Faculty

Aaron Thrush is a board-certified cardiovascular and pulmonary clinical specialist (USA) with expertise in acute and critical care rehabilitation. He is the Education Specialist and Manager of Inpatient Rehabilitation and Therapy at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, where he previously led ICU physical therapy. Aaron has published research on lung transplantation, cardiac rehabilitation, stroke recovery, and functional outcome measures, and serves as Director of Research & Evidence-Based Practice and Clinical Content Expert for the Academy of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy (USA). An international speaker, he has presented across North America, Europe, and the Middle East.

Dr Abdulwahab Alkhalifa is an adult cardiac surgeon at Sh Mohamed bin Khalifa Specialist cardiac Center, Royal Medical Services, Kingdom of Bahrain. He did his residency training at McMaster University. He also did an advanced cardiac surgery fellowship at the University of Toronto and a minimally invasive cardiac surgery fellowship at the université de laval. He has an interest in minimally invasive coronary surgery and advanced heart failure therapies.

Licensed by the Arab Board in Cardiology and Internal Medicine, Dr. Al Mubarak brings 14 years of extensive experience to her role. She is a proud member of the American College of Cardiology, reflecting her commitment to staying abreast of the latest advancements in her field. Adding to her repertoire of qualifications, Dr. Al Mubarak is licensed in Canada for advanced heart failure and cardiac transplantation, showcasing her dedication to specialized care. Her educational background includes an M.B.B.S. degree from Dubai Medical College. With an unwavering commitment to patient well-being, Dr. Al Mubarak ensures that the highest standards of care are consistently provided.

Ahmad Alduaij, MD, FACP, is a Staff Physician in the Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Institute of the National Reference Laboratory (NRL) at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. He is an Anatomic and Clinical Pathologist with expertise in Hematopoietic, Gastrointestinal, Pancreas and Liver pathology. Dr. Ahmad is currently the medical head of Hematopathology section. A graduate of the University of Liverpool, UK. Dr. Alduaij completed his residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at a Brown University affiliated program, and completed his fellowship in Hematopathology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, US (a Harvard affiliated hospital). Dr. Alduaij then completed his fellowship in Gastrointestinal Tract, Pancreas and Liver Pathology at Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, US. Dr. Ahmad is also has an academic appointment with Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University as Clinical Assistant Professor of Pathology and Adjunct Faculty at College of Medicine & Health Sciences of Khalifa University.​

Amr Yosry Emam, MD, MSc, is a cardiologist specializing in heart failure, advanced cardiac imaging, and left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) at Aswan Heart Centre, Magdy Yacoub Foundation. A graduate of Menoufia University, he holds an MSc in Cardiology and is pursuing a PhD. He is certified by the European Society of Cardiology in Heart Failure and by the EACVI in echocardiography. His research focuses on interventional echocardiography, trans-catheter mitral and tricuspid valve replacement, and outcomes in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), with multiple first-author publications in these areas. His work aims to improve advanced heart failure patient outcomes.

Dr. Bader Alayyad completed their medical degree at Kuwait University, followed by the Kuwait Board of Internal Medicine and a cardiology fellowship. They then pursued training in advanced heart failure and transplantation at the University of British Columbia and the University of Alberta in Canada. Currently, Dr. Alayyad serves as Head of the Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Unit at Dabbous Cardiac Center in Kuwait, leading inpatient and outpatient services for patients with advanced heart failure, post mechanical circulatory support, heart transplant candidates, and post-transplant care.

Dr Atallah is the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs at Dubai Medical University. Prior to joining DMU he served as Cardiovascular Senior Pharmacotherapy Specialist at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and Clinical Associate Professor at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic he was on faculty as Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) in Riyadh. Dr. Atallah received his PharmD from Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy in Virginia and completed an ASHP accredited post graduate residency at Winchester Medical Center in Virginia. He was awarded the “Graduate of the Last Decade” award by his alma mater. Dr. Atallah is board certified in pharmacotherapy with added qualifications in Cardiology. He also holds an advanced antithrombotic management certificate from ASHP. Dr Atallah is a fellow of the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) and the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP). He has several publications and presentations at national and international conferences. He was awarded the 2021 ACCP Cardiology PRN international award. His research interests are in various aspects of cardiovascular pharmacotherapy with focus on antithrombotic therapy, heart failure and hyperlipidemia.

Dr. Hakemi completed his training in internal medicine and cardiovascular medicine at John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County in Chicago, during which he also earned a Master's degree in Clinical Research from Rush University. Following this, he pursued specialized training in interventional cardiology at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. During his tenure there, he honed his skills in various advanced cardiovascular procedures, including complex percutaneous coronary interventions, chronic total occlusion interventions, mechanical cardio-circulatory support, valvular and structural heart disease interventions. Dr. Hakemi holds certifications from several reputable medical boards, including the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Cardiovascular Medicine, the American Board of Interventional Cardiology, the American Board of Echocardiography, and the American Board of Nuclear Cardiology. He is actively engaged in outcome-based clinical research, with a specific focus on coronary artery disease and structural heart disease.

Dr. Fadi Hamed, MD, is a Section Head in the Critical Care Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Hamed worked as Associate Staff in the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Hamed is a Diplomate in Critical Care Medicine, Pulmonary Disease and Internal Medicine through the American Board of Internal Medicine. He is also a member of several organizations including the Society of Critical Care Medicine, American College of Chest Physicians and the American Thoracic Society. His specialty interests include advanced lung disease, lung transplant and medical intensive care. Dr. Hamed earned his medical degree from the University of Jordan in Amman. He completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, US, where he also served as a Chief Medical Resident for one year on completion of his residency training. He completed his fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, US.

Dr Al Badarin is a consultant cardiologist and multimodality imager at HVI in CCAD. He is also the head of the research committee in HVI and the head of imaging working group of emirates cardiac society. His main interests are and amyloid heart disease and optimal use of various imaging modalities to improve resource utilization and cardiac outcomes.

Dr. Hassan Alnuaimat, MD, is a Staff Physician and the Director of the Pulmonary Hypertension Program at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the University of Florida, US. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Alnuaimat was a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, US. Dr. Alnuaimat received his medical degree from the University of Jordan School of Medicine in Amman Jordan and completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Yale affiliated Bridgeport Hospital in Bridgeport Connecticut and Pulmonary Critical Care Fellowship at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Throughout his tenure, Dr. Alnuaimat has specialized in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. He has advanced specialization in Pulmonary Hypertension, Lung Transplantation and ECMO support. He was the founder and Director of the PHA comprehensive care center for Pulmonary Hypertension Program at the University of Florida. He was a leader in the 5th highest volume lung transplant program in the United States. Dr. Alnuaimat was the Director of the Respiratory ECMO Program and the Director of the Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT) Program at the University of Florida. Dr. Alnuaimat is a well accomplished researcher. He has authored numerous research articles in leading peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Alnuaimat has lectured at, and his research work was presented in, numerous scientific meetings. He is an excellent clinical educator and has received numerous teaching awards.

Hussam Ghalib, MD is a Staff Physician in the Heart & Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Ghalib was at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center where he was specialized in cardiovascular medicine, advanced cardiac imaging, and advanced heart failure management. Dr. Ghalib received his medical degree from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. He then served on faculty in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Hospital for 2 years prior to joining Cardiovascular Medicine Fellowship at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Ghalib resides in Abu Dhabi with his wife and son. His hobbies includes Haute Horologie, traveling, and reading Arabic literature.

Dr. Jelaidan is a Consultant adult cardiology specializing in advanced heart failure and cardiac transplant and Echocardiography, working at the National Guard health affairs in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Hamour is an Advanced Heart Failure, Cardiac Transplantation and Artificial Heart Device Specialist at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, a member of the Heart Failure Society of America, European Heart Failure Association and Emirates Cardiac Society Heart Failure working group. Prior to moving to the United Arab Emirates Dr Hamour worked The Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust. The first and largest transplant center in London, United Kingdom. She received highly specialized training and has over 10 years’ experience in managing patients with advanced heart failure, artificial short and long-term cardiac assist devices as well as cardiothoracic transplantation. She has extensive knowledge of transplant immunology backed by her research and publications. She has particular interest in managing individuals through their heart failure journey, advanced heart failure therapies and cardiovascular imaging. She was awarded a Diploma in Heart Transplantation (Dip) from Imperial College London and Doctor of Medicine in Cardiac Transplantation Research (MD Res) from University College London, UK. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine | Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University (USA) and United Arab Emirates University (UAEU). She is a Collegiate Member of the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), UK and is a Royal College of Physicians examination (MRCP) organizer. She has an ongoing active role in medical students’ and junior physician’s education and training in both UK and UAE Dr Hamour is a Co-investigator in numerous multinational research projects and has participated in many international conferences and has numerous publications in peer reviewed journals.

Mahmoud Traina, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Heart & Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Traina served on the faculty as Associate Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), California, US, and as Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, where he doubled the capacity of the laboratory and introduced complex coronary interventions and the radial catheterization approach. During this time, Dr. Traina performed over 6,000 cardiac catheterizations, using advanced techniques and minimally invasive approaches. Dr. Traina also served as the Associate Program Director of the Cardiology fellowship at UCLA, overseeing the training of over 30 fellows annually. He also served as core Faculty of Internal Medicine Residency, supervising over 80 residents every year. He is known as a dedicated educator and has won several teaching awards. Dr. Traina was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, US, and received his medical degree from the University of California, Davis, also in California. His postgraduate training was in the University of California, Los Angeles, where he completed his training in Internal Medicine, Cardiology, and Interventional Cardiology. Dr. Traina’s research interests include optimization of radial access approaches, evaluation and management of cardiomyopathies, and novel management of acute heart failure and atrial fibrillation. He has participated in multiple international multicenter trials and has over 40 publications and abstracts in peer-reviewed journals. He has also been an invited speaker at both national and international conferences. Dr. Traina enjoys spending his free time with his wife and two children.

Dr. Manyoo Agarwal, MD, is a Staff Consultant Physician in the Heart and Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Prior to joining CCAD, he was at University of California Los Angeles. His clinical and research interests include cardio-oncology, cardiac imaging and data science research. He has authored more than 60 scientific peer reviewed manuscripts till date and has presented his research at national and international seminars.

Dr. Nadya Obaid Al Matrooshi, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Prior to joining Cleveland clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Al Matrooshi was an advanced heart failure and cardiac transplant fellow at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Canada. Dr. Al Matrooshi received her medical degree from Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain. She completed her Masters Degree in leadership in health professions education, from the Royal College of Surgeons. Dr. Al Matrooshi is Arab board certified in internal medicine and general cardiology, and in ACGME-I accredited programs. She also holds board certification from the European College of Heart Failure. She is also a member of the Canadian Heart Failure Society and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

Dr Sai Bhagra is a consultant cardiologist at Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge. As part of the multi-disciplinary team at UK's largest heart transplant centre, he is involved in treating patients with advanced heart failure. Sai completed his subspecialty training in advanced heart failure, MCS and cardiac transplantation at the Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Glasgow, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Toronto General Hospital, Toronto. Sai has a research interest in long term outcomes after heart transplant and MCS. He was short listed for the ISHLT Philips Caves award in 2015 and awarded the ISHLT Transplant Registry Early Career Award in 2016.

Salma Al Shaqfa is an Emirati Pharmacotherapy Specialist at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. She earned her pharmacy degree from Fatima College for Health Sciences and completed a two-year PGY-1 pharmacy residency at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. After becoming board-certified, Salma began her career in ambulatory pharmacy before transitioning to inpatient pharmacy, where she developed a passion for delivering patient-centered care. Recently promoted to her current role, she specializes in solid organ transplant, supporting the complex needs of transplant recipients and contributing to improving patient outcomes. With a strong dedication to clinical pharmacy practice, Salma is committed to elevating patient care standards and advancing the role of pharmacists in the multidisciplinary healthcare team. Her professional interests include optimizing care for transplant patients and enhancing pharmacy practice in the UAE through continuous learning and collaboration.

Salman is a healthcare leader with 25 years of experience in Clinical Perfusion, ECLS, Research, and Medical Device Management. His leadership is marked by his international recognition as a speaker, his 40 plus peer-reviewed publications, and his dedication to charitable work. His awards highlight his contributions across risk management, patient safety, and policy development.

Dr. Sandra completed her Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2013 from Lebanese American University (LAU); then completed her Postgraduate Year One (PGY-1)- Pharmacy Residency in 2015 from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School teaching affiliate, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, followed by her Postgraduate Year Two (PGY-2) - Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacy Residency from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School teaching affiliate, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She is a Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist and Board-certified Transplant Pharmacotherapy Specialist. She joined Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in May 2017 until present as a Solid Organ Transplant Pharmacotherapy specialist where she established the first pharmacy-led transplant clinic in the region in June 2019. She is certified in advanced transplant and immunology at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Her interests and research areas are focused mainly on infections post-transplant, cardiac allograft vasculopathy, and antibody mediated rejection.

Dr. Shady Hegazi, MD, PhD (Egypt), is an Associate Staff Physician in the Heart and Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. He is also Lecturer of Cardiology at the Intensive Care unit, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Egypt. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Hegazi served as a Cardiovascular Specialist and Quality Coordinator in Cardiology Department at Fujairah Hospital, Ministry of Health, UAE. Dr. Hegazi also worked as Intensive Care Registrar then Cardiology Registrar and Quality Designee for 9 years at Dr. Erfan General Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He received his medical degree from Cairo University, Egypt and completed his residency at Theodor Bilharz Research Institute under Ministry of Scientific Research, Giza, Egypt.

Shaira Villa, BSN RN HAAD-RN USRN is staff nurse and heart failure nurse in Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. She graduated in 2010 at San Juan de Dios Educational Foundation Inc (College) in the Philippines and subsequently, worked as a staff nurse and charge nurse at MV Santiago Medical Center that handles medical-surgical cases, pediatric and OBGYN. After a year transferred to a JCI Hospital, Makati Medical Center and worked as a staff nurse and charge nurse trainee in a Medical-Surgical Unit. She joined Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi as a staff nurse in 2017 and was assigned to Heart and Vascular Institute since then her interest to cardiology cases prospered. She then became exposed to heart failure clinic and then from then on started to gain more knowledge and participates on improvement processes. She facilitates reviews of patients’ prior appointments and does assessments to check signs of worsening heart failure symptoms and fluid overload, gives educations to patients and relatives to increase their participation on plan of care and makes sure medications are taken correctly. Now she is part of the Heart Failure team in Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and more involved in the coordination of care of patients.

Shereen Hassib, MSc, RD is a Registered Dietitian licensed to practice in Canada and the United Arab Emirates. She is a graduate of the Western University of Ontario in London, Canada where she completed her Bachelor and Master’s of Science degrees in Nutrition and Dietetics. Shereen currently works at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (CCAD) specializing in critical care. She is responsible for providing Medical Nutrition Therapy to patients in the Cardiac and Thoracic ICU where she actively works to optimize the nutrition status of patients for lung and heart transplantation and also patients on ECMO. Shereen's ability to provide nutritional care and education to patients contains working on a multitude of platforms including adults, pediatrics, and geriatrics. She is an active member of Dietitians of Canada, the College of Dietitians of Ontario, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the Department of Health Abu Dhabi.

Dr. Syed Khurram M Gardezi MBBS, MRCP(Ireland), MRCP(UK), MAcadMEd, MRes.(Oxon), CCT Cardiology(UK), FRCP(UK), FACC(USA) Consultant Cardiologist in Heart Failure, Cardiac MRI and Cardiomyopathy Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City - Mayo Clinic, Abu Dhabi, UAE Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor in Cardiology, College of Medical & Health Sciences, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Dr. Tarig Omer, MD, serves as the Chair of the Critical Care Division and is a Staff Cardiothoracic and Neuro Intensivist at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. He is a recognized leader in Interventional Critical Care and brings over 15 years of experience in academic medicine and advanced multidisciplinary ICU care. Dr. Omer completed his Internal Medicine residency at Wright State University, followed by a Critical Care Medicine Fellowship at St. Louis University–Mercy Hospital, and a Neurocritical Care Fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. His areas of expertise include cardiothoracic, vascular, surgical, and neurocritical care, with a specialization in ECMO, echocardiography, VADs, transplant critical care, and interventional ICU procedures. Dr. Omer is also actively involved in postgraduate education, interdisciplinary training, and the development of critical care ultrasound and procedural protocols. He frequently serves as faculty at international conferences and courses, with academic interests in advanced ICU interventions, hemodynamics, mechanical circulatory support devices, and imaging-guided care.

Umit Kervan graduated in 2001 as a medical doctor at the Trakya University. He graduated as a cardiovascular surgeon in 2007. After finishing his residency in cardiac surgery, Umit completed his training focused on heart-lung transplantation and mechanical circulatory support therapy at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). Currently, he is the Head of the Department of Heart Transplantation and MCS at the Health Sciences University, Ankara City Hospital and director of education cardiovascular surgery department. His areas of interest are heart transplantation, minimally invasive LVAD surgery, BIVAD, pediatric mechanical circulatory support therapy, CTEPH Surgery

Dr. Usman Ahmad, MD, is Department Chair of Thoracic Surgery in the Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Ahmad was a staff surgeon in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at the Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, US. He was the director of Thoracic Robotic surgery and assistant director of Lung Transplant programs at Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Ahmad holds a joint appointment with the Taussig Cancer Institute and is Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Ahmad earned his medical degree from the Aga Khan University Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan. He completed an immunology and vascular biology research fellowship at the Yale School of Medicine's Vascular Biology and Transplantation program, in New Haven, Connecticut. His internship and residency in general surgery were also completed at Yale, where he also served as the Educational Chief. Dr. Ahmad completed his training in cardiothoracic surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and New York Presbyterian - Weil Cornell Medical Center, both in New York, NY. Dr. Ahmad and his research team focus on studying clinical outcomes in thoracic surgery, thoracic oncology and end stage lung disease. The group is uniquely positioned to study benign and malignant thoracic surgical disorders in lung transplant. Dr. Ahmad serves in various leadership roles in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, American Association of Thoracic Surgery, and the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.