Plenary Speakers

Rowland Pettit

Rowland Pettit is a third-year medical student at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He is training to become a biomedical clinician/scientist. Rowland completed his undergraduate education at Duke University, obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Biophysics. His research focuses on large scale solutions to medical problems, system level understanding of physiological processes, and the medical application of advanced technology such as artificial intelligence. He is Co-Primary Investigator on an NIH grant application to utilize artificial intelligence to aid in clinical decision making for orthotopic liver transplantation. He has published research in the Journal of Neurotrauma, and the Orthopedic Journal of Sports Medicine. In addition, he has presented his research at local, national and international venues. Rowland has investigated public health issues in South Africa as well as Central America, which included serving on nine service trips and installing seven clean water wells in rural regions of Los Chiles, Costa Rica.  He has examined the public health impact of these wells. He is a member of the Orthopedic Research Society, the National Neurotrauma Society, the Texas Medical Association, the Harris County Medical Alliance, and the Bassett Society. At the State level he serves as the APT representative for the TMAA. Locally he participates in the H.O.M.E.S. clinic to provide healthcare for Houston’s homeless population.

Malak El Sabeh

Malak El Sabeh is a third year medical student at the American University of Beirut (AUB) in Lebanon. She completed her undergraduate degree in AUB, obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in creative writing. Living in a region of instability, she was interested in the field of global health since a younger age and has been actively engaged in research and volunteering opportunities in this field, targeting the Syrian refugee population. Her research includes assessment of consanguinity rates and genetic awareness among this population as well as family planning and contraceptive use. Malak is also part of many volunteering opportunities aimed at improving the living conditions of Syrian refugees: offering psychological support, organizing food and clothes drives, and assisting in the organization of free health days. In addition, she is part of the core team organizing HEAL (Health, Empowerment, Advocacy, Learning), a student run clinic that offers free medical care to migrant workers, a vulnerable population in Lebanon that has no access to medical care. Aside of her interest in global health, she is passionate about her basic, translational, and clinical research in the field of endocrinology, a field she aspires to specialize in. She published a short story on the Lebanese Civil War at the age of sixteen and always tries to integrate the humanities in her daily practice.

Vaishali P. Patil, BHMS, PGDHM, MBS, MA (Edu), MMH

Vaishali P. Patil has developed expertise and contributed extensively in educational and health systems. She has been teaching and applying sciences at various levels of schools, college and university in different streams including Medical College, Hospital Management Institute and Research Areas. She has played leadership roles in establishing and popularizing science streams in multinational, conservative expatriate communities especially for female students with far reaching educational impact in India and Saudi Arabia. While working in various administrative and teaching capacities at leading educational institutions she is continuing her own education simultaneously. As a doctoral student in Health Policy at Oregon State University her current research aims to investigate the impact of domestic violence on women and child health in the Indian subcontinent and the adequacy of the laws against domestic violence.