Dr. Thamir Alshammari is one of the expert in drug safety and pharmacovigilance in the middle east. He is Pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacovigilance consultant. Dr.Alshammari served as the director of the national pharmacovigilance and drug safety center, Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA). He has several initiative during his work at SFDA including reviewing process, benefit-risk analysis, DHCPLs and others. He is a member in several committees and he serve as a chair in some of them. Dr. Alshammari received his bachelor degree in pharmaceutical sciences from king saud university. He also got his master degree in clinical pharmacy from the same school. Dr.Alshammari received his PhD in pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacoeconomics from university of Rhode Island, USA.

Dr.Alshammari did several fellowships including post doctoral fellowship at Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology, US Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA). He was the only Saudi who did a post-doctoral fellowship at the FDA. Further he did a pre doctoral fellowship at veterans affair hospitals, USA. In addition, he did several summer internship at US FDA.

His area on research interests include pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacovigilance and medication safety and Pharmacoeconomics.

Dr. Mayada Alkhakany is the head of pharmacovigilance Middle East, Turkey & Africa in Boehringer Ingelheim pharmaceutical company. She’s responsible for establishing pharmacovigilance system in the region with high quality and efficiency standards.

Dr. Mayada has a bachelor degree in dentistry (BDS) from Baghdad University, and she has 11 years of experience working within various sectors of the pharmaceutical industry having working across a range of key areas including clinical operation, medical affairs and pharmacovigilance functions. She has involved in many audit and inspection visits.

Dr. Mayada is a member of ISOP and president of ISOP Middle East chapter that was established on Oct 2015 during the annual meeting of ISOP. She has a good understanding of the challenges in maintaining regulatory compliance utilizing different methods of implementation. She is passionate about the importance of ensuring patient safety via building a better awareness and understanding of pharmacovigilance.

Dr.Brian qualified as a doctor at Guy’s Hospital Medical School in London in 1980 with a BSc in Pathology and MBBS. After a year in Pathology, he spent the rest of my first 8 years of my career in hospital and emergency medicine obtaining my MRCP in 1984. In 1988, he moved to the University of Manchester to spend six years attached to the Renal Unit conducting clinical research into cyclosporine nephrotoxicity and how this risk can be successfully managed in patients. During that time, Dr.Brian gained experience as a clinical trial investigator and laboratory research into endothelial cells. In 1994, Dr.Brian was awarded a M.D. based on my clinical research and published a dozen or so papers.

Following a short spell on the renal unit in Preston, Dr.Brian moved to the UK regulatory agency which in 1994 was called the Medicines Control Agency where he became a Senior Medical Assessor in the Pharmacovigilance Assessment Group. Brain was the first EU pharmacovigilance assessor in the centralised procedure and the first assessor involved in the Article 12 procedure. Vaccines was part of his portfolio and this involved assessment of the benefits and risks of MMR vaccine something which was personally of great importance to him given that by that time he was the proud Dad of 5 beautiful children !

In 1999, Dr.Brian moved to Parexel International Scientific and Medical Services where he became a Senior Medical Director. During that time, Dr.Brian gained considerable experience of clinical research at all phases and contract qualified person for pharmacovigilance (QPPV) services. In 2005, Dr.Brian moved to Janssen Cilag where he was Deputy Qualified Person for pharmacovigilance for about 18 months before moving to NDA Regulatory Science Ltd. in July 2007 where he is now Principal Consultant in Pharmacovigilance and Drug Safety.

Dr.Brian is passionate about training and education in pharmacovigilance and safe use of medicines and has been involved in several voluntary activities. From 2005 until 2015, Dr.Brian was panel convener monitoring the training of UK pharmaceutical physicians in Drug Safety Surveillance on behalf of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine.

Through the Drug Information Association, Dr.Brian was a co-chair of the Clinical Safety and Pharmacovigilance SIAC between 2004 and 2008 involved in arranging annual meetings in Washington DC, pharmacovigilance tracks at the Annual Meeting and Clinical Research Forum. Dr.Brian was one of the founding members of the DIA QPPV Forum which started in 2006 and he is still on the organising committee.

Dr.Brian has been an active member of the International Society of Pharmacovigilance since 1999. I am currently Director of ISoP Secretariat Ltd, was Treasurer for 8 years and last year was elected as an Advisory Board Member of ISoP. He has published several original articles proposing systematic reform of pharmaceutical safety.

In a volunteer capacity, Dr.Brian is Vice President Pharmacovigilance & Drug Safety in the Alliance Clinical Research Excellence and Safety (ACRES) where he is leading a team looking at the application of organisational science to the system for optimising use of medicines at all phases of their lifecycle.

In the UK, Dr.Brian is the Chair of UK Pharmaceutical Human Factors & Ergonomics group which is the first initiative of its kind anywhere for placing the human at the centre of system for medicines in the UK & Ireland by applying systems sciences. In addition, Dr.Brian is an ordinary Member of the British Pharmacology Society, TOPRA and the Institute of Clinical Research

Dr. Ola Ghaleb Al Ahdab is a UAE national pharmacist holding PhD in clinical pharmacy, having vast experience in pharmacy practice and related regulations within the GCC and Middle East region.

Dr Al Ahdab held several positions in the UAE MOHAP (Ministry of Health and Prevention) since 1990 till now. Currently she is working as a Pharmaceutical Advisor at drug department, head of quality control section, and the founder and CPD Pharma Program manager. She was working before obtaining her PhD as material management, drug formulary manager, deputy head of medical procurement, head of inspection and compliance and head of pharmaceutical care dept.

In addition, Dr. Al Ahdab woks in Academia as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Pharmacy practice (Adjunct) for both post graduates and undergraduates teaching Pharmacoeconomics, Pharmacovigilance and Pharmacy law and legislation in pharmacy colleges and universities in the UAE.

She is an active member on several committees at national level such as Higher Drug Registration and Pricing committee, Appeal Committee, Anti counterfeit Committee; and at regional level, including GCC Group Purchase Tendering, and joint committee. In addition she attend few WHO EMRO and Arab League meetings.

Dr al Ahdab is an active executive member in many international organizations such as FIP (International Pharmaceutical Federation), ISPOR (International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research) and FAPA (Federation of Asian Pharmaceutical Association).

Currently, Dr Ola is the Vice President for Emirates Pharmacy Society (EPS) at Emirates Medical Association (EMA) and the Founder & President of the ISPOR UAE Chapter, and the vice president for SAPS (Social and Pharmacy Administration Section) at FIP.

Dr. Ola’s Post graduate studies were completed at Queens University of Belfast, UK. School of Pharmacy, where she awarded a PhD degree as a full-time study in Clinical Pharmacy focusing in Pharmacoeconomic and Medicine Management in December 2008, and the Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Pharmacy in December 2003 as part time study. She has completed her undergraduate studies from the Damascus University, School of Pharmacy in Oct 1980.