
Ed Meyertholen went to Boston College where he graduated with a Biology/Chemistry major. He then attended graduate school at Purdue University and received his Ph.D. in biology in 1982. After holding faculty positions at several universities he settled in Austin, TX where he taught Cell and Molecular Biology, Genetics, and Physiology at Austin Community College. In 2005, Ed was awarded a sabbatical leave and was able to do research on Kennedy's Disease in the lab of Dr. Diane Merry at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. In 2012, Ed accepted a position as Assistant Dean and Director of Pre-Health Programs at Georgetown College, Georgetown University, Washington, DC. Ed is also a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the KDA. Ed and his wife, Pat, have been married for 30 years and have two daughters. Ed was diagnosed with KD in 1999 when he was 45. Since having been diagnosed, he has taken up running and has completed five marathons, including the Boston Marathon in 2004. Ed has tried to use his running as a means of raising money for the KDA.
Kimberly Snyder Mehta, J.D.
Educational Consultant
Kim guides students interested in law school, MBA programs, medical school, dental school, pharmacy school, and numerous master’s and Ph.D. programs ranging from Human Resources to Physical Therapy. In addition to her work successfully advising students interested in furthering their education by attending graduate and professional schools, Kim provides guidance to high school students with their essay writing and the undergraduate college application process.
Holli Selman
George Washington University School of Medicine-Assistant Director Of Admissions
Michelle Y. Whitehurst-Cook, M.D.
Virginia Commonwealth University-Senior Associate Dean for Admissions
Michelle is the senior associate dean for admissions and associate professor of family medicine and population health at the VCU School of Medicine. Having joined the faculty in 1993, her areas of research focus include teaching domestic violence issues, diabetic patient education and rural health.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from the College of William & Mary and a medical degree from the VCU School of Medicine. Throughout her tenure at VCU she has been committed to enhancing the diversity of physician practitioners and the multicultural awareness of her students. Her dedication to caring for underserved populations led to the development of the Inner City and Rural Preceptorship Program in 1996. In 2009, she received a VCU Presidential Award for Community Multicultural Enrichment, and in 2007 she received a YWCA of Richmond Outstanding Women Award.
In July 2016 Michelle was appointed by Governor Terry McAuliffe to the VCU Health System Authority Board of Directors.