Dr. Nada M. Melhem is a tenured Professor of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology (Virology and Immunology) at the Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut. Melhem is currently the Director of the Division of Health Professions and the Chair of the Medical Laboratory Sciences Program at the Faculty of Health Sciences.

With a unique background and training in virology, immunology and epidemiology, Melhem developed at AUB a transdisciplinary and translational research program focusing on viral immunopathogenesis and the genomic surveillance of viruses, and their impact on global human health. Melhem’s research program focuses on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), viral diarrheal diseases (specifically noroviruses, rotaviruses, and HAV) and COVID-19. Melhem recently established a wastewater genomic program addressing the dynamic of transmission and evolution of viral diarrheal illnesses as well as respiratory viruses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Melhem led the SARS-CoV-2 National Surveillance Genomic Program for healthcare workers and hospitalized patients.

In addition to a track-record of productive research work and publications, Melhem has a track record in professional service. She is an elected council member of the International Society for Infectious Diseases and served on the WHO SARS-CoV-2 Evolution Technical Advisory Group (TAG) and continue to serve on the WHO Virus Evolution TAG. She is also a member of the National Committee for Communicable Diseases since 2009 serving as a scientific advisor to the Minister of Public Health and the Director General of the Ministry in Lebanon. She has been serving as the National Polio Containment Coordinator in Lebanon since 2022. Melhem has been recently selected to serve on the External Advisory Board for Wayne State University’s new Center for Emerging and Infectious Diseases (CEID). Melhem is also a member of the International Pathogen Surveillance Network (IPSN), a global network of pathogen genomic actors of the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence. She is also a member of the Wastewater and Environmental Surveillance Community of Practice (WHO). During the COVID-19 pandemic, Melhem served as a member of the National COVID-19 Crisis Management Committee in Lebanon, as well as the WHO COVID-19 Epidemiology Technical Advisory Group, and was the representative of Low-Resource Settings on Rapid Evidence Assessment of Drug Candidates of the COVID-19 Clinical Research Coalition.

Amesika Nyaku, MD MS is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and a physician-scientist. She provides clinical care for people living with HIV or other infectious diseases and substance use disorders. Her research interests lie at the intersection of HIV and substance use disorders. She focuses on 1) evaluating long-acting therapeutics for HIV and opioid use disorder, 2) the implementation of integrated care models for HIV and substance use disorders to improve health outcomes, and 3) increasing the inclusion and participation of racial/ethnic minorities in clinical trials research. She is also co-director of the Northern New Jersey Medication-Assisted Treatment Center of Excellence that is tasked with assisting the state in expanding access to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder through education, novel service delivery and community collaboration.

Dr. Nyuma Mbewe is an Infectious Diseases (ID) Physician currently serving in the Department of Emergency Preparedness and Response at the Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI). Her roles include oversight of the country’s Cholera Elimination Program, Clinical lead for COVID-19 Case Management, and coordination with other programs involved in Disease Control, Elimination, and Eradication. She is a mid-career scientist and has participated as a junior investigator in a large trial investigating the Virological Impact of Switching HIV-positive patients from Efavirenz or Nevirapine-based therapy to Dolutegravir (DTG)-based therapies – VISEND. Subsequently, she progressed to investigate the incidence of TB in these patients as a leading risk factor for viral non-suppression. I was also a co-investigator for a case report on Tuberculosis-Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (TB-IRIS) in a virologically suppressed patient switched to DTG and the influence of TB on advanced HIV mortality in admission. With the advent of COVID-19, I have been involved as an investigator in the COVID-19 seroprevalence study, the COVID-19 hospital outcomes study, and the bidirectional screening for TB and COVID-19. Currently, she is leading a team investigating Long COVID, and the synergistic interplay of TB, HIV, and NCDs in patients with a previous history of COVID-19. The hope is that by exploring different overlaps of the synergistic pandemics, we can implement new strategies to improve patient outcomes for co-afflicted patients.

Dr Dariusz Hareza is Assistant Professor of Medicine (Infectious Diseases) at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA. He is working with mentors to research antimicrobial resistance (AMR). He is also a fellow at the NIH-funded Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group (ARLG) and recently finished an infectious diseases fellowship at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA, where he received a master’s degree in clinical investigation. His research involves the molecular epidemiology and clinical outcomes in extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing Enterobacterales and difficult-to-treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa.