Hannah Sebitloane | Clinical Trials | Research Excellence Award

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hannah Sebitloane | Clinical Trials | Research Excellence Award

University of Natal | South Africa

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hannah Sebitloane is a highly respected obstetrician and gynaecologist whose career embodies academic excellence, clinical leadership, and unwavering commitment to women’s health. She began her medical education at the University of Natal in Durban, where she completed her primary medical degree. She later advanced to specialist training through the South African Colleges of Medicine, earning her Fellowship in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Her academic journey progressed at the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, where she completed both her Master of Medicine and doctoral qualifications in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. To further enhance her leadership capabilities, she pursued advanced training in health-care leadership at the University of South Wales in the United Kingdom.Dr. Sebitloane holds major leadership roles in both academic and clinical environments. She serves as Head of the Academic Department at the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine while simultaneously leading the Clinical Department and functioning as Chief Specialist at King Edward VIII Hospital. As overall coordinator of the women’s health directorate, she oversees strategic planning, service delivery, and implementation of high-level maternal and reproductive health programs. Her earlier professional progression included serving as Head of a Clinical Unit and later as Specialist at King Edward VIII Hospital, building on foundational experience as a medical officer and trainee in the discipline.A prominent scholar in her field, Dr. Sebitloane has accumulated more than 2,700 citations across over 2,500 scientific documents, supported by 62 publications and an h-index of 20. These metrics highlight her significant contributions to reproductive health, maternal medicine, cervical cancer screening, HIV in pregnancy, and infectious diseases affecting women. Her research has informed clinical practice, influenced national policies, and supported global guideline development.Dr. Sebitloane actively contributes to national and international professional bodies. She is registered as an independent specialist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa and is a longstanding member of the South African Medical Association. She has served in leadership roles within the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa through the College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and has contributed extensively to the South African Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Her leadership extends to the South African Papilloma Virus Society, where she serves as chairperson, reinforcing her national impact on cervical cancer prevention.

Profile: Scopus

Featured Publications

Anonymous. (2025a). Immunoexpression of placental growth factor (PlGF) and soluble FMS‑like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt‑1) in the placental bed of preeclamptic women of African ancestry living with HIV infection. Histochemistry and Cell Biology, 163(3), 215‑228.

Anonymous. (2025b). Association of angiogenic factors (placental growth factor and soluble FMS‑like tyrosine kinase‑1) in preeclamptic women of African ancestry comorbid with HIV infection. Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 312(2), 101‑112.

Erratum. (2024). Correction to: Extensive cervical lesion and treatment outcomes in women with HIV/HPV co‑infection. AIDS Research and Therapy, 21(1), 101.

Anonymous. (2025c). The histomorphology to molecular transition: exploring the genomic landscape of poorly differentiated epithelial endometrial cancers. Journal of Molecular Pathology, 12(4), 345‑360. (link unavailable)

Anonymous. (2025d). From genes to clinical practice: exploring the genomic underpinnings of endometrial cancer. Clinical Oncology Reviews, 9(1), 78‑92.

Grzegorz Sobieszek | Clinical Trials | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Dr. Grzegorz Sobieszek | Clinical Trials | Best Researcher Award

Military Hospital Lublin | Poland

Prof. Dr. Grzegorz Sobieszek is an accomplished interventional cardiologist whose career reflects deep clinical expertise, academic commitment, and leadership in advanced cardiovascular procedures. His educational path began with primary and secondary schooling in Lublin, followed by medical studies at the Medical University in Lublin, where he completed both his M.D. and Ph.D. in the Department of Pathophysiology. He went on to obtain full specialization in Internal Medicine and later advanced specialization in Cardiology at WSS Hospital in Lublin, building a strong foundation for his future work in complex cardiovascular care. Dr. Sobieszek has held significant academic and clinical positions, including early work in the Pathophysiology Department and a long tenure at WSS Stefan Kardynał Wyszyński Hospital, culminating in his role as Head of the Cardiology Department and Cathlab at the 1st Military Clinical Hospital in Lublin. A highly respected figure in interventional cardiology, he has more than two decades of hands-on operator experience and over a decade of leadership in managing catheterization laboratories. He is widely recognized as a Chronic Total Occlusion (CTO) expert, performing a high volume of complex CTO interventions annually, utilizing antegrade, retrograde, and ADR techniques, and demonstrating advanced proficiency in CHIP interventions, rotablation, IVL, and physiologic assessment such as FFR, IFR, and microcirculation evaluation. His expertise has earned him invitations for national and international proctoring, live case demonstrations, and recognition for outstanding cases at major CTO forums. Prof. Sobieszek’s academic engagement includes significant contributions to scientific literature, particularly in innovative interventional techniques such as CTO strategies and cutting balloon methods, as well as research on sarcopenia and cachexia in heart failure. He has served as an investigator and principal investigator in multiple clinical trials, contributing to evidence generation and improved patient care. He is also the founder and director of high-level educational workshops, including MASTER CTO Poland, MASTER Calcium, and specialized programs on microcirculation and physiologic assessment. His professional affiliations include membership in the Polish Cardiac Society, Polish Society of Hypertension, European Society of Cardiology, and EAPCI. Throughout his career, he has maintained strong collaborative relationships as an expert and speaker for leading global medical technology companies such as Asahi, Boston Scientific, Abbott, Medtronic, Biotronik, Terumo, Philips-Volcano, and others, reinforcing his position as a key opinion leader in modern interventional cardiology.

Profile: Orcid

Featured Publications

Sliman, H., Sliman, R. K. A., Knaapen, P., Nap, A., Sobieszek, G., & Opolski, M. P. (2025). The role of intravascular imaging in coronary chronic total occlusion PCI: Enhancing procedural success through real-time visualization. Journal of Personalized Medicine, 15(7), Article 318.

Sobieszek, G., Warzyszak, P., & Zięba, B. (2024). Review of management of coronary artery perforation. Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine and Cardiology, Article 000213.

Powrózek, T., Skwarek-Dziekanowska, A., Sobieszek, G., & Małecka-Massalska, T. (2024). Correlation between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelets-to-lymphocyte ratio, C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio and clinical picture of elderly chronic heart failure patients. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 13(2), Article 433.

Sobieszek, G., Zięba, B., Dworzański, W., Celiński, R., Barbero, U., & Opolski, M. P. (2023). Embolization of perforated coronary artery with a fragment of balloon catheter (cut balloon technique)—Multicenter study. Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease, 10(12), Article 496.

Wańha, W., Tomaniak, M., Wańczura, P., Bil, J., Januszek, R., Wolny, R., Opolski, M. P., Kuźma, Ł., Janas, A., Figatowski, T., et al. (2022). Intravascular lithotripsy for the treatment of stent underexpansion: The Multicenter IVL-DRAGON Registry. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 11(7), Article 1779.

Sobieszek, G., Powrózek, T., Skwarek-Dziekanowska, A., & Małecka-Massalska, T. (2021). Clinical significance of TNFRSF1A 36T/C polymorphism in cachectic patients with chronic heart failure. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 10(5), Article 1095.

Łagoda, I., Banasik, K., Sobieszek, G., & Kapka-Skrzypczak, L. (2020). Place of physiotherapy in treatment of myocardial infarction in the context of implementation of the Coordinated Specialist Care Programme. Medycyna Ogólna i Nauki o Zdrowiu, Article 129582.

Shadi Hamoud | Clinical Trials | Excellence in Research Award

Dr. Shadi Hamoud | Clinical Trials | Excellence in Research Award

Rambam health care campus | Israel

Dr. Shadi Hamoud is a distinguished physician, clinical researcher, and academic leader whose career spans internal medicine, cardiovascular research, and translational medicine. Earning his medical degree with honors from the Faculty of Medicine at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Dr. Hamoud embarked on a professional journey characterized by clinical excellence, research innovation, and a deep commitment to medical education. Over the years, he has combined patient-centered care with groundbreaking research, focusing on lipoprotein oxidation, atherosclerosis, the role of the enzyme heparanase in kidney injury, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disorders, as well as pioneering clinical trials for novel oral anticoagulants, lipid-modifying agents, diabetes treatments, and therapies for emerging infectious diseases such as COVID-19.As Deputy Director of the Department of Internal Medicine E at Rambam Medical Center and Director of the Clinical Research Unit, Dr. Hamoud has overseen numerous national and international clinical studies, collaborating with leading pharmaceutical companies, including Bayer, Pfizer, Novartis, Sanofi, and AstraZeneca. His research portfolio reflects expertise in designing and conducting complex multicenter clinical trials addressing some of the most challenging issues in cardiovascular medicine and metabolic diseases. Additionally, his clinical consultancy roles across multiple departments at Rambam Health Care Campus highlight his interdisciplinary approach to medicine, ensuring that research findings translate effectively into improved patient outcomes.An accomplished educator, Dr. Hamoud has dedicated decades to training the next generation of physicians, serving as a clinical lecturer at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and mentoring medical students, interns, and graduate researchers. Under his supervision, numerous MD and basic science theses have been completed, exploring critical areas such as oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, liver steatosis, and the molecular pathways of atherosclerosis. His leadership as Program Director for the Internal Medicine Preparatory Course for National Licensing Examinations further reflects his commitment to academic excellence and medical training standards.

Profile: Orcid

Featured Publications

Hamoud, S., Hacker, I., Karram, T., Fokra, A., Kabala, A., & Abassi, Z. (2024). Gender-specific renoprotective pathways in αMUPA transgenic mice subjected to acute kidney injury. International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

Cohen-Segev, R., Nativ, O., Kinaneh, S., Aronson, D., Kabala, A., Hamoud, S., Karram, T., & Abassi, Z. (2023). Effects of angiotensin 1-7 and Mas receptor agonist on renal system in a rat model of heart failure. International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

Kinaneh, S., Hijaze, W., Mansour-Wattad, L., Hammoud, R., Zaidani, H., Kabala, A., & Hamoud, S. (2022). Heparanase inhibition prevents liver steatosis in E₀ mice. Journal of Clinical Medicine.

[Author names not fully provided]. (n.d.). Predictors of survival in subjects treated in the “shock room” of the emergency department in a tertiary medical center.