Committees

Prof. Jihad Inshasi is a Consultant Neurologist at Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority (DHA), and a Professor of Neurology at Dubai Medical College (DMC/DHA). He developed and currently directs the Multiple Sclerosis and the Dystonia Clinics at Rashid Hospital/DHA.

Prof. Inshasi is the Head of the Scientific Committee and a Founding and Board Member of the Emirates Neurology Society (EMINS/EMA). With the EMINS Board Members, he has organized numerous neurology meetings, particularly in the field of multiple sclerosis. He is founding and executive board member of the MENACTRIMS. He is also a Founding Member, and ex-President of the Emirates League against Epilepsy (ILAE). He is a member of the medical advisory committee of the recently established National MS Society (NMSS).

Prof. Inshasi has authored and co-authored many scientific papers published in peer-reviewed journals. He has participated as principle and leading investigator in phase 2, 3 & 4 drug trials and has conducted an array of research projects in the field of multiple sclerosis.

Prof. Inshasi is a member of several local, regional and international associations, societies and advisory boards committees. He is a member and Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology (FAAN) and a member and Fellow of the European Academy of neurology (FEAN)

Prof. Bassem I. Yammout is currently Professor of Neurology at the American University of Beirut Medical Center and director of the Neurology Institute at Harley Street Medical Center in Abu Dhabi. He graduated from medical school at AUB in 1984, received his training in neurology at the University of Cincinnati-Ohio in the USA, and followed by a fellowship at the Montreal Neurological Institute-McGill University in Canada. He received his American Board in Neurology and joined the faculty at the American University of Beirut in 1988. He is currently head of clinical research at the Multiple Sclerosis Center, president of MENACTRIMS (Middle East North Africa Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis), member of the MSIF (Multiple Sclerosis International Federation) Scientific Advisory Board, and fellow of the American Academy of Neurology.

Prof. Yammout is one of the leading experts on multiple sclerosis in the Middle East with recent research on epidemiology of the disease in the region, quality of life of patients in the Middle East. In addition, he is currently the principal investigator on several ongoing international multiple sclerosis research trials. Prof. Yammout has authored many research and review papers and is currently Chief Editor of the MS newsletter “MS today”, and on the editorial board of “Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders”, “Journal of Multiple Sclerosis” and “Pediatric Neurology”.

Dr. Zeineddine is a Lebanese Senior Clinical/Ambulatory Care Pharmacist specialized in neurology and multiple sclerosis. Winner of the “Best Clinician” and “Positive Attitude” awards, she completed several internships at major hospital and community pharmacies in Lebanon and the US and graduated from LAU with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree with distinction in June 2011. In August 2015, she successfully passed the Multiple Sclerosis Specialization examination and became the first and only Multiple Sclerosis Certified Pharmacist in Lebanon and the Middle East. From September 2011-August 2020, she worked as the ambulatory care pharmacist of the Multiple Sclerosis Center of the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC). In December 2015, she was appointed as Executive Secretary of the Middle East North Africa Committee for Research and Treatment in Multiple Sclerosis (MENACTRIMS). Dr.Zeineddine is an active researcher and a public speaker. She has multiple publications, is involved in several international clinical trials in the field of neurology and multiple sclerosis and is a member of several national and international professional organizations. From 2015 and until 2022, she was also the fund coordinator at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society of Lebanon (MSSL). She is currently the leader of the Neuropsychiatry Listserv at IVPN-Network and is a PhD candidate in “Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases” at the Tropical Institute of Neurology at Limoges University, Limoges, France. In May 2023, she was invited by the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation to join their International Medical and Scientific Board, representing the Middle East and North Africa region in the aim of improving the quality of life of people affected by multiple sclerosis.

Prof. Riadh GOUIDER is Head of the Department of Neurology at Razi University Hospital, Tunis, since 2002, Director of the Alzheimer Center since 2010, and Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center since 2018.

He is founding member of MENACTRIMS (The Middle East and North Africa Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis) since 2013 and Vice President since 2014.

Prof. Gouider is Member of the Scientific Council of the International Federation of Multiple Sclerosis (MSIF) since 2013 and President of the Scientific Committee of the Tunisian Association of Multiple Sclerosis (ATSEP) since 2014.

He is Fellow of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) since 2018 and of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) since 2019. He has been a Corresponding Foreign Member of the French National Academy of Medicine since 2022.

He serves as a WHO expert on dementia since 2020 and as a UNESCO Expert on the Ethics of Neurotechnology since 2024.

Since January 2026, he has served as First Vice-President of the World Federation of Neurology.

Prof. Gouider has received several prestigious international awards, including the American Academy of Neurology Foreign Scholarship Award (1994), the European Academy of Neurology Special Service Award (2018), and the Pan Arab Union of Neurological Societies (PAUNS) Award (2019).

His main fields of interest are Multiple sclerosis, Dementia, Neurogenetics, Epilepsy, and Inherited Peripheral Neuropathies.

Dr. Raed Alroughani is a consultant neurologist and the director of MS clinic at Amiri and Ibn Sina hospitals. He completed his neurology residency at the University of British Columbia and subsequently obtained the neurology certification from the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeon (Canada). He completed a fellowship in Multiple Sclerosis at the University of British Columbia. He is actively involved in research and he authored and co-authored more than 200 publications. Dr Alroughani was awarded the National Prize for scientific production in the field of medical science in 2017 and the best researcher award by Amiri Hospital in 2018. He is a founding member and the secretary general of MENACTRIMS. He sits on the executive boards of various scientific associations, steering committees and advisory boards, mainly in the field of MS.

Dr. Ahmad Abulaban obtained his Bachelor's Degree in Medicine and Surgery from King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. He completed his residency training in Adult Neurology in 2015 at King Abdulaziz Medical City-National Guard-Riyadh. He obtained Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Fellowship and Clinical Neurophysiology Fellowship in 2019/2020 from Yale University, USA.

Dr. Abulaban is duly certified by the American Board of Clinical Neurophysiology. He was appointed as an Assistant Professor at the College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2020. He was appointed as a Consultant Neurologist at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard-Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He is currently the Residency Training Program Director of Adult Neurology and the Neurosciences and Vision Block Coordinator for Undergraduate Students.

Also, Dr. Abulaban has been serving as the Research Officer of the Saudi Multiple Sclerosis Chapter since 2020. He has multiple publications in the field of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology. He received numerous research awards.

Prof. Jihad Inshasi is a Consultant Neurologist at Rashid Hospital, Dubai Health Authority (DHA), and a Professor of Neurology at Dubai Medical College (DMC/DHA). He developed and currently directs the Multiple Sclerosis and the Dystonia Clinics at Rashid Hospital/DHA.

Prof. Inshasi is the Head of the Scientific Committee and a Founding and Board Member of the Emirates Neurology Society (EMINS/EMA). With the EMINS Board Members, he has organized numerous neurology meetings, particularly in the field of multiple sclerosis. He is founding and executive board member of the MENACTRIMS. He is also a Founding Member, and ex-President of the Emirates League against Epilepsy (ILAE). He is a member of the medical advisory committee of the recently established National MS Society (NMSS).

Prof. Inshasi has authored and co-authored many scientific papers published in peer-reviewed journals. He has participated as principle and leading investigator in phase 2, 3 & 4 drug trials and has conducted an array of research projects in the field of multiple sclerosis.

Prof. Inshasi is a member of several local, regional and international associations, societies and advisory boards committees. He is a member and Fellow of the American Academy of Neurology (FAAN) and a member and Fellow of the European Academy of neurology (FEAN)

Dr. Yaser Al Malik is an Associate Professor of Neurology and Associate Dean of Academic affairs at college of medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He is also a consultant Neurologist and head of Multiple sclerosis/Neuroimmunology division, Neurology department at King Abdulaziz medical city in Riyadh. He also serves as the head of MS Chapter at Saudi Neurology Society.

Dr. Al Malik graduated from medical school at Qassim University in 2008. He completed his residency training in adult neurology at University of Calgary, Canada in 2014. After becoming a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Canada, he went on to complete a fellowship in Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology at University of Calgary (2014-2016), and then completed a second fellowship in clinical Neurophysiology (2016-2017). In addition, his interest in teaching has led him to pursuit a Master Degree in Medical Education (2021).

Dr. Al Malik is involved in clinical research, including industry sponsored trials, quality assurance projects and registries. He is also involved in teaching of residents and medical students in various settings.

Dr. Seraj Makkawi is a neurologist and medical educator specializing in Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology. He earned his medical degree from Umm Al-Qura University in 2009, followed by residency training in Adult Neurology in 2016. He then pursued fellowships in Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology (2017) and Clinical Neurophysiology (2018), along with a Master’s in Medical Education, all at the University of Calgary. He is certified in Adult Neurology by both the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Before returning to Saudi Arabia, Dr. Makkawi worked as a Locum Neurologist and Clinical Lecturer in Calgary. In 2019, he joined King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Jeddah, as Assistant Professor of Neurology, where he was promoted to Associate Professor in 2023. Since 2019, he has also served as Consultant Neurologist at the Neuroscience and Trauma Center, King Abdulaziz Medical City (MNGHA-WR).

Dr. Makkawi has held several leadership and administrative roles, including Director of the Adult Neurology Residency Program (2020–2023), Coordinator of the Neurosciences and Vision Block (2020–2024), and Assistant Dean of Clinical Affairs (2021–2025). In 2025, he was appointed Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Chairman of the Neurology Department. He also leads the Saudi Multiple Sclerosis Chapter, a role he assumed in 2024 after serving as Academic Officer (2020–2024).

His academic and research interests focus on Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology, with a particular emphasis on advancing clinical practice, education, and patient care in these fields.

Dr. Salman Abdulaziz graduated from King Saud University, Saudi Arabia in 2001. He honed his expertise in Internal Medicine at King Fahad National Guard Hospital in Riyadh between 2002 and 2006. Subsequently, in 2006, Dr. Abdulaziz achieved credentials from the Arab board, Saudi board, and the MRCP(UK) of Internal Medicine. Advancing his specialization, he acquired the Saudi Fellowship of Critical Care from King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in 2012 and furthered his prowess with a Clinical Fellowship in Cardiovascular Critical Care from Western University, Canada in 2019. Currently, Dr. Abdulaziz serves as a Consultant of Internal Medicine, Critical Care, and Cardiovascular Critical Care in the United Arab Emirates. He holds a pivotal position as the Co-chair of the Abu Dhabi ECMO taskforce under the Department of Health and has a keen interest in ECMO administrative and economics management.

Dr. Sahraian is currently professor of clinical neurology and the director of MS research center in Tehran University of Medical Sciences and vice-chancellor for Iranian MS society. He undertook board of neurology and fellowship in medical education from Tehran University of Medical sciences (2002) and then had a training in Multiple Sclerosis at university hospital Basel (Switzerland). He has served as an investigator on several clinical trials and other research aspects of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorders (NMOSD). He has published more than 400 articles in peer-reviewed journals and presented abstracts on MS and NMOSD at international meetings. He has been invited to deliver several lectures on clinical and radiological aspects of demyelinating disorders at different international meetings. He has published “MRI atlas of lesions in multiple sclerosis” and has been the author of “Multiple Sclerosis” chapter in Encyclopedia of Diagnostic Imaging. He is one of the authors of MRI Training CD-ROM which was translated into four languages.

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Dr Sandra Ahmed

Professor of Neurology at Cairo University since 2020

Received all basic and specialized training at Neurology Department, Cairo University

Specialized in multiple sclerosis, stroke medicine and neurosonology (received training at university of Giessen, Germany, 2011)

Director of the multiple sclerosis clinic at Cairo University

Former head of the Neurosonology Unit, Cairo University

Internationally Certified by the World Federation of Neurology (WFN), Neurosonology specialty Group, as neurosonology trainer (2012)

Member of the higher committee of multiple sclerosis in specialized medical council, Ministry of Health, Egypt

Member of the national health insurance multiple sclerosis committee, Ministry of health, Egypt

Head of Neurology department at Misr International Hospital (Cairo Egypt) and founder the stroke center

Born in Cairo 1956, attended the English School of Cairo (ESC) till graduation 1974. Ain-Shams university medical school till 1980 graduation (grade Very Good with Honours). Resident at the Neuropsychiatric department of Ain-Shams university till 1985 when received Master’s degree (grade Excellent) in Neuropsychiatry. Associate lecturer of Neurology till 1989 received MD degree in Neurology. Lecturer of neurology till 1994, Associate professor till 1999. Full professor since then. Head of the Neuropsychiatric department of Ain-Shams university from 2015-2017. President of the Egyptian MS ( Multiple Sclerosis ) society since 2017. Member of the board of MSCare Society. Member of the MENACTRIMS board. Egypt’ Brain Health champion (Brain Health organization). Member of the International Medical and Scientific Board (IMSB) of the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF). Member of the International Working Group for the Access of medication (IWGA) 0f the MSIF. Member of the board of trustees of the MSIF. Member of the ParadigMS board. Member of the Multiple Sclerosis Data Alliance (MSDA) advisory group and one of the MSDA champions of data collection in 2022. Member of the PROMS task force. Member of the editorial board of Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders (MSARD) journal. Principal investigator of several phase III international MS drug trials. Member of the MSBase Registry (with Egypt ranking number 8 among 42 countries in the patient enrolment by country). Former member of the Angel’s global steering committee (Stroke). National coordinator of the RES-Q (Stroke). President of the Egyptian MS higher committee of the National Insurance. Former president of the Egyptian ministry of health MS higher committee. Former president of the Egyptian National Stroke committee. One of the founders of the National Egyptian MS registry. Publications in several International journal, e.g., Lancet Neurology, MSJ, MSARD…

Leading role in the imbursement by the Egyptian government of the following MS medication: Interferons, Teriflunomide, Dimethyl Fumarate, Fingolimod, Ponesimod, Ocrelizumab, Natalizumab, Cladribine, Siponimod.

Leading role in the imbursement by the Egyptian government of TPA and Thrombectomy for acute Stroke management.

Sandra Vukusic is professor of Neurology and head of the Multiple Sclerosis clinic at the Lyon University Hospital, France. She is the scientific coordinator of the Observatoire Français de la Sclérose en Plaques (French MS registry).

Her research activities focused mainly on pregnancy in women with MS, contributing to a better understanding of the natural history (prediction of post-partum relapses, long term impact of pregnancy on disability, successive pregnancies, locoregional analgesia…) and the use of DMTs in that context. She coordinated the 2022 recommendations of the French MS society on pregnancy and MS, that aimed at improving the follow-up of women with MS in the pregnancy setting and at improving the use of DMTs beyond the limited data contained in the summary of product characteristics. She also coordinated, together with Kerstin Hellwig and Olga Ciccarelli, the 2026 ECTRIMS guidelines for Family Planning, Fertility Treatment, Pregnancy and Breastfeeding in MS, NMOSD and MOGAD.

Aksel Siva graduated from the Istanbul University Cerrahpaşa School of Medicine where he also completed his residency program in neurology. He is Emeritus Professor of Neurology at the same institution, where he was the past-chairman and the head of the Clinical Neuro-immunology Unit & Multiple Sclerosis Clinic.

He served as President of The Turkish Neurological Society for 3 consecutive terms between 2003 and 2009. He is a founding member of The Turkish Multiple Sclerosis Society (1989) and served as an Executive Committee member of ECTRIMS between 2003-2006 and of The European Neurological Society between 2009–2014. He was a member of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) scientific program committee between 2014–2018 and was elected as a Fellow of The EAN in 2015.

Dr. Siva is among the founders of the Radiologically Isolated Syndrome Consortium and currently a member of its core group. He is a member of the The Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation International Clinical Consortium since 2018. He was the recipient of the Istanbul Medical Association’s prestigious “Turkan Saylan Medical Science Award” in 2021 for people who had contributed significantly to medical sciences.

His areas of interest and research are: Clinical neuro-immunology (Multiple Sclerosis, RIS, NMOSD, MOGAD, Neuro-Behcet’s Syndrome and other inflammatory vasculopathies of the central nervous system), headaches and neuro-epidemiology.

Dr. Raed Alroughani is a consultant neurologist and the director of MS clinic at Amiri and Ibn Sina hospitals. He completed his neurology residency at the University of British Columbia and subsequently obtained the neurology certification from the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeon (Canada). He completed a fellowship in Multiple Sclerosis at the University of British Columbia. He is actively involved in research and he authored and co-authored more than 200 publications. Dr Alroughani was awarded the National Prize for scientific production in the field of medical science in 2017 and the best researcher award by Amiri Hospital in 2018. He is a founding member and the secretary general of MENACTRIMS. He sits on the executive boards of various scientific associations, steering committees and advisory boards, mainly in the field of MS.

Born in Cairo 1956, attended the English School of Cairo (ESC) till graduation 1974. Ain-Shams university medical school till 1980 graduation (grade Very Good with Honours). Resident at the Neuropsychiatric department of Ain-Shams university till 1985 when received Master’s degree (grade Excellent) in Neuropsychiatry. Associate lecturer of Neurology till 1989 received MD degree in Neurology. Lecturer of neurology till 1994, Associate professor till 1999. Full professor since then. Head of the Neuropsychiatric department of Ain-Shams university from 2015-2017. President of the Egyptian MS ( Multiple Sclerosis ) society since 2017. Member of the board of MSCare Society. Member of the MENACTRIMS board. Egypt’ Brain Health champion (Brain Health organization). Member of the International Medical and Scientific Board (IMSB) of the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF). Member of the International Working Group for the Access of medication (IWGA) 0f the MSIF. Member of the board of trustees of the MSIF. Member of the ParadigMS board. Member of the Multiple Sclerosis Data Alliance (MSDA) advisory group and one of the MSDA champions of data collection in 2022. Member of the PROMS task force. Member of the editorial board of Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders (MSARD) journal. Principal investigator of several phase III international MS drug trials. Member of the MSBase Registry (with Egypt ranking number 8 among 42 countries in the patient enrolment by country). Former member of the Angel’s global steering committee (Stroke). National coordinator of the RES-Q (Stroke). President of the Egyptian MS higher committee of the National Insurance. Former president of the Egyptian ministry of health MS higher committee. Former president of the Egyptian National Stroke committee. One of the founders of the National Egyptian MS registry. Publications in several International journal, e.g., Lancet Neurology, MSJ, MSARD…

Leading role in the imbursement by the Egyptian government of the following MS medication: Interferons, Teriflunomide, Dimethyl Fumarate, Fingolimod, Ponesimod, Ocrelizumab, Natalizumab, Cladribine, Siponimod.

Leading role in the imbursement by the Egyptian government of TPA and Thrombectomy for acute Stroke management.

Professor Hans-Peter Hartung is Professor of Neurology at Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Honorary Professor at the Brain and Mind Center, University of Sydney and Permanent Visiting Professor at Palacky University in Olomouc. He was chairman of neurology at the University of Graz and Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf.

He was formerly president of ECTRIMS. He currently is Co-President of the European Charcot Foundation.

He is a fellow of the American, European Academy of Neurology, and the American Neurological Association; Honorary member of ECTRIMS, the French, Polish and Russian Neurological Society.

His clinical and research interests are the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of immunological disorders of the central and peripheral nervous system, in particular MS. NMOSD, GBS, CIDP. He has been SC and DMC member of numerous phase 2 and 3 trials in these indications.

He published more than 1200 pubmed listed papers and has served on multiple editorial boards of neurological journals incl Nat Rev Neurol, Ann Neurol, JNNP, JPNS, MuscleNerve, MSJ, MSInternational, serves as chief section editor at MSARD, Frontiers Neurology/Neuroimmunology, Vaccines amongst others. He has been a highly cited researcher by Clarivate 2018-2023.

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Dr. Raed Alroughani is a consultant neurologist and the director of MS clinic at Amiri and Ibn Sina hospitals. He completed his neurology residency at the University of British Columbia and subsequently obtained the neurology certification from the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeon (Canada). He completed a fellowship in Multiple Sclerosis at the University of British Columbia. He is actively involved in research and he authored and co-authored more than 200 publications. Dr Alroughani was awarded the National Prize for scientific production in the field of medical science in 2017 and the best researcher award by Amiri Hospital in 2018. He is a founding member and the secretary general of MENACTRIMS. He sits on the executive boards of various scientific associations, steering committees and advisory boards, mainly in the field of MS.

Dr. Seraj Makkawi is a neurologist and medical educator specializing in Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology. He earned his medical degree from Umm Al-Qura University in 2009, followed by residency training in Adult Neurology in 2016. He then pursued fellowships in Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology (2017) and Clinical Neurophysiology (2018), along with a Master’s in Medical Education, all at the University of Calgary. He is certified in Adult Neurology by both the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Before returning to Saudi Arabia, Dr. Makkawi worked as a Locum Neurologist and Clinical Lecturer in Calgary. In 2019, he joined King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Jeddah, as Assistant Professor of Neurology, where he was promoted to Associate Professor in 2023. Since 2019, he has also served as Consultant Neurologist at the Neuroscience and Trauma Center, King Abdulaziz Medical City (MNGHA-WR).

Dr. Makkawi has held several leadership and administrative roles, including Director of the Adult Neurology Residency Program (2020–2023), Coordinator of the Neurosciences and Vision Block (2020–2024), and Assistant Dean of Clinical Affairs (2021–2025). In 2025, he was appointed Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs and Chairman of the Neurology Department. He also leads the Saudi Multiple Sclerosis Chapter, a role he assumed in 2024 after serving as Academic Officer (2020–2024).

His academic and research interests focus on Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology, with a particular emphasis on advancing clinical practice, education, and patient care in these fields.