Speaker Bios

2025 GSSA Conference Agenda
April 12th, 2025

Keynote Address 8:30 - 9:15 AM

Dr. Mary Bassett (Director, FXB Center for Health & Human Rights)

Affiliation: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Bio: Dr. Mary T. Bassett is an expert in public health and human rights. She is the Director of the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University. Dr. Bassett served as the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, where she led efforts to reduce health disparities across the city. Her work focuses on promoting health equity and addressing the root causes of poor health, such as racism and social inequality. She is a leader in advocating for the integration of human rights principles into health policy and practice.

Panel 1: Policy & Workforce Development
9:30 - 10:15 AM

Dr. Robert Riviello

Position: Director, PGSSC
Affiliation: Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Bio: Dr. Robert Riviello is a trauma surgeon and global health expert, and the Director of the Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He has worked extensively in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where he has focused on improving access to surgical care, capacity building, and the development of surgical training programs. Dr. Riviello's research interests include global surgical systems, surgical capacity in low-resource settings, and the role of surgery in disaster response.

Dr. Kee Park

Position: Global Neurosurgery Consultant, WHO Advisory Panel on Surgical Care and Anesthesia
Affiliation: PGSSC, Harvard Medical School

Bio: Dr. Kee Park is a neurosurgeon who specializes in global health and surgical care in low-resource settings. He is a co-founder of the Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC) and works with the World Health Organization (WHO) on the advisory panel for surgical care and anesthesia. Dr. Park has worked extensively in Africa and Asia, focusing on neurosurgical care and building sustainable surgical systems. His work includes advocating for the integration of surgery into global health initiatives and addressing the scarcity of neurosurgical care in LMICs.

Dr. Craig McClain

Position: Pediatric Anesthesiologist, PGSSC
Affiliation: Boston Children’s Hospital

Bio: Dr. Craig McClain is a pediatric anesthesiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital, specializing in global surgery and workforce development. He has focused his research on scaling anesthesia training programs in resource-limited countries, particularly in India and Rwanda. Dr. McClain’s work includes developing and implementing strategies to increase the number of trained anesthesiologists in LMICs, as well as improving patient outcomes through better anesthesia care. He is an advocate for strengthening the global anesthesia workforce as a key component of surgical care in low-resource settings.

Dr. Joia Mukherjee

Position: Chief Medical Officer
Affiliation: Partners In Health (PIH), Harvard Medical School

Bio: Dr. Joia Mukherjee is the Chief Medical Officer at Partners In Health (PIH), an organization dedicated to providing healthcare in the world’s most impoverished areas. She is an expert in infectious diseases and global health policy, with a focus on improving access to healthcare for marginalized populations. Dr. Mukherjee’s work has been pivotal in shaping PIH’s health programs in sub-Saharan Africa, Haiti, and other regions. She is also an advocate for health system strengthening in resource-limited settings.

Panel 2: Innovation in Surgical Technologies & Education in LMICs
10:30 - 11:15 AM

Dr. Kiran Agarwal-Harding

Position: Director, Harvard Global Orthopaedics Collaborative
Affiliation: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Bio: Dr. Kiran Agarwal-Harding is an orthopedic surgeon and the Director of the Harvard Global Orthopaedics Collaborative. She is the founder of SONA Global, an organization focused on providing low-cost orthopedic devices for resource-limited settings. Dr. Agarwal-Harding has been a pioneer in the development of affordable medical technologies, such as AEFIX (a low-cost external fixator) and VATARA (a low-cost negative pressure wound therapy pump). Her work aims to make orthopaedic care more accessible in the developing world, particularly through innovative solutions for common surgical challenges.

Dr. Nakul Raykar

Position: Global Surgeon, Chair of Blood DESERT Coalition
Affiliation: Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Bio: Dr. Nakul Raykar is a global surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital with a focus on improving surgical outcomes through safe blood transfusion practices. He is the Chair of the Blood DESERT (Blood Supply in Emergencies and Resource-Limited Settings) coalition, which aims to improve blood transfusion safety in low-resource and emergency settings. Dr. Raykar is also a leading co-author of the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery, which advocates for the integration of surgery into the global health agenda. His work has helped shape policies on blood safety and surgical care worldwide.

Dr. Annekathryn (AK) Goodman

Position: OB/GYN Surgeon, Gynonc Specialist
Affiliation: Massachusetts General Hospital

Bio: Dr. Annekathryn (AK) Goodman is a gynecologic oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an advocate for global health education. She has created a two-month observership program in gynecologic oncology at MGH for physicians from resource-limited countries. Dr. Goodman has worked extensively on education and training in gynecologic surgery, especially in LMICs, to help address the high burden of gynecological cancers in these regions. She has contributed significantly to the development of surgical training programs for international medical professionals.

International Address Dr. Ang Swee Chai

1:00 PM - 1:45 PM

Position: Orthopedic Surgeon, Humanitarian Surgeon
Affiliation: Independent (Has worked in Lebanon, Gaza, and other conflict zones)

Bio: Dr. Ang Swee Chai is a renowned orthopedic surgeon with extensive experience in humanitarian surgery, particularly in conflict zones such as Lebanon and Gaza. She is widely known for her work providing medical care to civilians in the aftermath of wars and natural disasters. Dr. Ang trained as an orthopedic surgeon in the UK and has since dedicated much of her career to delivering critical healthcare in areas affected by violence and displacement.

Her most notable humanitarian work began during the Lebanese Civil War, where she served as the medical director for the Middle East Medical Association in Lebanon. Dr. Ang was part of the team providing emergency surgery and care to victims of bombings and injuries caused by the ongoing conflict. Her experiences in Lebanon shaped her deep commitment to providing quality healthcare in under-resourced, high-risk settings.

In addition to her work in Lebanon, Dr. Ang has made multiple trips to Gaza, where she has worked alongside local medical teams to provide orthopedic care to those affected by the ongoing conflict. She has performed life-saving surgeries for people with trauma-related injuries, including those caused by bomb blasts and gunshot wounds. Dr. Ang has been an advocate for improving medical access and infrastructure in Gaza and other conflict zones, speaking out about the dire conditions faced by both healthcare professionals and patients.

Dr. Ang's humanitarian efforts have been recognized worldwide, and she has shared her experiences in various international conferences and humanitarian organizations. She is a passionate advocate for the rights of civilians in conflict zones and for the integration of surgery and trauma care into global humanitarian response strategies. Her work continues to inspire others in the fields of medicine, humanitarian aid, and global health.

Dr. Ang’s commitment to humanitarian surgery is also reflected in her founding of Humanitarian Surgery, an organization dedicated to training surgeons and medical professionals in providing care in conflict zones, as well as advocating for better healthcare policies for those most affected by war and displacement.

TedTalk

Panel 3: Disaster & Crisis Response
2:00 - 2:45 PM

Dr. Susan Briggs

Position: Trauma Surgeon
Affiliation: Massachusetts General Hospital

Bio: Dr. Susan Briggs is a trauma surgeon with extensive experience in disaster response. She has worked in numerous conflict zones and disaster settings, providing emergency surgical care and leading efforts to establish field hospitals in areas of crisis. Dr. Briggs has been instrumental in the development of global health response systems and has worked with various humanitarian organizations to improve the coordination and delivery of surgical care in emergencies. She is a recognized leader in disaster medicine and field surgery.

Dr. Sean Kivlehan

Position: Emergency Medicine Physician
Affiliation: Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Bio: Dr. Sean Kivlehan is an emergency medicine physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, specializing in disaster medicine and crisis response. He has extensive experience providing care in resource-limited settings and has participated in various global health missions, responding to natural disasters and conflict zones. Dr. Kivlehan's work includes managing field operations, training local healthcare workers, and coordinating emergency medical teams in times of crisis.

Dr. Amir Mohareb

Position: Infectious Diseases & Humanitarian Action Specialist
Affiliation: Massachusetts General Hospital

Bio: Dr. Amir Mohareb is an expert in infectious diseases, refugee health, and humanitarian action. He has worked extensively with displaced populations and in conflict zones, focusing on the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases in these settings. Dr. Mohareb’s research and clinical work aim to improve health outcomes for refugees and other vulnerable populations in humanitarian emergencies, addressing both medical and social determinants of health.

Dr. Faisal Nugud

Position: Associate professo, Director of the National Pediatric Surgery Center in Gezira State, Sudan

Affiliation: University of Gezira, Faculty of Medicine in Sudan

Bio: TBD

Panel 4: Developing a Career in Global Surgery 3:00 - 3:45 PM

Dr. Adeline Boatin

Position: OB/GYN Surgeon
Affiliation: Massachusetts General Hospital

Bio: Dr. Adeline Boatin is an OB/GYN surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital and a faculty member at the Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC). Her work focuses on improving maternal and reproductive health in resource-limited settings. Dr. Boatin has conducted research on the barriers to safe childbirth and surgical care in LMICs and has worked on developing training programs for local providers to improve outcomes in maternal and neonatal health.

Panel 5: Patient Perspectives

A panel featuring patients who were evacuated from Gaza and are receiving medical care at Harvard hospitals
4:00 - 4:45 PM

Dr. Bram Wispelwey

Position: Co-founder, Health for Palestine
Affiliation: Brigham and Women’s Hospital, FXB Center for Health & Human Rights

Bio: Dr. Bram Wispelwey is a physician and co-founder of Health for Palestine, an organization dedicated to improving healthcare access and infrastructure in Palestine. He has worked extensively in the region, focusing on surgical care, healthcare delivery in conflict zones, and the humanitarian response to the healthcare crisis in Gaza. Dr. Wispelwey’s work has included advocating for better healthcare access for Palestinians and improving surgical outcomes in the region.

Northeast Global Surgery Hackathon:

Sponsorship Tiers

Northeast Global Surgery Hackathon:

Sponsorship Tiers

Northeast Global Surgery Hackathon:

Sponsorship Tiers

2025 GSSA Conference Agenda
April 12th, 2025

Keynote Address 8:30 - 9:15 AM

Panel 1: Policy & Workforce Development
9:30 - 10:15 AM

Panel 2: Innovation in Surgical Technologies & Education in LMICs
10:30 - 11:15 AM

International Address Dr. Ang Swee Chai

Panel 3: Disaster & Crisis Response
2:00 - 2:45 PM

Panel 4: Developing a Career in Global Surgery 3:00 - 3:45 PM

Panel 5: Patient Perspectives

A panel featuring patients who were evacuated from Gaza and are receiving medical care at Harvard hospitals
4:00 - 4:45 PM

2025 GSSA Conference Agenda April 12th, 2025

Keynote Address 8:30 - 9:15 AM

Panel 1: Policy & Workforce Development 9:30 - 10:15 AM

Panel 2: Innovation in Surgical Technologies & Education in LMICs 10:30 - 11:15 AM

International Address Dr. Ang Swee Chai

Panel 3: Disaster & Crisis Response 2:00 - 2:45 PM

Panel 4: Developing a Career in Global Surgery 3:00 - 3:45 PM

Panel 5: Patient Perspectives

A panel featuring patients who were evacuated from Gaza and are receiving medical care at Harvard hospitals 4:00 - 4:45 PM

2025 GSSA Conference Agenda
April 12th, 2025

Panel 1: Policy & Workforce Development
9:30 - 10:15 AM

Panel 2: Innovation in Surgical Technologies & Education in LMICs
10:30 - 11:15 AM

Panel 3: Disaster & Crisis Response
2:00 - 2:45 PM

A panel featuring patients who were evacuated from Gaza and are receiving medical care at Harvard hospitals
4:00 - 4:45 PM