Dr. Aqeel Shakir Mahmood MD FRCS, a renowned general and gastrointestinal surgeon, serves as a consultant in the Department of Surgery at Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Medical City, and holds positions as the President of the Iraqi Surgical Oncology subspecialty and the Iraqi Medical Association. With accolades such as the Best General and Laparoscopic Surgeon Award, his extensive research focuses on early cancer detection and innovative surgical treatments, particularly for gastrointestinal cancers. As a professor at the University of Baghdad, he significantly contributes to medical education and has authored numerous influential publications. Dr. Mahmood is also actively involved in organizing key symposiums and providing volunteer support and education for cancer patients, demonstrating his deep commitment to advancing medical practice and patient care.
Dr. Andreas Koulouris MD PhD, is a medical oncologist working as a physician-scientist at the Department of Oncology at Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden. His research focuses on prognostic scores and the development of new biomarkers in colorectal and lung cancer. He has received several scholarships and awards, including the ESMO award for achieving the best result in the 2021 ESMO Examination, the ESMO research fellowship 2022 with a clinical focus, the HeSMO fellowship in lung cancer research in 2021, as well as the HeSMO Scholarship for his Ph.D. research proposal at the medical school of the University of Crete in Greece. His scientific activity includes participation in clinical trials, peer-reviewed publications in highly indexed journals, lectures, as well as attendance at scientific events and workshops. He has been ardently involved in the educational process of medical students in Greece and Sweden as a medical instructor for a decade. Last but not least, he has actively participated in volunteering activities for cancer patients and spearheaded artistic activities underscoring the psychological impact of malignancy-related decline.