48th National Medical
Convention 2026

Leadership

Organizing Committee

Tap or hover a member to read their bio.

Rabab Al-Lahham
Rabab Al-Lahham
PhD
Convention Chair
Rabab Al-Lahham, PhD

Scientist specializing in neurodegenerative diseases research, with a particular focus on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The driving force behind the 48th National Convention, Dr. Al-Lahham brings together scientific expertise and deep community commitment to advance Arab American health.

Sadeer Al-Kindi
Sadeer Al-Kindi
MD
Scientific Committee Chair
Sadeer Al-Kindi, MD

Associate Professor and Jerold B. Katz Endowed Investigator at Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center. Fellowship-trained preventive cardiologist with over 200 peer-reviewed publications on cardiometabolic disease and cardiovascular risk disparities.

Nidal Moukaddam
Nidal Moukaddam
MD, PhD
Organizing Committee
Nidal Moukaddam, MD, PhD

NAAMA President-Elect and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine. A specialist in emergency psychiatry and psychosis, Dr. Moukaddam brings national leadership experience and deep roots in the Arab American medical community to the convention's organizing efforts.

Chadi Calarge
Chadi Calarge
MD
Organizing Committee
Chadi Calarge, MD

Professor of Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, and a leading expert in child and adolescent psychopharmacology. His research on pediatric mental health and pharmacogenomics informs the convention's focus on Arab American youth wellbeing.

Ahmed Abdou
Ahmed Abdou
 
Organizing Committee
Ahmed Abdou

Third-year medical student at Texas A&M and Houston Methodist's School of Engineering Medicine. Ahmed's research interests lie at the intersection of medicine, artificial intelligence, and technology, with a focus on Arab American health. An active member of NAAMA NextGen, he contributes to the planning and coordination of the 48th National Convention.

Scientific Committee

Tap or hover a member to read their bio.

Sadeer Al-Kindi
Sadeer Al-Kindi
MD
Scientific Committee Chair
Sadeer Al-Kindi, MD

Leading the scientific program with expertise spanning preventive cardiology, cardiometabolic disease, and cardiovascular disparities. He oversees speaker selection, abstract review, and session design to ensure a rigorous, high-impact scientific program.

Ahmed Thabet
Ahmed Thabet
MD, PhD
Scientific Committee ยท HPDP Organizer
Ahmed Thabet, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), specializing in fracture care and trauma surgery. His clinical and research expertise adds a surgical perspective to the convention's breadth of clinical topics and abstract review process. He also organizes the convention's first-ever Healthcare Professional Development Program, held in conjunction with the Egyptian American Society.

Bader Abdeen
Bader Abdeen
DDS
Dental Track Lead
Bader Abdeen, DDS

Houston-based periodontist and organizer of the convention's Dental Track โ€” a dedicated concurrent program bringing oral health into the Arab American health conversation. Dr. Abdeen's leadership expands the convention's scope beyond medicine to encompass comprehensive community health.

Jamla Rizek
Jamla Rizek
DNP, MBA, RN, FAAN, FAEN
Scientific Committee
Jamla Rizek, DNP, MBA, RN, FAAN, FAEN

Faculty at Harvard Medical School and an internationally recognized leader in emergency and disaster nursing. A Fellow of both the American Academy of Nursing and the American Academy of Emergency Nursing, her expertise in global health emergencies and Arab American communities informs the convention's interdisciplinary approach.

Sarah Hamad
Sarah Hamad
PharmD
Scientific Committee
Sarah Hamad, PharmD

Pharmacist and healthcare professional contributing her expertise in clinical pharmacy and medication management to the scientific committee's review and program development efforts.

Nora Abdullah
Nora Abdullah
MD
Scientific Committee
Nora Abdullah, MD

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow at Yale University and an active member of the NAAMA North Texas chapter. Her expertise in pediatric mental health and her engagement with the next generation of Arab American clinicians enriches both the scientific program and NAAMA's future leadership pipeline.