M8 Alliance Governance
Executive Commitee
Charles IbingiraInternational President 2020
PrincipalMakerere University College of Health SciencesUganda
Detlev GantenFounding President
World Health SummitCharité - Universitätsmedizin BerlinGermany
Eugenio GaudioInternational President 2022
Former RectorSapienza University of RomeItaly
Axel Radlach PriesWorld Health Summit President
DeanCharité - Universitätsmedizin BerlinGermany
Michael J. Klag
Former DeanJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthUSA
Ben Canny
Former Head, School of MedicineUniversity of TasmaniaAustralia
Ali Jafarian
Former ChancellorTehran University of Medical SciencesIran
Tarcísio Eloy Pessoa de Barros Filho
Dean, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of São PauloBrazil
Heads of Delegations
Australia

Christina Mitchell
Dean, Monash University, Melbourne, AustraliaChristina Mitchell trained as a physician scientist specializing in clinical hematology. Her work for the last twenty years has focused on characterizing the function of unknown genes that regulate cell proliferation and growth, and when mutated or deleted lead to human disease.
Brazil

Tarcísio Eloy Pessoa de Barros Filho
Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, BrazilDr Tarcisio is currently Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of São Paulo and full professor at the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology since 2003. Head of the Discipline of Spinal Disorders, his major interests are Spinal Cord Trauma and Degenerative Spinal Lesions. He has been developing several research projects within his area of activity, focusing on the protocols of Stem Cells for Spinal Cord Injury.

Eduardo Krieger
Former President, Brazilian Academy of Sciences, BrazilJosé Eduardo Krieger is Professor of Genetics and Molecular Medicine at the University of São Paulo Medical School and Director of the Laboratory of Genetics & Molecular Cardiology at the Heart Institute (InCor). He is the President of the State of Sao Paulo Academy of Science and regular member of the Brazilian Academy of Science.
Canada

Patrick Cossette
Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, CanadaChief of neurology at the "Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal" (CHUM) since 2014, Dr. Cossette is the founding head of department of neurosciences at the University of Montreal. He holds a master's degree in neuroscience from University of Montreal and a PhD in human genetics from McGill University.

Max Fehlmann
President and Scientific Director, Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM)Before joining the IRCM, Dr. Fehlmann was President and CEO of the Cancer Research Society. Previously, he was also Founding President and Chief Executive Officer of the NEOMED Institute as well as founding President and CEO of CQDM, a pre-competitive research consortium based in Montreal. He is the principal author of more than 100 scientific publications. Dr. Fehlmann is the founder of Aster Biotechnologies in France, where he was the President and CEO, as well as the President and CEO of Chronogen in Montreal.
China

Xuetao Cao
President, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, ChinaProfessor Cao Xuetao major interests are immunobiology of APCs (dendritic cells, macrophages), TLR signaling and immune regulation, cancer immunotherapy and gene therapy. In recent years he is investigating the mechanisms for immune recognition and TLR signaling.

Depei Liu
Co-Chair, InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) for Health, ChinaProfessor Depei Liu's central research interests are medical molecular biology and research in gene regulation. He executes various prestigious positions, including former President of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) & Peking Union Medical College (PUMC).
France

Gérard Friedlander
Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Paris Descartes, FranceProfessor Gérard Friedlander focused his experimental and clinical research on the molecular basis of phosphate homeostasis in health and disease, and on the cellular mechanisms underlying the progression of renal lesions during chronic kidney disease. Special fields of his interests and expertise are the links between clinical practice, clinical investigation, experimental and translational research and medical education.

François Houllier
Acting President, Université Sorbonne Paris Cité, FranceAlumnus of Ecole Polytechnique and of AgroParisTech and PhD graduate of Claude Bernard University, Lyon, and former chairman and CEO of the French National Institute of Agricultural Research (Inra), he is now the acting President of Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (USPC).
Germany

Heyo Kroemer
CEO, Charité – Universitätsmedizin BerlinProf. Heyo Kroemer assumed his role as CEO of Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin in September, 2019. He was previously Chairman of the Managing Board of the Göttingen University Medical Center and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. Prof. Kroemer’s medical background is in pharmacology, with a research focus on drug metabolism and transport.

Axel Radlach Pries
Dean, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, GermanyAxel R. Pries is a Professor of Physiology and Dean of the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. His major research fields are microcirculation, organ perfusion, endothelial function, endothelial surface, vascular adaptation, angiogenesis, tumor microcirculation and blood rheology.
Iran

Ali Jafarian
Former Chancellor, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, IranAfter graduating from Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) in 1992, he was appointed as faculty member in the General Surgery department in 1999. His focus of research are Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation. He was executive advisor for the Chancellor of TUMS from 2005-2008, Dean of the Medical School from 2008-2009, Vice Chancellor from 2009-2011, and appointed as Chancellor in 2013.

Amirhossein Takian
Chair, Department of Global Health and Public Policy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, IranA physician by training, Amirhossein Takian (MD MPH PhD FHEA) is Chair and Associate Professor at the Department of Global Health & Public Policy, and Vice-Dean for International Affairs at the School of Public Health (SPH), Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Iran. He is also Advisor for Medical Education Reform and Member of the National Examination Board for Health Policy, Economics and Management, at the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME), Iran. Amir is Chief Research Officer at the Health Equity Research Centre (HERC) and represents TUMS in the M8 Alliance, serving as a member of the Executive Committee since 2017 and Secretary of the World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2019.
Italy

Eugenio Gaudio
Former Rector, Sapienza University of Rome, ItalyAfter conducting research on Human Anatomy at Sapienza University from 1983 to 1986, Eugenio Gaudio began teaching at the University of L’Aquila in 1987 and served as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery from 1997 to 2000. He returned to Sapienza as a Professor of Human Anatomy. From 2008 to 2010, he was Director of the Department of Human anatomy. Since 2010, he has been President of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Medicine and President of the Permanent Conference of Italian Faculties and Schools of Medicine and Surgery.

Luciano Saso
Vice-Rector for European University Networks, Sapienza University, ItalyHe is author of more than 200 scientific articles published in international journals and coordinator of several research projects in the field of pharmacology. He has extensive experience in international relations and he is currently Vice-Rector for European University Networks of Sapienza University and President of the UNICA network of the Universities from the Capitals of Europe.
Japan

Shunichi Fukuhara
Former Dean, School of Public Health, Kyoto University, JapanShunichi Fukuhara received his clinical training at the University of California at San Francisco, and was board-certified in Internal Medicine. He practices cardiology in Japan. His main research interests are clinical evaluative research and health services research. In 2000, Fukuhara founded Kyoto University’s Department of Healthcare Epidemiology.
Portugal

Amílcar Falcão
Rector, University of Coimbra, PortugalAmílcar Falcão was previously Director of the Faculty of Pharmacy (2010-2012) and the Interdisciplinary Research Institute (2013-2019). He was also Vice Rector of the University of Coimbra (2011-2019). He is the author of more than 230 articles in scientific journals. He was directly involved in the development of the first Portuguese medicine (Eslicarbazepine Acetate - Zebinix®) as a consultant for BIAL Laboratories.

Duarte Nuno Vieira
Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, PortugalDr. Duarte Nuno Vieira is the dean and full professor at Faculty of Medicine at the University of Coimbra, the chairman of the scientific advisory board of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, president of the Ibero-American Network of Forensic Medicine and Forensic Science Institutions, temporary forensic consultant for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, member of the Forensic Advisory Board of the International Committee of Red Cross, and member of the Forensic Expert Group of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims. He has also been the president of the International Academy of Legal Medicine (2006-2012), International Association of Forensic Sciences (2008-2011), World Association of Police Medical Officers (2008-2011), Mediterranean Academy of Forensic Sciences (2005-2007), Latin American Association of Medical Law (2005-2007), and European Council of Legal Medicine (2009-2018).
Russian Federation

Ivan Dedov
President, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Russian FederationProfessor Ivan Dedov is the president of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He devoted much time to fundamental and applied problems of endocrinology and is one of eminent organizers in medical science in Russia.

Evgeny Sidorenko
Vice-President, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Russian FederationProfessor Evgeniy I. Sidorenko is a member of the Russia State Medical Academy and President of the Russian Pediatrics Ophthalmology Association. His scientific activity is mainly devoted to the use of infrasound in medical practice; hypoxia and its role in ophthalmopathology; retinopathy of prematurity; refractive surgery; laser therapy; and surgery.
Singapore

John Eu-Li Wong
Chief Executive Officer, National University Health System, SingaporeDr John Eu-Li Wong, Isabel Chan Professor in Medical Sciences, is Senior Vice President (Health Affairs) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Chief Executive of the National University Health System (NUHS). A medical oncologist-haematologist, Dr Wong obtained his medical degree from NUS and did his residency and fellowship at the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, where he was the Chief Resident in Medicine, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He is actively involved in the development of Health and Biomedical Sciences as a key pillar of Singapore's economy and serves as a member of the National Health and Biomedical Sciences Executive Committee. He is involved in the US National Academy of Medicine’s Planning Committee to develop ‘Global Roadmap for Healthy Longevity’, the Editorial Board of the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Association of Academic Health Centers - International, the M8 Alliance of Academic Health Centers where he was Past President of the World Health Summit in 2013, the Global Genomic Medicine Collaborative, the International Editorial Board of the American Journal of Medicine, and the Advisory Board to the Government of Qatar on Academic Medicine and Sidra Medicine.

Khay Guan Yeoh
Dean, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, SingaporeProfessor Yeoh's research interest is in the early detection of gastric and colorectal cancers. He is the Lead Principal Investigator of the Singapore Gastric Cancer Consortium, a national flagship research group. He also chairs the National Colorectal Cancer Screening Committee of the Health Promotion Board, Ministry of Health.

Teo Yik Ying
Vice-Dean (Research) Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of SingaporeHe is a statistician and obtained a First Class Honors degree from the Imperial College, UK, graduating top of his cohort on a Singapore Government Scholarship awarded by the Public Service Commission. He has gained international recognition for his work in genomics. He has developed several landmark statistical methods and genomic databases, and these have elevated genomics research in Singapore to international standards.
Switzerland

Antoine Flahault
Director, Institute of Global Health, SwitzerlandA professor of Public Health at University Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, he is chair of the Centre Virchow Villermé de Santé Publique Paris-Berlin, co-chairs the European Academic Global Health Alliance, is president of the European Agency for Public Health Education Accreditation and Founding Director of the Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva. In 2016, Antoine Flahault was the International President of the World Health Summit.

Cem Gabay
Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, SwitzerlandProf. Cem Gabay is Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at University of Geneva, as well as Director of Education and Research and Head of the Division of Rheumatology at Geneva University Hospitals. He is an expert in the field of rheumatology, with research focusing on various aspects of cytokine biology of the interleukin-1 family, and clinical aspects of rheumatoid arthritis.

Bertrand Levrat
CEO, Geneva University Hospitals, SwitzerlandLawyer by training, he worked at the International Committee of the Red Cross on field missions as delegate, chief of under-delegation, legal advisor for Asia and Latin America, representative of the ICRC at the United Nations in New York, and was in charge of policies for the disabled and substance dependence. In 2004, he became Director General of the Hospice General. In 2013 he was appointed new Director General of the Geneva University Hospitals.

Surie Moon
Co-Director, Global Health Centre, the Graduate Institute Geneva, SwitzerlandDr. Moon is Co-Director of the Global Health Centre at the Graduate Institute in Geneva. Dr. Moon seeks to combine academically rigorous research and analysis with policy relevance and impact. Her work is broadly concerned with the intersection of global governance and public health. Her theoretical contributions to the field include conceptualizing the global health system, defining the functions the system must perform to adequately protect public health, global public goods for health, and identifying the types of governance gaps and power disparities that contribute to health inequity.

Vinh-Kim Nguyen
Co-Director, Global Health Centre, the Graduate Institute GenevaVinh-Kim Nguyen directs the Global Health Centre at the Graduate Institute in Geneva, where he is a professor. He is an anthropologist and practicing physician and a director of MSF’s Operations Center in Geneva. His research examines how biosocial interactions shape epidemics and impact control efforts.

Nicole Rosset
Deputy Director, Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) External Affairs and Executive Management Member, SwitzerlandNicole Rosset holds a PhD in economics. She obtained a degree in hospital management from the University of Lausanne and a specialization in international management of health institutions from the University of Paris. She has published in the field of health economic and hospital governance and has more than 20 years’ experience in the HUG where she served many roles. She is active in the field of international affairs where she coordinates the projects of humanitarian aid and cooperation with the hospitals of middle and low income countries. Nicole is the project manager of the Geneva Health Forum of which she has been the co-founder and Finance Director since its inception in 2006.
Taiwan

Chang-Chuan Chan
Associate Dean, National Taiwan University, TaiwanParallel to his current position as Associate Dean, Chang-Chuan Chan is also joint-appointed Investigator of the Division of Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine, National Health Research Institutes. He is a known expert for topics like air pollution, epidemiological studies on industrial pollution and global health research.
Turkey

Mahmut Ak
Rector, Istanbul University, TurkeyA trained historian, he is Rector of the Istanbul University and Chairman of the Board of Overseers of the Haliç University.

Bahaüddin Çolakoglu
Dean, Istanbul University, Faculty of Medicine, TurkeyEducated in Istanbul University Medical School, he is a specialist for internal medicine and the research on allergies.
Uganda

Charles Ibingira
Principal, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, UgandaDr. Charles Ibingira is the Principal, Makerere University College of Health Sciences. Before ascending to this office, he was the Dean School of Biomedical Sciences at the College of Health Sciences. Dr. Ibingira is an active General Surgeon and an Assoc. Professor of Anatomy and is a senior researcher in surgery, anatomy, and bioethics. He has mentored and supervised several graduate students and junior faculty and published several papers in international journals.
United Kingdom

Deborah Ashby
Director of the School of Public Health, Imperial College London, United KingdomProfessor Ashby holds the Chair in Medical Statistics and Clinical Trials at Imperial College London, where she is Director of the School of Public Health and formerly Co-Director of Imperial Clinical Trials Unit. Her research interests are in clinical trials, risk-benefit decision making for medicines, and the utility of Bayesian approaches in these areas.

Peter Piot
Director, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, United KingdomPeter Piot was the founding Executive Director of UNAIDS and Under Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1995 until 2008, as well as the Associate Director of the WHO Global Programme on AIDS. He was a co-discoverer of the Ebola virus, and his research focuses upon HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections, and women’s health.
USA

Adnan Hyder
Senior Associate Dean for Research, Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, USADr. Adnan Hyder is Senior Associate Dean for Research and Professor of Global Health at the Milken Institute School of Public Health of George Washington University. Previously, Dr. Hyder served as the Associate Chair of the Department of International Health and Director of the Health Systems Program at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. For over 20 years, Dr. Hyder has worked to improve global health in low- and middle- income countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East; and pioneered empirical work around health systems, ethics, and injury prevention in the developing world. He has co-authored over 300 scientific peer-reviewed papers and numerous world reports with organizations like the World Bank, World Health Organization and UNICEF.

Michael J. Klag
Former Dean, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USAA world renowned kidney disease epidemiologist, his scientific contributions have aided in the prevention and epidemiology of kidney disease, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. He led pioneering studies in kidney disease epidemiology, including the first study to assess the incidence of end-stage renal disease and to identify blood pressure as a risk factor for the development of kidney failure.

Ellen MacKenzie
Dean, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USAA nationally renowned researcher and a veteran academic leader, her research focuses on the impact of health services and policies on the short-and long-term consequences of traumatic injury. She has contributed to the development and evaluation of tools for measuring both the severity and outcome of injury which have been used to evaluate the organization, financing and performance of trauma systems and rehabilitation services.
International Associations

Steven L. Kanter
President & CEO, Association of Academic Health Centers (AAHC), USAPrior to his assuming the role of President and CEO at the Association of Academic Health Centers in July 2018, Steven L. Kanter, MD, served as dean of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, where he was professor of medicine and biomedical and health informatics and he held the Merl & Muriel Hicklin/Missouri Endowed Chair in Medicine. Dr. Kanter draws from a diverse background of experience that includes clinical medicine, medical informatics, scholarly publishing, medical school administration, and academic health center growth and development.

Ann Kurth
Chair, Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH), USADr. Ann Kurth is an epidemiologist and nurse-midwife whose research focuses on global health system strengthening, in the context of climate change and other planetary stresses. She is Dean and Lorimer Professor, Yale University School of Nursing (YSN); a Fellow of the National Academy of Medicine, and of the American Academy of Nursing; and chair of CUGH, and of the National Academy of Medicine Board on Global Health, 2018-2020.

Leonel Valdivia
President, World Federation of Academic Institutions for Global Health (WFAIGH)Professor Valdivia is co-Director and founder of the Global Health Programme of the School of Public Health, University of Chile. Previously, he chaired the School’s Department of Health Promotion and Education (2005-2010). He completed a successful career in international development cooperation in the United States, having worked for UNFPA, PAHO/WHO, IPPF, and USAID.
Individual Members

Rifat Atun
Director, Global Health Systems Cluster, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, United StatesFrom 2006-2013, Professor Atun was Head of the Health Management Group at Imperial College London. From 2008-2012 he served as a member of the Executive Management Team of The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as the Director of Strategy, Performance and Evaluation Cluster. His research focuses on the design and implementation of health systems transformations and their impact on outcomes.

Ben Canny
Former Head, School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, AustraliaBen Canny is Head of the School of Medicine at the University of Tasmania, where he has responsibility for Medicine, Pharmacy and Paramedicine. Prior to this he was the convenor of the Medical Degree at Monash University. Ben has always had a vital interest in Medical Education and Medical Science, and has led the Medical Education initiative of the M8 Alliance. At present, he is leading the development of a harmonized curriculum of Global Health Education for Health Professionals to be shared by members of the M8 Alliance. He is also Vice-President of the Australian and New Zealand Associate for Health Professional Educators.
