3rd POCT Advances Conference | Faculty | 11 - 12 March 2023 | Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi

Senior Manager, POCT & Quality
National Reference Laboratory,
UAE

Jonathan has more than 20 years’ healthcare industry experience. He transitioned to National Reference Library (NRL), when NRL were awarded the laboratory management contract for Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in 2019. Jonathan is responsible for overseeing NRL’s Point of Care Testing (POCT) programs across all facilities, including Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Jonathan joined Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi when the facility first opened in 2015 and was responsible for setting up and establishing the POCT department. He played a major role in helping the department achieve CAP accreditation within six months of opening. In 2016, the POCT program achieved ISO 22870 accreditation with UKAS. The first in the Middle East to obtain this challenging standard. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has the broadest POCT scope accredited to ISO internationally.

Jonathan is a regional expert in the field of POCT, he has produced several publications and is also a regular contributor to scientific conferences. Jonathan has a Master’s degree in Biomedical Science from the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland and was recently awarded a MSc in Leadership and Innovation in Healthcare from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Jonathan is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Laboratory Science in Ireland.

Acting Executive Director
National Reference Laboratory,
UAE

Dr. Laila AbdelWareth has more than 30 years’ experience working in the healthcare sector. She is a board-certified UAE national Pathologist and Physician Executive with a special interest in capacity building, quality assurance and healthcare administration.

Prior to joining National Reference Laboratory, Dr. Laila served as the Chief of Clinical Pathology in the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Institute, at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Dr. Laila’s major contributions in the UAE laboratory diagnostic field include:

• The introduction of the first national newborn screening program in 1998, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health

• The re-activation of the National Tissue Typing Laboratory to support solid organ and bone marrow transplantation

• The introduction of Total Laboratory Automation

• The introduction of laboratory accreditation by the College of American Pathologists, as well as the American Association of Blood Banks, in Abu Dhabi

Dr. Laila earned her medical degree from Ain Shams University Cairo, Egypt, and completed her postgraduate training at the University of British Columbia, Canada, in Medical Biochemistry and Clinical Pathology. She is an active member of various scientific societies and has several publications to her credit in the field of Laboratory Medicine.

Medical Director & Director of Clinical Operations
National Reference Laboratory,
UAE

Dr. Shweta Narang is an accomplished healthcare professional with a wealth of clinical and management experience. She is an American board-certified Anatomic and Clinical pathologist, with more than 20 years’ experience managing both standalone and hospital laboratories.

In addition to her role at National Reference Laboratory (NRL), Dr. Shweta is also the Chair of Laboratory Services for Danat al Emarat Hospital and the HealthPlus Network of Specialty Centers. She has played an instrumental role in the introduction of clinical laboratories at these facilities including the launch of a Next Generation Sequencing and Cytogenetics laboratory.

Dr. Shweta obtained her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from Goa Medical College in India. She then went on to complete fellowships in Onco-pathology and Cytopathology from Memorial Sloan Kettering and Hartford Hospital in the US. In addition, Dr. Shweta was the Chief Resident at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

As a leading thought leader within the UAE, Dr. Shweta has served as a Scientific Advisor for Becton Dickinson and a panel expert for DHA’s Anatomic Pathology second opinion investigation committee. She is an esteemed researcher, author, and public speaker, with numerous of publications to her credit, and has spoken at conferences across the Middle East and Asia.

Associate Staff Physician, Endocrinology
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi,
UAE

Dr. Ola Jarad is an Associate Staff Physician in the Endocrinology department of the Medical Subspecialties Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Ola worked as a Consultant Endocrinologist at the Specialized Medical Centre Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Dr. Ola was given the Best Performance Doctor Award for 2017 and had many great accomplishments during her time in KSA. Dr. Ola was actively involved in medical education, teaching students and residents in collaboration with the academic committee of King Faisal University.

Dr. Ola received her medical degree from Damascus University in Damascus, Syria. She also completed her residency at Damascus University where she also earned a master's degree in Endocrine and Metabolism. Upon completion, Dr. Ola completed her Jordanian Boards in Endocrine and Metabolism from the Jordanian Medical Council in Amman, Jordan.

Consultant, Chemical Pathologist at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center – Madinah,
Saudi Arabia

Graduated from King Abdualaziz Medical School.

Canadian Board Certified in Medical Biochemistry.

Currently working as Consultant, Chemical Pathologist at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center – Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

Currently Head of Saudi Point of care testing Association, member of POCT Committee of IFCC, and AACC Academy Guideline Committee for Reproductive POCT.

POCT Strategy Group Chair & National POCT Clinical Lead, NHS Wales
UK

Annette Thomas is a Consultant Clinical Biochemist at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board with over 40 years’ experience in Laboratory Medicine, over 20 years of which has been as Director of Weqas, a well-respected International EQA provider and Reference Measurement Laboratory.

Annette is the National Point of Care (POCT) Clinical lead for Wales representing POCT in Government advisory Committees and chairs the National POCT Strategic Board and the National POCT Delivery Group.

She is a member of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) Task Force on Global Lab Quality and past chair of the IFCC Committee on Analytical Quality.