William Burdick, MD, MSEd, is Secretary General of The Network: Towards Unity for Health, an organization of community oriented health professions schools and Professor of Emergency Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. As the former Vice President for Education at FAIMER, he was responsible for creation of global faculty development programs for health professions educators. He has received awards for excellence in teaching, including the Lindbach Award and the Trustees Award in his capacity as Professor of Emergency Medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine. A graduate of Oberlin College, Weill Cornell University College of Medicine, and University of Pennsylvania, he completed residency training in Internal Medicine and is certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine and American Board of Internal Medicine.
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Associate Professor Lionel Green-Thompson was appointed dean and took up the role from 15 March 2020.
He has held multiple roles at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), including being the assistant dean for Teaching, Learning and Undergraduate Affairs in the Faculty of Health Sciences. He was also the clinical coordinator for the MBBCh degree in the Centre for Health Science Education from 2004, during which time he engaged in numerous student development initiatives, including the supervision of MMed (Anaesthesia) students.
He graduated from Wits with an MBBCh in 1988. He is a Fellow of the College of Anaesthetists of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa. He obtained his MMed (Anaesthesia) at Wits in 2011 and completed a two-year Wits Carnegie Clinical PhD Fellowship.
He was national chairperson for the South African Association of Health Educationalists for the 2010 to 2013 triennium and chaired the national conference held at Wits in 2010 titled “Making Education Matter”.
Associate Professor Green-Thompson is an occasional reviewer for academic journals such as the South African Journal of Surgery, South African Journal of Psychiatry, South African Journal of Anaesthesia and Analgesia, African Journal of Health Professions Education and, internationally, Medical Teacher and BMC Medical Education. He is a member of the Research Committee of the Association for Medical Education in Europe for the term 2018 to 2022.
He is currently the chair of the network for Medical Education in Resource Constrained Situations.
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Vansh Chouhan is an MBBS Intern at Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, India. With a progressive approach and a passion for leadership, Vansh has a keen interest in organizational management and event coordination working for the social cause. He excels in graphic designing, proficient use of software tools. His communication skills have been instrumental in spearheading various national and state-level initiatives. Vansh is committed to leveraging his skills and experiences to contribute effectively to SNO fostering growth and innovation.
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Nicholas Torres, M.Ed, has over 25 years of experience in executive management, Nicholas works at the cross section between the private sector, government, and not-for-profits to align them toward collective social impact and change public policy. Nicholas has led and founded multiple for-profit and not-for-profit social ventures that are driven both by social impact and financial sustainability measures. Some of his launched social ventures include charter schools, an early literacy technology platform; school-based health centers; and community-based satellite college sites.
Nicholas serves in the capacity of Executive Director of The Network: Towards Unity for Health where he provides governance, strategy, and financial oversight. He also serves as CEO and President (Interim) for The Alliance for Health Equity Foundation. He is Co-Founder and manager of Social Innovations Partners which publishes the Social Innovations Journal. He teaches Nonprofit Leadership, Social Policy, and Social Entrepreneurship at University of Pennsylvania.
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Alejandro is a Physician and general surgeon, specialist in epidemiology and master in public health, university professor and researcher. He has experience in epidemiology and public health with municipalities, departments and districts, as well as in public hospitals and private clinics. He is currently working as a researcher in human longevity and International health care consultant.
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Dr. Cameron is a Professor of Medical Education at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University (NOSMU) in Thunder Bay, Canada. Dr. Cameron’s research focuses on social justice pedagogies and practices that support transformation of local education and health systems. In addition to an active research program, Dr. Cameron is the Director of the Dr. Gilles Arcand Centre for Health Equity (formerly the Centre for Social Accountability), a multidisciplinary centre at NOSM U dedicated to the improvement of health and wellness in Northern Ontario.
Dr. Meredith del Pilar-Labarda is a professor and the immediate past chairperson of the Department of Medicine at the University of the Philippines Manila School of Health Sciences (UPM-SHS), an innovative school known for its socially accountable community-oriented stepladder health professions education curriculum. Currently, she is the chairperson of the research unit of the school and is an active member of the Research Management Committee (RMC) of the Eastern Visayas Health Research and Development Consortium (EVHRDC) in the region. She is the lead for Social Innovation in Health Initiative (SIHI) Philippines Hub and SIHI Global Network Secretariat hosted at the University of the Philippines Manila National Institutes of Health. SIHI is a global network of passionate individuals, organizations and institutions advocating for social innovation in health and advancing research in social innovation launched by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), a global programme of scientific collaboration that helps facilitate, support and influence efforts to combat diseases of poverty. It is co-sponsored by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Prof. Labarda has also actively participated in several World Health Organization initiatives such as serving as the Lead Technical Expert Evaluator in Human Resources, Risk Communication and Community Engagement for the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) of International Health Regulations (IHR) Core Capacities of Thailand and Nepal. In 2023 she also served as a Temporary Adviser for Member States Consultation to draft the Regional Innovation Strategy in the Western Pacific region led by the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific Region.
She is also a Doctor of Social Development and the school’s lead coordinator for health leadership and governance programs in support of the implementation of the Universal Health Care, in partnership with government and non-government organizations in co-designing training modules, providing capacity building trainings and coaching for local chief executives, municipal health officers and other important stakeholders in the local health system and community.
As the lead coordinator of Buhat Tacloban Disaster Relief Operations hosted at the Tacloban City United Church of Christ in the Philippines Inc., Prof. Labarda has also led disaster response at the community level which started during the super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in 2013 and continued during the COVID19 pandemic in 2020 and the super typhoon Odette (Rai) in 2021. Together with Dr. Charlie Labarda, she also serves as program producer and host for Health Talks, a radio program which airs every Saturday on DYFE-FM of the Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC), a member of Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP). Health Talks aims to promote and advocate for public health by providing platforms for discussions, consultations and inquiry, especially directed towards the marginalized and vulnerable sectors of the community.
She was recently awarded the University of the Philippines Manila Gawad Chancellor Award for Outstanding Faculty in Extension Service 2024, an award that recognizes the exemplary accomplishments and contributions of the members of the UP Manila community to the university and country.
Her advocacies, work engagements and research interests include public health and social development, social innovations, local health systems strengthening, transformative health leadership and governance, community engagement, partnerships and empowerment, disaster and resilience, adolescent sexual reproductive health, intersectional gender research, youth capacity strengthening, health and nutrition, community mental health and wellbeing, transformative health professions education, among others.
Eleanor is a Professor in Nursing and Associate Dean International, and Engagement, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Co-director of the Centre For Migrant and Refugee Health Research, has a Ph.D. in Medical Anthropology, from HKU, as well as being a nursing alumna of AUT. She has 30 years of experience working in the international university sector, predominantly in Asia (the Chinese University of Hong Kong, National University of Singapore, University of Hong Kong campus Shenzhen) and Australia (Head of Nursing, RMIT, and Edith Cowan University ), as well as more recently in East Africa, (Aga Khan University). Her research and teaching focus on health equity, human rights, and social justice has spanned nursing, public health, and social sciences academic disciplines, A key focus of her work is with international PHD students Her publication platform has focused on marginalized populations, using a human rights perspective. She is currently Co-Director of the AUT Centre for Migrant and Refugee Research, she has contributed to forming a Steering Committee, hosting a re-launch event, building relationships and partnerships with key community organizations, and writing joint publications and proposals.
Dr Anshu, MBBS, MD, DNB, MNAMS, MHPE, is Director-Professor of Pathology at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, India. She has been awarded Commonwealth Academic Staff Fellowship (2007), CMCL-
FAIMER Fellowship (2007), FAIMER-Institute Fellowship from Philadelphia (2009), and DBT Clinical Fellowship in Genetics Diagnostics (2021). Dr Anshu was awarded the International Fellowship in Medical Education (IFME) from FAIMER, USA in 2012. The award allowed her to pursue her Masters in Health Professions Education (MHPE) from Maastricht University, which she completed with distinction. She was the President of the Academy of Health Professions Educators, India for the year 2022. Dr Anshu is the Coordinator of the Medical Education Unit and the Internal Quality Assurance Cell at her institute. She designs and conducts faculty development workshops both in India and abroad. She has been a faculty member and resource person at four Indian FAIMER Regional Institutes—CMCL-FAIMER, Ludhiana; GSMC-FAIMER, Mumbai; PSG-FAIMER, Coimbatore, and MAHE-FAIMER Institute, Manipal. She is global faculty, lead faculty for Education Methods and Assessment, and quality assurance member for the FAIMER-Institute at Philadelphia. She has edited a book along with Dr Tejinder Singh titled ‘Principles of Assessment in Medical Education’ which is into its second edition. Her interests are: oncopathology, cancer epidemiology and genetics, faculty development, educational methods, assessment, and quality assurance. She also pursues creative writing and blogging as a hobby.
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Associate Professor Firdouza Waggie is the Deputy Dean: Clinical and Community Engagement in the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). She is also physiotherapist and has worked in hospital and community settings. Currently she plays an important role in the leadership and strategic decision-making in the faculty. Her portfolio encompasses all matters related to the training on the clinical and community platforms for all the professional programmes in the faculty. She is also responsible for ensuring that the university is anchored in various communities through establishing partnerships and relationships with stakeholders that benefits the the community and the university. She is an advocate for collaborative practice and community engagement in higher education and in the health and social services. She aims to build personal and leadership capacity amongst faculty staff which is needed for sustainability and success in the higher education sector. Her post-graduate supervision and research record reflects in several national and international publications and conference presentations.
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With over 20 years of experience working across the world, the individual has found their ‘sweet spot’ in using data as a storytelling device to assist others in doing more good, making informed decisions, and amplifying their impact through meaningful change. They collaborate with individuals to foster fresh insights by investigating social issues using data and evidence, ultimately contributing to global expertise by sharing knowledge and crafting impactful narratives.
They have had the privilege of addressing complex health challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic, vaccine hesitancy, antibiotic resistance, diabetes, air pollution, and the enhancement of intricate health systems. Their experience extends to working within prominent organizations such as the OECD, NHS, NSW Health, and The George Institute to drive substantial transformations. Additionally, they serve as a board member of TUFH, representing the Western Pacific region.
Their overarching goal is to rectify the world’s inherent unfairness and inequality, striving to enhance the quality of life for all, irrespective of race, location, or financial status. They aspire to collaborate with fellow problem solvers who share a commitment to leaving no one behind, recognizing the immense potential for collective action.
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Dr. Mohamed Hassan Taha, MB.BS, PG Dip, MHPE, PhD, FAcadMEd is an Assistant Professor of Medical Education at the Medical Education Centre and College of Medicine University of Sharjah. With over 15 years of experience in Medical/Health Professions Education and educational research. He is currently the director of the Medical Education Centre and the coordinator of the Master of Leadership in Health Professions Education at the University of Sharjah, as well as the chair of the College of Medicine’s curriculum committee. Before joining university of Sharjah, he served as the head Of Faculty Development Unit at college of Medicine, University of Qassim, Saudi Arabia, and director of Medical Education Unit, at Public Health Institute and Academy of Health Sciences in Sudan. He also act as member several international organizations of The Association for Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) and The Network: Towards Unity for Health TUFH and he serves as a consultant for various undergraduate and postgraduate medical curricula in the region Eastern Mediterranean region (EMRO region). Dr. Mohammad H. Taha has authored numerous articles on curriculum development, social accountability, online learning, students and residents learning environment, and residency training, and he is working as editorial board member in several medical educational journals.
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European Regional Board Member, The Network: TUFH Professor in Nursing, VIVES University of Applied Science, Belgium Coordinator VIVES LiveLab: Interprofessional Education Researcher Centre of Expertise for Care Innovation, VIVES
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Amy Clithero-Eridon is a faculty member in the Department of Family & Community Medicine (FM) at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. Dr. Clithero-Eridon has a Ph.D. in FM from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa, a Master of Business Administration, and a Master’s level certification in Medical Education from the University of New Mexico. In addition to teaching medical students about social determinants of health, health policy, and health services research, Dr. Clithero-Eridon participates in numerous educational research initiatives focusing on educational best practices, health services research, and social accountability within medical education.
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Elsie Kiguli-Malwadde MBChB, MMed, MscHPE is the Deputy Director and Director Health Workforce Education and Development at the African Center for Global Health and Social transformation (ACHEST), Kampala, Uganda. Before this, she was the Director of the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Coordinating Center at the African Center for Global Health and Social Transformation (ACHEST). Until December 2010 she was an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Radiology at the College of Health Sciences, Makerere University. She is an Honorary Associate Professor Of Radiology at the same University. She has served as external examiner at universities in Uganda, and Tanzania. She is a Fellow of the Foundation for the Advancement of Medical Education and Research (FAIMER). She is the Secretary General of the Network TUFH and President, African Forum for Research and Education in Health (AFREhealth). Her main research interest is Health Professions Education and Body and Breast Imaging.
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Previous Secretary Generals
Elsie Kiguli-Malwadde – 2019 – 2023
Henry Campos – 2019 – 2015
Jan De Maeseneer – 2015 – 2007
Arthur Kaufman – 2007 – 1999
Esmat S. Ezzat – 1999 – 1995
Zohair M. Nooman – 1995 – 1988
Jacobus M. Greep – 1988 – 1980