SPEAKER PROFILES:

Professor Shahin Sayed
Dr. Sayed is Associate Professor  & Consultant in Anatomical Pathology and Cytology, in the Department of Pathology, Medical College, Aga Khan University and the current Chair and Laboratory Director of Pathology at AKUH, Nairobi.

Dr. Sayed graduated from the University of Nairobi with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree. She holds a Master of Medicine in General Pathology from the University of Nairobi where she was awarded the best student in Pathology prize. She is a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists, United Kingdom, and a Fellow of the College of Pathologists of East Central and Southern Africa.

Dr. Sayed is the Secretary-General of the College of Pathologists of East Central and Southern Africa, Chair of the Academic Committee of the Senate – East Central and Southern African (ECSA) College of Health Sciences, Chair of the Board of Directors of African Strategies for Advancing Pathology (ASAP, co-chair Technical Working Group (TWG) on Diagnostics for the Cancer Control Programme – Ministry of Health, Kenya (MoH).

She is also a steering committee member and Commissioner for the Lancet Commission on Diagnostics and a member of the Lancet Oncology Commission for Sub-Saharan Africa. She has also been a recent member of the WHO-SAGE IVD Committee (2019-2020). Dr. Sayed is a member of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

Dr. Sayed is in charge of the breast service at AKUHN. Her research interests span to oncopathology with a special focus on breast cancer and solid haematolymphoid malignancies. She has several grants and peer-reviewed publications in her area of research interest. She has also led research initiatives and interventions that have developed a sustainable model of community-based engagement to improve breast cancer screening and diagnosis.

Dr Rose Ndumia
Dr. Rose Ndumia is an Assistant Professor and Consultant Radiologist in Breast Imaging. She obtained her medical degree from the University of Nairobi and her Radiology Residency in Radiology at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi. In 2017, she completed a one year fellowship in diagnostic and interventional breast imaging from the Marleen Greenebaum Diagnostic Breast Centre, Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem, Israel with observership experience at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre’s Breast Imaging Center in New York. She has keen interests in breast imaging, medical education and research.

She is the section head of breast imaging and is actively involved in the acquisition of state-of-the art imaging equipment and initiation of new procedures such as Digital mammography with 3D tomosynthesis, Stereotactic biopsies, Vacuum Assisted Biopsy (VAB) and Occult lesion localizations. She takes the Radiology lead in the weekly multidisciplinary breast tumor board meetings and is the current Program Director for the Radiology Residency Training Program.

Her research interests are mainly in breast cancer, assessment in of mammographic breast density, global health and medical education. At a policy level, she has worked in conjunction with the Kenya Association of Radiologists to develop national breast cancer screening guidelines as well as imaging guidelines that when implemented should improve overall patient outcomes.

Professor Marion Saville
Professor Marion Saville has been Executive Director of the Australian Centre for the Prevention of Cervical Cancer for over 20 years, where she has led her laboratory, population health and digital health teams focussing on the control of cancer and infectious diseases through the delivery of pathology and registry services, particularly focussing on cervical cancer prevention.

Marion is a New Zealand medical graduate who trained in Anatomic Pathology at Northwestern University in Chicago. She went on to complete a fellowship in Cytopathology at East Carolina University and a research fellowship at Georgetown University, focussing on HPV. She has held the position of Executive Director of VCS Foundation Ltd. since 2000.

Marion has served on cervical screening advisory committees in Australia, New Zealand and Ontario. She currently chairs the working group to review Australia’s Guidelines for the management of screen-detected abnormalities in the National Cervical Screening Program. Marion has focussed on research and implementation projects demonstrating that it is possible to deliver high quality, acceptable cervical screening in a range of resource poor settings including Malaysia, PNG and Samoa.  She is also interested in how culturally safe screening can meet the needs of disadvantaged groups who have poorer cancer outcomes, in Australia and New Zealand.  Marion was appointed as a member (AM) of the Order of Australia on Australia Day 2020 for her significant service to women’s health through cervical screening initiatives.

Dr Fidel Rubagumya
Dr Fidel Rubagumya is a clinical and radiation oncologist at Rwanda Military Hospital ,a visiting Clinical Oncologist at King Faisal Hospital and a lecturer at University of Global Health Equity.He received his medical degree from the National University of Rwanda . He completed his medical internship at Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence and received his Master of Medicine in Clinical & Radiation Oncology from the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences.

Dr Rubagumya served as a General Practitioner at Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence before joining Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences. While Dr Rubagumya treats all cancers, he has special interest in head and neck cancers, brain  gynecological, and gastro-intestinal cancers, as well as cancers that affect special groups. He also has a keen interest in end of life care and Global Oncology.

Dr Rubagumya is an enthusiastic cancer advocate. He has been involved in many cancer control activities in Rwanda and internationally. Dr Rubagumya is the Founder of Rwanda Children’s Cancer Relief (RCCR), an organization that raises awareness on childhood cancers and advocates for children living with cancer, and their families. Before founding RCCR, Dr Rubagumya was actively involved in breast cancer advocacy working with Breast Cancer Initiative East Africa (BCIEA). He is a member of numerous cancer organizations both locally and internationally. Dr Rubagumya is a recipient of many prestigious awards including the American Cancer Society Global Scholar award,the the International Development and Education Award (IDEA) of American Society of Clinical Oncology, and both the International Cancer Research Technology Transfer Fellowship (ICRETT) and the African Cancer Fellowship awards of Union for International Cancer Control(UICC) and Africa Cancer Leader Institute award of African Organization of Cancer Research and Training (AORTIC),  among others. Dr Rubagumya is the Chair of young oncologists group at African Organization of Cancer Research and Training (AORTIC).

Dr Rubagumya’s research focuses on integrating technological advances like mobile applications to improve cancer care in low resource settings. He has published several scientific papers in internationally recognized journals. He also authored a book chapter on cervical cancer. He was awarded the ASCO International Innovation Grant for his mobile application used to help increase early detection of skin cancers in people with albinism.

Moderator: Dr Andrew Odhiambo 

Dr. Andrew is a Consultant Physician/Medical Oncologist & Program Director/Lecturer (Medical Oncology Fellowship Program) at the University of Nairobi. Dr. Andrew holds a Master’s degree in Internal Medicine from the University of Nairobi. He has attended a preceptorship training in Haematological Oncology & Infectious Diseases from the University of Maryland Marleen & Stewart Greenbaum Cancer Centre in the United States. He later did his Fellowship in Medical Oncology in the United Kingdom and was certified by the Federation of Royal College of Physicians of the United Kingdom as well as the Association of Cancer Physicians and the European Society for Medical Oncology. He is also a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh as well as the East, Central & Southern Africa College of Physicians.

He is the outgoing Secretary & former Treasurer of Kenya Society of Haematology & Oncology (KESHO). Dr. Andrew is a member of KAP, ASCO, ESMO, AORTIC & ECSACOP. Dr. Andrew serves as an expert advisor for local and international bodies i.e. MOH, Kenya Cancer Prevention TWG, ASCO & NCCN Cancer Treatment Guidelines Committees. He has published several articles on cancer in both international and local peer reviewed scientific journals.

Dr. Andrew was awarded the prestigious Business Daily Africa Top 40 under 40 men in the year 2017. He is passionate about cancer education and awareness especially through digital platforms. He has over 50 appearances in mainstream local and international TV and print media promoting cancer awareness.

His key areas of sub specialization and interest include Colon cancer, Stomach cancer, Breast Cancer, Pancreatic, Liver & Bile Duct cancer, Cancer or Unknown Primary, Lymphoma as well as newer treatments i.e. Immunotherapy & Targeted therapy for Colon, Skin, Lung, Kidney cancers etc.