The XI Malta Medical School Conference

Sheila M Allen PharmD, BCPS, is the Senior Director of Experiential Education and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, Retzky College of Pharmacy (UIC COP).  Sheila has worked within experiential education for the past 17 years at UIC COP, where she currently serves as the Senior Director of Experiential Education and Director of Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences.  She has also previously served as the Director of Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences and Patient Care Skills Lab Coordinator.  She received a Doctorate of Pharmacy from the UIC COP in 2003 and completed a Primary Care Residency with a Focus on Education at Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy in 2004.  Prior to joining the Office of Experiential Education at UIC COP in 2008, she was an Assistant Professor at Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy and a Clinical Pharmacist at Advocate Health Centers - Sykes Anti-thrombosis Clinic.  Areas of research and interest include experiential education, patient care communication, patient care simulations, skills-based education, preceptor and site development, assessment of student learning, and program evaluation.

Claire Anderson is Professor of Social Pharmacy in the Division of Pharmacy Practice and Policy, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, UK. She has been elected President of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society since 2021.

Her research has led and informed the development of pharmacy and pharmacy education in the UK and globally for example, in role in public health, influenza vaccination, prescribing and pharmacists in general practice.  As an internationally renowned social pharmacy researcher she has shaped the future of global research in this area. She has also set the agenda in pharmacy education research and development through work with international Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). She is a trustee of the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association.

She was awarded the FIP Distinguished Service Award in 2025 for exceptional leadership, her influential work in pharmacy education and workforce development, and her lasting impact on the international pharmacy community. She was awarded the Utrecht University award for excellence in pharmacy 2023 for transforming the future of pharmacy practice.

Mrs Antonella Berry-Brincat is a highly experienced Consultant Ophthalmologist with more than 14 years of specialist expertise in eyelid, lacrimal, and orbital disorders.

After obtaining her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Malta, where she graduated with a Distinction in Medicine, Mrs Berry-Brincat completed her house-officer training in Malta, gaining broad clinical experience across both medical and surgical disciplines. It was during a summer placement at St Luke’s Hospital that she discovered her passion for ophthalmology, as a career she fondly describes as one she “entered by accident but never left by choice.”

She subsequently moved to the United Kingdom to undertake specialist ophthalmology training, followed by two prestigious Fellowships in Oculoplastic Surgery at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, and Leicester Royal Infirmary. These fellowships provided advanced training in both surgical and non-surgical management of complex periocular and orbital disease, consolidating her reputation for precision and technical skill. At her NHS base, University Hospitals of Leicester, one of the UK’s leading teaching trusts, Mrs Berry-Brincat manages tertiary referrals from across the region and contributes extensively to postgraduate training.

She serves as a College Tutor in Leicester. Since 2017, she has been the Ambassador for the Training programme for Maltese Trainees in the East Midlands Deanery, mentoring and supporting Maltese doctors on government-funded specialist training in the UK. She has already helped over 50 trainees successfully complete their programmes and return to contribute in senior positions in Mater Dei hospital in Malta. In this role, she coordinates placements, provides academic and pastoral support, and helps ensure that returning trainees bring back advanced clinical expertise to strengthen Malta’s healthcare system. Her work enables Maltese doctors to return to Malta equipped to enhance and develop the local medical services, improving patient access and reducing the need for Maltese patients for treatment abroad.

Mrs Berry-Brincat has authored peer-reviewed publications and remains committed to continuous professional development through regular attendance and presentations at national and international ophthalmology conferences. She takes pride in delivering safe, high-standard care and in mentoring the next generation of doctors.

Professor Booth is a clinical academic specializing in primary immunodeficiency (PID) and gene therapy. She leads gene therapy clinical trials at Great Ormond Street Hospital, treating patients with immune deficiencies, haematological, and metabolic disorders. Her expertise spans pre-clinical laboratory research, translational studies, phase I/II clinical trials, and the clinical management of patients with PID, including

Her extensive experience in clinical trials includes regulatory frameworks, investigational medicinal product (IMP) manufacturing, clinical pathways, orphan drug designation, industrial partnerships, and commercialization.

Her pre-clinical research focuses on developing gene therapy strategies for X-linked lymphoproliferative diseases (XLP-1 and XIAP deficiency). She is actively investigating both conventional lentiviral-mediated corrective strategies and novel gene editing techniques to enable targeted gene addition in haematopoietic stem cells and T cells.

As a consultant paediatric immunologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital—one of the U.K.'s two commissioned centres for stem cell transplantation for primary immunodeficiency—she is dedicated to advancing treatments for haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). Her work aims to improve outcomes for HLH patients through the development of new therapeutic approaches, including gene therapies. Additionally, she holds a visiting lecturer position at Boston Children’s Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in paediatric haematology/oncology.

Dr Kelvin Cortis is a consultant radiologist with a special interest in hepatobiliary imaging and interventional oncology.  He graduated as a Doctor of Medicine and Surgery in 2006 and started radiology training in Malta under the auspices of Dr Adrian Mizzi.  He then subspecialised in the Istituto Mediterraneo per i Trapianti e Terapie ad Alta Specializzazione (ISMETT, Palermo) and Kings College Hospital (London).  Dr Cortis is a member of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (MRCSI), a fellow of the Royal College of Radiologists (FRCR), and a Fellow of the European Society of Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology (ESGAR).  He also holds the European Diploma in Radiology (EDiR), the European Board of Interventional Radiology (EBIR), a Master degree in Cancer Therapeutics, and an ESGAR Certificate of Excellence in Abdominal Radiology.

Professor Dargan is a Professor of Clinical Toxicology and Consultant Physician at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, and Professor of Clinical Toxicology at King’s College London in London, UK.

 He has a specialist clinical and research interest in recreational drug, heavy metal toxicity and pharmaceutical drug toxicity. He has an active research programme with research collaborators in the UK, Europe, North America, Africa, Australasia and Asia across a broad portfolio of projects related to recreational drug toxicity, new psychoactive substances, self-poisoning and heavy metal toxicity.

 He has published over 400 peer-reviewed papers, edited a number of books and published numerous book chapters. He has research grant income over the last 10 years of over GB£ 9 million.

 He is the President of the European Association of Poisons Centres and Clinical Toxicologists (EAPCCT). He is a Commissioner to the UK Commission on Human Medicines and an expert advisor to a number of UK and International bodies including the UK Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Edward is an internationally recognised expert in interventional endoscopy. He has developed the ‘saline-immersion/irrigation technique’ (SITE) for endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), which is now being utilised worldwide for facilitation of minimally-invasive endoscopic removal of pre-malignant tumours of the digestive tract. For this, he has recently received prestigious acclaim by the inventors of ESD themselves, the Japanese Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society (JGES) and by Malta, through his appointment as an Officer of the National Order of Merit (UOM).

Edward has led The Royal Free Unit for Endoscopy of The Royal Free Hospital, for past 13-years to recognition as a World Endoscopy Organisation (WEO) Centre of Excellence. He is also an Associate Professor at University College London and is the Senior Associate Editor of VideoGIE (the flagship educational journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the ASGE).

Since his appointment, he has established one of the busiest and most highly-respected quaternary- referral and training centres for double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) worldwide, and one of the very few quaternary-referral and training centres for ESD in the UK, at both of which he regularly treats patients referred internationally.

Edward is regularly invited to demonstrate cutting-edge endoscopy procedures and to deliver lectures at international conferences and is the co-directing founder of the highly successful International Advanced Endoscopy Masterclass (AEM) (London & Malta). He is also the Chair of the WEO Standards of Practice.

Ana Ferrer-Dufol is a physician and toxicologist, formerly Head of the Unit of Clinical Toxicology at the University Clinical Hospital in Saragossa and Professor of Toxicology at the University of Saragossa. She graduated in Medicine and Biochemistry, specialized in Pathology, and obtained her PhD on the usefulness of the basic pathology laboratory in forensic autopsies.

After an early career in pathology and forensic medicine, she dedicated the last two decades of her professional activity to clinical and analytical toxicology. She trained in France at the Poison Control Centers of Lyon and Paris, supported by a joint grant from the Spanish and French Ministries of Education and Research, and completed Master’s degrees in Criminology and in Clinical Toxicology.

She has been actively involved in professional societies, serving on the Board of the Spanish Association of Toxicology, where she co-founded the Section of Clinical Toxicology, and in the Executive Committee of EUROTOX for two terms. She was also President of the Scientific Committee of the IUTOX 2010 Congress in Barcelona.

She is founder and current President of the Spanish Foundation of Clinical Toxicology (FETOC) created in 2010 aiming to promote the development of clinical toxicology in Spanish hospitals and emergency services through scientific meetings and clinical practice guidelines.

From 1999 she coordinates the Spanish Hospital Toxicovigilance Program, which has collected nearly 30,000 poisoning cases by chemical products from the ED of 30 Spanish public hospitals and provides annual reports for the Ministry of Health.

She has been an active member of the Executive and Scientific Committee of the EAPCCT since 2010, and served as President of the EAPCCT during the 2022-2024 term.

Currently, although retired from hospital practice, she remains active through FETOC, scientific collaborations, and the dissemination of clinical toxicology in Spain.

Dr. James Gauci is a Consultant in Gastroenterology within the Department of Gastroenterology and Immunology, Ministry of Health, Malta. He previously served as Consultant in Gastroenterology at the Mid Yorkshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in the United Kingdom, where he led the Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary medicine service and represented the trust on the regional Cancer Alliance Network. This followed a senior fellowship at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, where he introduced an ERCP consent clinic.

Dr. Gauci holds a Master of Science by Research for his work on improving the diagnostic yield of endoscopic ultrasound-guided sampling in gastrointestinal lesions and advancing genomic discovery in pancreatic cancer. His research interests focus on pancreaticobiliary disease and advanced hepatobiliary endoscopy, with multiple peer-reviewed publications in leading journals such as Endoscopy, Pancreas, and Frontline Gastroenterology. Dr. Gauci is an Associate Editor for Frontiers in Gastroenterology and a reviewer for several international journals.

In addition to his clinical and academic commitments, Dr. Gauci contributes actively to medical education as an Educational Officer for the Malta Association of Gastroenterologists and a Committee Member for the Postgraduate Training Programme in Gastroenterology at Mater Dei Hospital. He also serves on the Education Committee of the European Pancreatic Club and has held led the organisation of several national and European educational events.

Gizem Gül is the Account Manager of the Genetic Sciences Division at Thermo Fisher Scientific, a position she has held since 2021. She holds both a bachelor's and a master’s degree in Molecular Biology and Genetics, showcasing her strong foundation and expertise in the field. Currently, Gizem is a PhD candidate in Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, further expanding her knowledge and research capabilities.

With a robust background in molecular biology and genetics, Gizem has contributed significantly to the advancement of genetic sciences. Her role at Thermo Fisher Scientific involves managing key accounts and driving the adoption of cutting-edge technologies in genetic research. Gizem's dedication to her field is evident through her continuous pursuit of advanced knowledge and innovative solutions to complex biological problems.

Gizem's professional journey is marked by her commitment to excellence and innovation in genetic sciences, making her a valuable asset to both her organization and the broader scientific community.

Bora Lim is an esteemed associate professor at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, at the forefront of translational research in oncology. As the Chief of the Translational Research section, Dr. Lim is not just a researcher; she's a visionary, crafting innovative therapeutic strategies to confront and conquer aggressive breast cancers. Her unique approach leverages precise tissue analysis and rigorous bench validation to ensure the highest efficacy in clinical applications.

At the helm of the OPTIMA program, Dr. Lim orchestrates a symphony of collaboration among internal and external investigators. Her mission: to unearth new therapeutic vulnerabilities and decipher the resistance mechanisms of rare and formidable breast cancers. Trust in Dr. Lim's expertise to illuminate the path toward new life-saving treatments in the fight against breast cancer.

Matthias Löhr is Professor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Karolinska Institutet and leads the Pancreatic Team at Karolinska University Hospital. He currently serves as president of United European Gastroenterology (UEG). His research focuses on pancreatic diseases, particularly adenocarcinoma and cystic preneoplasias (IPMN), and he has led several early-phase clinical trials on pancreatic cancer.

Löhr earned his medical degree from the University of Hamburg in 1986, followed by a postdoc at Scripps Clinic in California. He completed residencies and held senior roles in Germany before becoming Professor of Molecular Gastroenterology at the University of Heidelberg and DKFZ. In 2007, he joined Karolinska Institutet. His work is supported by national and EU funding, including projects like PRECODE, PancAIM, PANCAID, and GUIDE.MRD.

He leads the “Pancreas 2000” educational program and developed key European guidelines for chronic pancreatitis and IgG4-related diseases. A past secretary-general of the European Pancreatic Club, he received its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023. Löhr has published over 400 peer-reviewed papers and actively promotes international collaboration and research in neglected cancers

Kevin Mackie has been with Resuscitation Council UK since 1993, first as an ALS Instructor and Course Director, before becoming an Educator in 2003 and a Lead Educator in 2015. As an Educator, Kevin has facilitated many courses and is Educational Adviser to the Advanced Resuscitation of the Newborn Infant (ARNI) course. He is a member of the e-ALS review Working Group and occasional adviser to the Advanced Life Support (ALS) Subcommittee. His particular interest is in debriefing candidates engaged in medical simulation. Now a freelance consultant in medical education and company director, Kevin also spent nearly 25 years in the Royal Air Force.

Giovanni Marchegiani is a pancreas surgeon at the Hepato-biliary-pancreatic (HPB) and Liver transplant surgery service of the Padova University Hospital. As an academic, he is appointed as assistant professor of surgery at the same university.

He holds a PhD at the Verona University in Inflammation, Immunity and Cancer for Pancreas Sciences. He served as a Research Fellow in Pancreas Surgery at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) of Harvard University in Boston, USA. During his surgical training, he did serval clinical and research experiences at the NYU University of New York and Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia during his years as a medical student.

He is currently the secretary of the International Study Group for Pancreas Surgery (ISGPS). He is the Chair of the Membership and Development Committee of the European-African HepatoPancreatoBiliary Association (E-AHPBA). He is the coordinator of the Young Talent group of the European Pancreatic Group (EPC) named Pancreas 2000. He is also in the Quality-of-Care Committee of the United European Gastroenterology (UEG). He is vice-president and faculty of the “Pancreas2000” Education course promoted by the European Pancreas Club.

From the editorial standpoint, he is Editor of the British Journal of Surgery (BJS) open and Associate Editor of the European Digestive Surgery.

He joined the Board of Directors of Pancreatic Cancer Europe (PCE) in 2025.

Professor Maxwell qualified in Medicine with Honours from the University of Birmingham in 1986 and trained in medicine and clinical pharmacology in the West Midlands where he undertook research in cardiovascular medicine to gain both PhD and MD degrees. He was initially appointed as a consultant in 1996 in Leicester and subsequently moved to Edinburgh where he is now Professor of Student Learning (Clinical Pharmacology and Prescribing). He has had a longstanding interest in the assessment and management of people at increased cardiovascular risk because of hypertension and hyperlipidaemia.

He has been a member of the Scottish Medicines Consortium and NICE medicines appraisal committee. He is currently a member of the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) Pharmacovigilance Expert Advisory Committee and is Medical Director of the Scottish Centre for Adverse Reactions to Drugs (CARDS).

Gerry Melino is a Full Professor of Biochemistry at University of Rome “Tor Vergata” (Italy). He is a Member of Accademia Lincei & Accademia Europaea. Prof Melino is Founder & Editor-in-Chief of 3 journals - Cell Death Differentiation (IF 12.1), Cell Death Disease (IF 9.7), and Cell Death Discovery (IF 7.1), as well as a member of several other Editorial Boards and Scientific Advisor for several Governmental Institutions. His training originated in Rome, Italy, where he obtained his M.D. (1978, University of Rome) followed by clinical specialisations in Paediatrics (1981) and Clinical Oncology (1985); the Ph.D. (1984) was at the University of London, UK, where he became Consultant. His scientific interest with almost 700 papers (H-index 105; Citations 56000) are focused on programmed cell death in epidermal and neural models, and in particular on the p53 family - p63 and p73, in cancer progression.

Pavlos Msaouel is a physician-scientist dedicated to kidney cancer research, with a particular emphasis on rare subtypes such as renal medullary carcinoma. His laboratory identified the serum biomarker currently used to monitor cancer burden in most patients with renal medullary carcinoma, as well as many of the targeted therapies currently used for this disease. These discoveries were accelerated by his introduction of modern data science approaches to research and clinical practice. He serves as the principal investigator of several completed and ongoing clinical trials for rare and common kidney cancers, including the first such trials designed specifically for renal medullary carcinoma

Dr. Zeynep Özcan is the Clinical Account Manager for the Clinical Sequencing Division at Thermo Fisher Scientific since 2020. She holds an MSc degree in Biochemistry and a PhD in Molecular Biology and Genetics, with her doctoral research focusing on cell signaling mechanisms in carcinogenesis. Her work involved extensive studies in transcriptomics and proteomics to analyze gene expression and protein level alterations. Dr. Özcan has also contributed to various research projects at prestigious institutions such as Boğaziçi University, Gebze Technical University, and TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center, with a focus on molecular toxicology, food molecular biology, and cancer research.

Dr. Özcan held several key positions after her academic studies, including Laboratory Coordinator and Project Specialist. She played a pivotal role in developing Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)-based custom design and research panels for diagnosing poorly defined genetic diseases.

In her current role at Thermo Fisher Scientific, Dr. Özcan manages the NGS portfolio for clinical sequencing testing in oncology, reproductive health, genetic disorders, and infectious diseases across the North & Southeast Europe (N&SEE), including Malta, Turkey, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Iceland, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) also including Turkmenistan, Georgia and Ukraine. Her expertise in NGS-based clinical sequencing is devoted to raising awareness and making a meaningful difference in patients’ lives.

Paolo Scollo is a highly accomplished medical professional specializing in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He graduated with honors in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Catania in 1981, and has been committed to the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology ever since. He is a certified specialist in endocrine surgery. Professor Scollo's career includes significant roles at the Cannizzaro Hospital of Catania, where he served as Director of the Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology and later as Director of the Department of Maternal and Child Health. Beyond his clinical practice, Professor Scollo has been actively involved in education and research. He has been a contract professor at the University of Catania and Messina, teaching Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatric Surgery. He has been invited to hundreds of events as a speaker, lecturer, and presenter. He has contributed to 148 publications in Italian and international journals, covering a wide range of topics in his field. Professor Scollo is a member of numerous scientific societies, including the Italian Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (SIGO) and the Italian Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (SIEOG), and has held leadership positions in several. He was elected National President of SIEOG in 2004 and serves as Honorary Professor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Rector of the Università Kore Enna in Sicilia, Italia

Nancy L. Shapiro, Pharm.D., FCCP, BCACP, CACP is Clinical Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Retzky College of Pharmacy. She serves as Coordinator and Clinical Pharmacist of the pharmacist-managed Antithrombosis Clinic at the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System. She is also the Associate Head for Education. Dr. Shapiro received her Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees from the University of Iowa. She completed a primary care specialty residency at UIC in 1996, earned her BCPS in 1997, her FCCP in 2010, her BCACP in 2016, became a Certified Anticoagulation Provider in 2017. She completed her term on the ACCP Board of Regents in 2019, and is currently serving on the ASHP Commission on Credentialing.  She is also an active member of the Anticoagulation Forum, serving on numerous committees. Dr. Shapiro has been a clinical pharmacist, scholar, and educator in all aspects of anticoagulation pharmacotherapy since 1997. She has trained hundreds of UIC students, residents, and international trainees looking to create anticoagulation services at their own institutions, or gain additional clinical skills in this practice area. Her specific clinical and research areas of interest include anticoagulation for venous thromboembolism, stroke prevention for atrial fibrillation, and anticoagulation in special populations.

Daniella Spiteri Cornish is a strategic academic leader and medical educator with a unique background in clinical paediatrics and higher education. As the Institute Lead for Student Education at the University of Leeds, she provides expert leadership in healthcare curriculum development, supporting a network of internal and external partners to advance educational excellence.

A proven programme architect, she has a distinguished track record of designing, accrediting, and leading innovative postgraduate healthcare programmes. She leads the Clinical Education provision at the University of Leeds form undergraduate to postgraduate, and successfully secured national accreditation for Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) pathways, authoring assessment standards for national implementation.

Her work is driven by a commitment to translating clinical expertise into transformative educational strategies, fostering inclusive learning environments, and building robust collaborations across the healthcare and higher education sectors.

She is an accredited Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) with a PhD in Child Health.

Cristina Valsecchi is a seasoned professional in the life sciences and biomedical research sector. She currently serves as a Senior Technical Sales Specialist at Thermo Fisher Scientific, focusing on Human Predictive Genomics across South Europe. With a robust background in molecular biology and medical biotechnology, Cristina has held various roles, including scientific support and sales representative positions at prominent companies like Applied Biosystems and Beckman Coulter. Her expertise spans predictive genomics, pharmacogenomics, and personalized human health. Cristina is also a published researcher with contributions to multiple scientific journals.