Dr Rahul Gajbhiye

Dr. Rahul Gajbhiye is a distinguished physician-scientist serving as Scientist E (Deputy Director) at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) - National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health (NIRRCH), Mumbai, India. He has been a recipient of DBT Wellcome Trust India Alliance Clinical and Public Health Intermediate Fellowship, Indian National Science Academy (INSA) Indo-Australia EMCR Fellowship, and Burroughs Wellcome Fellowship, USA.

Over the past two decades, Dr. Gajbhiye has significantly contributed to basic, clinical, translational, and public health research. He has established the largest national clinical cohort and biorepository of endometriosis in India, facilitating advancements in its comprehensive understanding. His research has resulted in numerous impactful publications, including a patented work titled ‘Peptides of the autoimmune targets in non-invasive diagnosis of endometriosis’.

Dr. Gajbhiye serves as an international ambassador for the World Endometriosis Society, and research advisor to Endometriosis Society India contributing to endometriosis policy and advocacy initiatives. He has coordinated research activities at 31 Human Reproductive Research Centers (HRRCs) of ICMR across India.

Dr. Gajbhiye's work is deeply rooted in community needs. He was instrumental in establishing Maharashtra's only two Model Rural Health Research Units in underserved areas. He has developed and disseminated educational materials on endometriosis. A sought-after speaker, Dr. Gajbhiye actively mentors medical graduates, post-graduates, doctoral and post-doctoral fellows guiding them in their respective career paths.

Professor Laurie Keefer

Laurie Keefer, PhD is a Health Psychologist and Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Albany in New York and completed a residency and fellowship in health psychology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago where, in 2004, she went on to set up the first clinically integrated GastroPsychology program in the world. For the past 20 years, Professor Keefer has been a champion for integrated psychosocial care in gastroenterology settings and has trained many in this model around the world.

Professor Keefer’s scientific contributions include the development and implementation of self-management and behavioral intervention tools, known called brain-gut behavior therapies for conditions such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, IBS and GERD. She is the inventor of the “GRITT Method,” a systematic approach to risk stratification, team communication and personalized care planning for patients with chronic conditions seen in multidisciplinary settings.

Professor Keefer is Founder and Chair of the Rome Foundation’s international GastroPsych organization and serves on the Board of Directors of the Rome Foundation. She has more than 250 peer-reviewed publications and is a sought-after speaker, mentor and collaborator.

Dr. Aline Talhouk

Dr. Aline Talhouk, an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Medicine, is also the principal investigator at OVCARE, BC’s ovarian and gynecological cancer research program, where she directs a data science and informatics laboratory.

Dr. Talhouk specializes in computational statistics and machine learning, focusing on developing predictive models in women’s health and oncology. Her research translates -omics discoveries into clinical applications, providing personalized care for ovarian and endometrial cancer patients. Notably, she leads a nationally-funded precision prevention program that uses prediction modeling to identify high-risk individuals for uterine cancer and guide them to appropriate interventions and screening.

Additionally, Dr. Talhouk is researching the ethical use of innovative digital health and informatics tools, including mobile health data and wearables. She is leading the development of infrastructure that uses privacy-preserving federated artificial intelligence and distributed machine learning to derive predictive analytics in gynecologic oncology while overcoming the need to share data.

Recognized as a Michael Smith Health Research BC scholar, Dr. Talhouk holds several grants from CIHR, CFI, and the Canadian Cancer Society, reflecting her dedication to advancing women’s health and oncology through cutting-edge research.

Professor Caroline Ford

Professor Caroline Ford is an Australian cell biologist and health advocate. After international fellowships in Canada and Sweden, Professor Ford established the Gynaecological Cancer Research Group at the University of New South Wales in Sydney in 2010. Her team collaborates closely with clinicians, nurses and people with gynaecological diseases and cancers to improve detection, treatment and outcomes. Her lab has expertise in cell free-DNA analysis and advanced pre-clinical models of disease. She leads major translational research projects on the early detection of ovarian cancer and molecular targets in ovarian, endometrial cancer and endometriosis. Current research is focussed on exploiting successful methods and strategies from precision oncology including liquid biopsy, genomics, drug repurposing and organoid models to investigate endometriosis.

In addition to her research program, Prof Ford is a vocal and engaged advocate for women’s health, science communication and gender equity in STEMM using social and mainstream media, educational platforms, and community engagement to develop awareness and practical strategies to address these issues. Her advocacy for gynaecological cancers has broad reach, particularly through an effective partnership with the Australian fashion brand, CAMILLA AND MARC. Since 2020, the “Ovaries. Talk About Them” campaign has fundraised over $1.7million (AUD) and reached over 550 million people globally.

Dr Takayuki Enomoto

Professor Takayuki Enomoto is a specialist in Gynecologic Oncology, Gynecologic Pathology and Genetic Medicine. He graduated from Osaka University and commenced his career at the Osaka University Hospital. Since that time Professor Enomoto was Visting Fellow and Guest Researcher at the National Cancer Institute in the USA, Associate Professor at the Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine and Professor at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Osaka University Hospital. He was Professor and Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Niigata University Graduate School of Medicine and Dental Services and is currently the Invited Professor at Osaka University Graduate School of Medine and Director of the Centre for Genetic Medicine, Itami City Hospital, Hyogo.

Professor Enomoto’s professional memberships include:

• East Asian Gynecologic Oncology Trial group
• Auditor, Immediate Past President, Japanese Gynecologic Oncology Group
• Corresponding Member, American Association for Cancer Research
• Active Member, American Society for Clinical Oncology
• Active Member, Society of Gynecologic Oncology
• Active Member, International Society for Gynecologic Cancer
• Honorary Member, Japanese Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Honorary Member, Japanese Society of Gynecologic Oncology
• Honorary Member、Korean Scoiety of Gynecologic Oncology
• Auditor, Japanese Society of Gynecological Cancer Screening