The ILMA 2025 Conference featured three high-impact scientific sessions that brought together leaders in medicine, policy, academia, and technology. Over 30 experts contributed to dynamic discussions focused on shaping the future of healthcare in Lebanon and globally.
Session 1: Telehealth – Lessons & Opportunities for Lebanon
Moderators:
- Prof. Riad Younes, Director of Oncology Services, Clemenceau Medical Center Dubai
- Ms. Marise Abboud, Healthcare Consultant and Strategist
This session emphasized Telehealth as a transformative force in care delivery, especially in crisis-hit Lebanon. Experts from Lebanon, Brazil, and the diaspora shared case studies and strategies for integrating Telehealth into the national healthcare system, with a focus on mental health, nursing innovation, and diaspora support. Discussions also addressed infrastructure needs, policy development, and collaboration across sectors to ensure Telehealth’s sustainability in Lebanon.
Speakers & Panelists included:
- Prof. Roland Asmar – President, Foundation Research Institutes
- Dr. Firass Abiad – Former Minister of Public Health; American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC)
- Ms. Diana Ayoub – Executive Director, Heal Beirut
- Dr. Rabih Chammay – Head, National Mental Health Program, Ministry of Public Health (Lebanon)
- Dr. Tamer El Andare – Professor of Cardiology, Faculdade de Medicina da Santa Casa, Brazil
- Mr. Hisham Bawadi – Order of Nurses, Lebanon
- Dr. Abir Kurdi Alame – President, Order of Nurses in Lebanon
- Dr. Ibrahim Makdissi – President, Lebanese Order of Physicians in Tripoli
- Dr. Joseph Zgheib – Representative, IOM–UN Lebanon
- Dr. Maher El Kassi – President, ILMA Germany
- Dr. Maroun Rizkallah – Orthopedic Spine & Oncology Surgeon; Associate Professor, Sherbrooke University (Canada)
- Dr. Myriam Mrad – Chair, Public Health Department, University of Balamand; Co-founder & Executive Director, Health and Environment Response Agency (HERA)
- Ms. Sasha Hajj Assaf – President, Justice for Mental Health
- Dr. Abdelrahman Bizri – Member of Parliament; Member, Parliamentary Health Committee
- Prof. Pascal Jabbour, MD – Chief, Division of Neurovascular Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University
Session 2: Reimagining Medicine – Artificial Intelligence at the Core of Care, Systems & Learning
This session explored Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a driving force in healthcare transformation, focusing on system optimization, medical education, and preventive care. Experts from Lebanon and around the world discussed AI’s role in improving hospital operations, personalizing medicine, and enhancing clinical training. The two thematic discussions — AI for Healthcare System Optimization and AI in Education & Preventive Care — highlighted innovative applications in reproductive medicine, remote monitoring, public health, and sustainable healthcare models.
Moderators:
- Dr. Victor Yazbeck – Associate Professor of Medicine; Director of Lymphoid Malignancies, and Co-Leader, Hematological Malignancies Working Group
- Dr. Maria Kassem –
Speakers & Panelists included:
- H.E. Dr. Rakan Nassereldine – Minister of Public Health, Lebanon
- Dr. Hayssam Serhan – CEO, NeuralMind Consulting; Chief of AI & Innovation, EXEO
- Mr. Malak Halawy – Administrator of Ophthalmology, AUBMC; Author, 100 AI Applications in Hospitals
- Dr. Mohamed El Sahili – CVO, Medland Hospital, Zambia
- Dr. Sandy Rihana – Department of Biomedical Engineering, USEK
- Mr. Emile Salhab – Managing Director & Partner, Boston Consulting Group (BCG)
- Dr. Rachid Akiki – Head of Regulatory & Clinical Affairs, 2San Inc., USA
- Prof. Rami Wakim – Consultant in Reproductive Medicine; Senior Lecturer, Manchester Metropolitan University; Co-founder, Avenues.Life (UK)
- Dr. Albert El Hajj – Associate Professor; Head, Division of Urology, AUBMC
- Dr. Elias Jaradi – Member of Parliament, Lebanon
- Dr. Mohammad Ali Jardali – AI & Family Medicine Specialist
- Dr. Youssef Bassim – Chief Operating Officer & President Assistant for Health Affairs, University of Balamand
- Dr. Rana Abdel Malak – Founder & CEO, MEDHEALTH PRO SAL
- Dr. Joseph Stephan – Lebanese American University, School of Medicine
Session 3: Bioethics – The Ethical Imperative of Artificial Intelligence
This multidisciplinary session focused on the ethical imperative of AI in medicine, examining the moral, legal, and regulatory challenges of integrating AI into clinical decision-making and medical research. Experts in bioethics, law, policy, and medical practice discussed privacy, equity, accountability, and responsible innovation. The session highlighted the need for national ethical frameworks to guide AI use, ensuring that technological progress serves both patients and society without compromising human dignity.
Moderators:
- Dr. Abir Kurdi Alame – President, Order of Nurses in Lebanon, Beirut
- Assoc. Prof. François Fadell – Chief, Pulmonary & Critical Care; Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency, University at Buffalo, New York
Speakers & Panelists included:
- Prof. Abdelrahman Bizri – Member, Public Health Committee, Lebanese Parliament
- Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay – Maronite Bishop, Australia
- Dr. Mohamad El Arwadi – General Director, Dar Al Awkaf; Representative, Dar El Fatwa, Beirut
- Dr. Razi El Hage – Member, Information Technology Committee, Lebanese Parliament
- Dr. Joe Salloum – President, Lebanese Order of Pharmacists, Beirut
- Prof. Nadey Hakim – International Relations Director & Professor of Surgery, Cleveland Clinic London; Professor of Transplantation, Imperial College London
- Prof. Ghassan Kiwan – Senior Consultant Cardiologist; Chairman, Internal Medicine, Bellevue Medical Center
- Prof. Michel Daher – Professor of Clinical Surgery & Ethics, Saint George University of Beirut
- Prof. Charbel Batour SJ – Director, University Center for Ethics, Saint Joseph University
- Assoc. Prof. Aniella Abi-Gerges – Lebanese American University
- Prof. Audine Salloum – Professor of Law, Lebanese University
- Assoc. Prof. Bilal Azakir – Beirut Arab University
- Elie Klimos – Lawyer & Legal Consultant; Lebanese Order of Lawyers
- Prof. Sandy Rihana – Department of Biomedical Engineering, USEK
- Dr. Silvana El-Zoghbi – Pediatric Pulmonologist & Ethics Specialist, Saint George Hospital UMC
- Prof. Thalia Arawi – Founder, Salim El-Hoss Bioethics Program, AUB; CEO, T2P
- Assoc. Prof. Ziad El Khatib – Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
