Dr. Welela Tereffe

Dr. Welela Tereffe is the Chief Medical Executive (CME) at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and a professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology. Prior to becoming CME, she served as the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), guiding the organization through surveys by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the COVID-19 pandemic while fostering innovation and driving a culture of excellence. During times of challenge and opportunity, Dr. Tereffe used her intimate knowledge of medical practice, her understanding of academic health care, and her ability to partner with others to engage and inspire transformative change.

As Chief Medical Executive, Dr. Tereffe shares strategic responsibility for enhancement of MD Anderson’s reach and value, through high-quality research-driven cost-efficient care across the Texas Medical Center campus, community and academic settings in Texas, and the MD Anderson Cancer Network®. She is also responsible for recruiting outstanding and diverse faculty leaders, engaging physicians and advanced practice providers in research excellence and clinical innovation, and enhancing the wellness and

development of faculty and staff.

Dr. Tereffe received her medical degree from New York University School of Medicine and her Master of Public Health and Master of Health Care Management (MHCM) degrees from the Harvard School of Public Health. She completed her residency at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center before joining the faculty at MD Anderson. Her clinical practice focuses on the treatment of women with breast cancer, and she is recognized as an outstanding clinician and educator.

Peter J. Hotez, M.D., Ph.D. is Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine and Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine where he is also the Co-director of the Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development (CVD) and Texas Children’s Hospital Endowed Chair of Tropical Pediatrics.  He is also University Professor at Baylor University, Fellow in Disease and Poverty at the James A Baker III Institute for Public Policy,  Senior Fellow at the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs at Texas A&M University, Faculty Fellow with the Hagler Institute for Advanced Studies at Texas A&M University, and Health Policy Scholar in the Baylor Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy. He also holds honorary DSc doctoral degrees from the Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine (Northwell Health), Roanoke College, honorary doctoral degrees in both science and humanities by The National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH), and City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy.

Dr. Hotez is an internationally-recognized physician-scientist in neglected tropical diseases and vaccine development.  As co-director of the Texas Children’s CVD, he leads a team and product development partnership for developing new vaccines for hookworm infection, schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis,  Chagas disease, and SARS/MERS/SARS-2 coronavirus, diseases affecting hundreds of millions of children and adults worldwide, while championing access to vaccines globally and in the United States. 

In December 2021, Dr. Hotez co-led efforts at the Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development to develop low-cost recombinant protein COVID vaccine technologies for global health, resulting in emergency use authorization in India and Indonesia. A human hookworm vaccine is accelerating rapidly through clinical trials – this is a project he began as an MD-PhD student in the 1980s.

Ms. Johanna Leblanc is a Haitian-American trained lawyer specializing in national security law and foreign policy. As a Partner at Adomi Advisory Group, PLLC, she offers invaluable guidance on trade, debt financing for emerging market projects, public relations, sanctions, federal legislative processes, and diplomacy. She also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Howard University and is an international television commentator, providing unique perspectives on foreign policy issues affecting Africa and the Caribbean.

Prior to joining Adomi, she served as a legislative director at the U.S. Congress and advised three Haitian Ambassadors to the United States on sanctions and trade, supporting the Haitian government in strengthening bilateral relations with the U.S. Johanna holds a Juris Doctor from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law and a Master of Laws in National Security and U.S. Foreign Relations from the George Washington University Law School. In 2019, Ms. Leblanc delivered the commencement speech at her alma mater, Bethune Cookman University, and was

awarded an honorary doctorate degree by the President and the Board of Trustees.

Ms. Leblanc has received prestigious awards both domestically and internationally. Her accolades include the Next Generation Woman Award by the African Diaspora Advisory Board (2022), the 40 under 40: Nation’s Top Advocates by the National Bar Association(2021), and the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD).

Maria Oden has 25 years of combined academic, research, and clinical experience in biomedical engineering and engineering design. This solid background has been foundational to her leadership in biomedical engineering and use of engineering education to teach students to identify, innovate, and build devices and technologies that solve real-world problems.

Since joining Rice in 2004, Oden has applied her experiences as a senior research associate at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, an instructor at Harvard Medical School, and a faculty member at the UT Health Science Center at Houston, to cultivate and orchestrate award-winning engineering design programs for the students of Rice’s George R. Brown School of Engineering, Wiess School of Natural Sciences, School of Humanities, and the Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies.

As director of Rice’s Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen (OEDK), an appointment received in 2008 with the opening of the 20,000-square-foot design studio, Oden collaborates with Rice faculty members to develop and implement engineering design and innovation curriculum programs for undergraduate students. The OEDK houses ready access to all the tools, supplies and resources students need as they work in teams to invent, test, and carry ideas and devices to their intended point of application. It is also in this innovation space that students are presented with the unique hands-on engineering design challenges brought to Oden’s attention by institutes of the Texas Medical Center, industry, and local community leaders and international partners. Throughout this cumulative learning process, OEDK faculty and partners also serve as mentors who give students the expertise and guidance as they need to succeed.

As a leader in biomedical engineering and design education, Oden was selected to participate in the National Academy of Engineering's (NAE) Frontiers of Engineering Education (FOEE) Symposium (2012), and is deeply involved with the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance and the Biomedical Engineering - Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship Alliance (BME-IDEA). She served as a AAAS-Lemelson Invention Ambassador to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Lemelson Foundation (2016), and was selected as a MacArthur Foundation 100 & Change competition finalist (2018). She is a fellow of Rice's Center for Teaching Excellence.

Dr. Kathleen Schmeler is a Professor of Gynecologic Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She provides care to patients with gynecologic cancers, including surgery, chemotherapy as well as preventive services at both MD Anderson and the Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ) safety net Hospital. Dr. Schmeler is also the Associate Vice President of Global Oncology for the MD Anderson Cancer Network. In this role, she works with ministries of health, UN agencies, international organizations and other academic centers to improve cancer prevention and treatment services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Dr. Schmeler received her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Clarkson University in Potsdam, NY. She worked as Process Engineer for Procter & Gamble prior to pursuing her medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania/Hahnemann University School of Medicine. She completed her residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at Brown University’s Women & Infants’ Hospital of Rhode Island, followed by a fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She has been on the faculty at MD Anderson since 2007.

Dr. Schmeler’s research interests are in cervical cancer prevention and treatment, particularly for resource-constrained countries and medically underserved communities in the US. She has co-led several clinical trials and other studies in Latin America, Africa and the Rio Grande Valley along the Texas-Mexico border. Dr. Schmeler is the Past-Chair of the International Gynecologic Cancer Society (IGCS) Training and Mentoring Committee, where she co-developed a global gynecologic oncology fellowship for regions of the world without formal training currently operating in more than 15 countries.

Dr. Mercy Mumba is an award-winning scientist and the Associate Dean of Global Initiatives and Community Partnerships at the University of Alabama, Capstone College of Nursing. Her work is widely funded by many United States federal agencies, totaling over $30 million in grant funding. 

She is the Sigma Liaison to the United Nations, the Founding Director of the Center for Substance Use Research, the President-Elect of the Southern Nursing Research Society, the section editor for the Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, and a member of the American Academy of Nursing Psychiatric, Mental Health, and Substance Use Expert Panel. 

She is the author of the award-winning book “A nurse’s step-by-step guide to transitioning to an academic role: Strategies to jumpstart your career in education and research”. Dr. Mumba is an internationally acclaimed keynote speaker and motivator. 

As President and CEO of Infinity Research LLC., her work centers on creating value, innovating sustainably, optimizing outcomes, and accelerating success for individuals, organizations, and governments in order to promote sustainable development. 

Dr. Mumba is further interested in the impact of social and structural determinants of health and their role in preventing, treating, and managing various health conditions. She is passionate about improving the human condition and is a strong advocate for increasing research productivity, infrastructure, and human capital globally. 

Born and raised in Kenya, Miriam moved to the US to study Biomedical Engineering. She graduated with both a bachelors and masters degree in BME and has been working in healthcare, mainly medical device industry for the last 15 years. Her projects over the years include bringing to the market a bone density scanner, an immunoassay diagnostic equipment, a CT scanner, a robotic surgical stapler, Biopins and needles, disposable tubing applications, peristatic pumps and consulting in regulatory processes such as FDA approval submission and emerging regulations. 

Miriam is passionate about mentoring young people who would like to pursue careers in STEM. She is intentional about bringing needed change in healthcare ecosystem of the African continent. Her seat at the design stage of medical devices allows her to give input for user needs that directly impact the users in the continent such as options to use solar power in additional to electricity. She a mother of two. She loves to travel and gardening.

Research: Enhancing biomedical imaging using nano particles

Regulatory Expertise: 

CFR 820, ISO 13485, ISO 60601, ISO9001, IVDR, IEC 62304;2015, EU MDR, ISO 14644-2:2016, ISO 10993-1:2018, ISO 10993-7:2008, BS EN ISO 11135:2014, BS EN ISO 11737-1:2018, BS EN ISO 11737-2:2009 

Certifications and Training: 

Leadership Training, ASQ CQE, Design for Six Sigma, Green Belt, Root Cause Analysis Certificate,, ISO 14644-2:2015 Clean Room Monitoring Certification, Agile SW Development Process, SW Verification and Validation training certification. 

Dr. Rachel Davis is an academic global surgeon at Baylor College of Medicine, where she is Director of the Baylor Center for Global Surgery. As a resident, she created and developed the Global Surgery Track of the General Surgery residency program, which is the first integrated, longitudinal global surgery training program and the only global surgery program in the NRMP match. Additionally, she is the Director of Strategic Planning in the Division of Global Surgery at Texas Children’s Hospital. 

Since 2014, she has worked to build educational opportunities for trainees and professionals, including development of the Global Trauma Collaboration, which provides biweekly virtual trauma education for war zones, the Baylor Global Surgery Advocacy & Policy Fellowship in collaboration with Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, and the Essential Surgery Skills Conference in conjunction with the National School of Tropical Medicine. 

Dr. Davis has worked toward expansion of surgical access in Ecuador, Guatemala, Malawi, Mongolia, Nepal, Myanmar, and Tanzania. She is acurrent Baylor Global Health Scholar and nonresident Fellow of the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University. 

Shannon M. Clark, MD is a Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Maternal-Fetal Medicine at UTMB-Galveston, TX with roles as an educator, clinician and researcher. 

She is actively involved in the care of patients with high-risk pregnancies due to maternal and/or fetal indications. She is currently a (TETAF)/Texas Perinatal Services (TPS) Credentialed Perinatal Surveyor for Level III and IV Maternal Levels of Care Centers and Director for the Level IV Regional Perinatal Health Care Center at UTMB-Galveston. 

Dr. Clark educates locally and nationally on all areas of high-risk pregnancy and postpartum care, but has a special interest in maternal health disparities.  

As the Director of Neuroinclusion Strategies and the Global Head of Autism at Work, Musi is responsible for augmenting and implementing neuroinclusive strategies in firmwide practices and process across the firm, with a universal approach. This involves developing end-to-end talent lifecycles with an ecosystem of support while ensuring best practices in training, developing and advancing Neurodivergent employees, from hire to retire. Additional responsibilities include creating a talent pipeline for autistic individuals through establishing partnerships with regional autism organizations, colleges & universities, and research institutes. 

She has held several roles at JPMorgan, from managing and mitigating financial risk associated with Acquisition and Trading of Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities (RMBS) and Whole Loans in Corporate Investment Bank, to leading the Default Transaction Management in Loan transfers and as a trusted Risk Advisor in Consumer Credit Risk Management. 

Musi has been recognized and awarded #3 as 2022 Top 50 Women We Admire in Dallas, among other women leaders who have paved the way for the City’s success for her tireless efforts and dedication in creating and executing strategies in creating a talent pipeline for autistic individuals seeking employment. Additionally, she is Untapped’s Top DEIB Leaders of 2022 “Walk The Walk” Award winner, among other leaders who challenge the status quo and push the DEIB forward in their organizations and communities. 

Raising a son with a hidden disability has certainly amplified her “why” in her profession and purpose and is now pursuing a PhD in Law & Public Policy. She has been with the firm for 19 years and is intentional in driving disability inclusion globally 

Jared Nyagol brings over fourteen years of exemplary experience within California's mental health system, currently serving as an Executive Director/Administrator for an in-patient psychiatric hospital. His extensive background spans various facets of senior long-term healthcare, showcasing his adeptness in overall oversight, administration, and strategic leadership. 

A distinguished senior healthcare executive, Jared has a proven track record in driving business growth, ensuring financial viability, executing successful turnarounds, and implementing quality improvement processes. His expertise in business development and adept leadership in capitated and managed care organizations has consistently yielded positive outcomes.

Jared has demonstrated a consistent record of fostering successful management and nurturing State and Federal relationships. His roles have included serving as the Secretary of the Board of California PACE Association and chairing the Advisory Council, where his leadership and insights were instrumental in shaping policies and practices. 

Prior to his current role, Jared served as Executive Director for the Oregon Health Plan and managed the statewide Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) program for the California Department of HealthCare Services. His comprehensive experience within these high impact roles has fortified his ability to navigate complex healthcare landscapes effectively. 

Jared holds graduate degrees from Kansas State University, where his academic accomplishments laid a robust foundation for his professional pursuits. His dedication to mental health care and his commitment to improving healthcare delivery systems have made him a respected figure in the industry. 

Jared's participation in the African First Ladies Health Summit underscores his commitment to advancing healthcare initiatives and fostering collaborative efforts to address pressing health challenges across Africa. His expertise will be invaluable in discussions focused on transformative healthcare solutions and innovative practices that can be adopted to enhance healthcare delivery systems. 

Dr. Kike Oduba is a visionary leader and a prominent figure in the field of digital health transformation. As the founder and CEO of WellnessWits, she has been at the forefront of integrating cutting-edge technology with healthcare delivery, striving to enhance the accessibility, efficiency, and quality of healthcare services across various regions. Her innovative approach and dedication to healthcare reform have established her as a key player in the industry. Through her leadership at WellnessWits and her advocacy work with the Reinventing Healthcare in Africa initiative, she continues to drive meaningful change, ensuring that health providers are prepared to meet the demands of modern-day healthcare challenges and opportunities . 

 As a physician-informatician, Dr. Kike has dedicated her career to bridging the gap between healthcare and technology. She obtained her medical degree from the University of Lagos and a master’s degree in public health at Texas A&M University. Dr. Kike has worked extensively with the CDC Foundation, the state of Texas, and the city of Houston, contributing her expertise to various public health initiatives. Her pioneering efforts in digital health transformation and her relentless pursuit of healthcare equity have made her a leading figure in the global health community 

In founding WellnessWits, Dr. Oduba aimed to bridge the gap between traditional healthcare practices and modern technological advancements. Under her leadership, WellnessWits has developed a range of digital solutions designed to streamline healthcare processes, improve patient outcomes, and reduce operational inefficiencies. The company's innovative platforms leverage data analytics, telemedicine, and artificial intelligence to provide personalized and proactive care, ensuring that patients receive timely and accurate treatment. Dr. Oduba is also the convener of the Reinventing Healthcare in Africa Project, a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to transforming the healthcare landscape on the African continent. This initiative brings together healthcare professionals, policymakers, and technology experts to collaborate on sustainable solutions that address the unique health challenges faced by African nations. Through this platform, Dr. Oduba advocates for policy reforms, fosters cross-sector partnerships, and promotes the adoption of digital health technologies to enhance healthcare accessibility and equity. 

Sharmila Anandasabapathy, M.D. is a Professor of Medicine in Gastroenterology, Senior Associate Dean, and Vice President, Global Programs at Baylor College of Medicine.  She oversees Baylor’s international academic and research programs. She is also an Adjunct Professor of Bioengineering at Rice University, Houston.

Dr. Anandasabapathy holds a B.A. in English literature from Yale University, CT  and an M.D. with Distinction in Research (Molecular Biology) from the Albert Einstein College, NY. She trained at New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center (Internal Medicine) and Mount Sinai (Gastroenterology).

Dr. Anandasabapathy research focus involves the development and validation of novel technologies for the diagnosis and management of gastrointestinal cancer. She has a track record of continuous, uninterrupted NIH funding, holds multiple NIH grants, including a U54 and 3 RO1s, and leads multiple international clinical trials focused on innovative technological approaches to addressing cancer and other diseases in low-resource global settings. These involve the development of remote medical technologies such as augmented/virtual reality-based platforms for surgical or endoscopic training, portable, battery-operated technologies for medical management in low-resource environments and the development of safet, ethical AI-assisted digital healthcare platforms for healthcare. These partnerships involve close collaborations with NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), USAID, multiple US and international universities, NGOS, foreign governments,  industry, and foundation. In addition to being recognized as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor and Super Doctor for over 10 year, she was a USAID Innovator and Grand Challenge Award Winner.

Lydiah Tate is a seasoned banking executive currently serving as a Senior Vice President and Commercial Banking Relationship Manager at Truist in North Dallas. With over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, Lydiah has held various leadership positions at top-tier banks, including Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, and SunTrust Bank.

Lydiah’s academic credentials include a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Memphis and an Executive MBA from the University of Phoenix. She also studied at the University of Darmstadt and the Volks Hoch Schule Language School in Germany.

Throughout her career, Lydiah has specialized in providing banking solutions for mid to middle-market businesses. Her extensive background includes roles such as VP/Branch Manager at Bank of America, Business Banker/VP in Memphis, and VP/Business Banking at JP Morgan Chase in Dallas.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Lydiah is an accomplished author of two inspirational books and founder of a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting high-achieving high school students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.  

Multilingual and passionate about continuous learning, Lydiah enjoys  reading, writing, traveling, and inspiring others in her free time.

 Rory Brosius is a partner at Cicero Group and works on the firm’s Social Impact portfolio. Prior to joining Cicero Group, Rory served as the Special Assistant to the President for Military Families and the Executive Director of Joining Forces at the White House. Rory also served on the Biden Presidential Transition Team as the Senior Advisor for Military Family Outreach and on the Biden 2020 Campaign as a Senior Advisor to Dr. Jill Biden.

In addition to serving as a senior leader in the Biden Administration, Rory served as a policy advisor on veterans and military families to the Obama White House and as the Deputy Director of First Lady Michelle Obama’s and Dr. Jill Biden’s Joining Forces Initiative. Throughout her tenure, the initiative achieved success in advancing veteran and military spouse hiring efforts, reducing veteran homelessness, driving mental health awareness, and engaging healthcare and educational professionals to support the military and veteran communities.

A social worker by training and a military family member, Rory has nearly two decades of public service, working in roles supporting institutions of higher education, the United States military, the federal government and two Presidential Administrations. 

Rory is passionate about the issues that impact service members, veterans and their families, and has focused much of her professional life tackling these issues. She earned her bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Clemson University and Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California, where she was the recipient of the American Academy of University Women Scholarship, a member of Phi Alpha, and a summa cum laude graduate. Rory is also the recipient of the Army Achievement Medal for Civilian Service, a Marine Corps Letter of Commendation, and the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation Hiring our Heroes Impact Award.

Madam Fatoumatta Bah Barrow is actively engaged in various humanitarian and charitable organizations with activities targeted at the most vulnerable groups of society. The public role that she assumed as First Lady focuses predominantly on providing assistance to all Gambians, with a particular focus on women and children. 

From 2000 to 2008, Madam Barrow worked as a sales and marketing agent at Elton Oil Company, at local mobile telephone company. From 2009, Madam Barrow- was occasionally involved in small business activities. 

In 2017, Madam Barrow initiated her Foundation, the Fatoumatta Bah Barrow or ‘FaBB’, to pursue her desire to not only bring about change but also help save and improve the lives of the vulnerable groups of society throughout The Gambia.

H.E. Madam Isaura Gonçalo Ferrão Nyusi has a Bachelor’s degree in human resource Management and BA in Social Communication. Professionally, Isaura Ferrão Gonçalo Nyusi’s first job was in education and later worked for Mozambique Railways Company. She later worked for the National Institute for disaster management, in Maputo province. As a professional, she attended several capacity building courses with particular emphasis on training in Accountancy and Human Resource Management.

H.E. Madam Nyusi’s vision is of a society of peace, harmony, and social justice. A society that has the person at the core of every action and that values the creative potential and the participation of each Mozambican towards development. In pursuing her mission and vision, 

H.E. Madam Nyusi recently became the Patron of the Model Maternity and Wards Certification in Mozambique, a Ministry of Health initiative. In February 2016, she was proclaimed the President of the Organizaçãoda Mulher Moçambicana (OMM). In the exercise of this function, her priorities are centered on actions which aim (i) to fight poverty; (ii) to promote economic growth and development of underprivileged people; and (iii) the empowerment of women by encouraging their active participation in the political, economic, social and cultural area 

Hon. Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, M.P is the Minister of Health in the Government of Malawi She is a trained Biochemist, holding a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Chemistry and a Bachelor in Pharmacy. 

She has previously worked for such entities as Malawi Pharmacies Ltd and City Pharmacies Limited, as well as serving as a member of the Pharmacy Medicine and Poisons Board, City Pharmacies Ltd. 

She entered politics by winning the Parliamentary seat for Kasungu South East Constituency in the 2014 General Elections, which she retained in the 2019 Elections, following which she was appointed Minister of Health by Malawi’s President Chakwera in July 2020. 

Hon. Anifa Bangirana Kawooya is the Minister of State for Health General Duties – Uganda. She holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy (Majoring in Conflict Management), Bachelor’s Degree in Development Studies (BDES), Diploma id Business Administration (DBA), Diploma in Project Planning and Management (DPPM). 

As Hon. Minister of State for Health (General Duties) is mandated to oversee the development of hospital policies and new legislations for hospitals in Uganda, Oversee implementation of the Hospital policies and relevant guidelines in all hospitals in Uganda, Supervise both private and public hospitals to ensure adherence to guidelines and standards, Oversee the implementation of regional health policies/Frameworks in respect to the East African Community; East Central and Southern Health Community; Regional Committee of African Ministers of Health under WHO-Afro; Cross border health initiatives under IGAD and African Union, Participate or represent the Minister of Health in Health Sector Meetings, Performance Reviews and functions on special occasions as delegated by the Minister of Health. 

Silvia Lutucuta is Minister of Health of Angola since 2017. She studied medicine and obtained a scholarship in Portugal where she specialized in cardiology. From 2000 to 2004 she was a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, having won awards for best research for three years. Before being nominated as Minister of Health, she dedicated herself to teaching and research.

Minister Lutucuta is passionate about public health and as a member of women’s organizations, a passionate advocate for women’s rights.

Since her nomination as Health Minister in 2017, Minister Lutucuta has been instrumental in leading important changes that facilitated the incorporation of nearly 25,000 new health professionals in primary health care, mainly in rural areas, all against the backdrop of serious economic crisis. As she considers vaccination to be the most economic and effective means to respond to public health needs, Angola has, under her leadership, committed to financing all of the vaccines of the Expanded Program on Immunization.