Aaron Smith
AIBODY
Chief Medical Officer
Focus Session: Active Learning in Pathophysiology: Applications of AI-Enabled Physiology Models
MBChB BSc(Hons) MRCP, previous course lead on 2nd year courses in MSc Internal Medicine Online programme and clinical educator through practicing.
AIBODY
Chief Medical Officer
Focus Session: Active Learning in Pathophysiology: Applications of AI-Enabled Physiology Models
MBChB BSc(Hons) MRCP, previous course lead on 2nd year courses in MSc Internal Medicine Online programme and clinical educator through practicing.
Donggil Song
Texas A&M University
Associate Professor of Engineering Technology & Industrial Distribution
Focus Session: Harnessing AI for Communication Skills Training in Medical Education: From Pilot Study to Practical Implementation
Dr. Donggil Song, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Engineering Technology & Industrial Distribution at Texas A&M University. His research lab, Einbrain Lab (www.einbrain.com), focuses on human–AI collaboration, developing AI-driven Extended Reality (XR) systems to enhance human performance and learning.
Texas A&M University
Associate Professor of Engineering Technology & Industrial Distribution
Focus Session: Harnessing AI for Communication Skills Training in Medical Education: From Pilot Study to Practical Implementation
Dr. Donggil Song, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Engineering Technology & Industrial Distribution at Texas A&M University. His research lab, Einbrain Lab (www.einbrain.com), focuses on human–AI collaboration, developing AI-driven Extended Reality (XR) systems to enhance human performance and learning.
Krishna Mohan Surapaneni
Panimalar Medical College Hospital & Research Institute
HoD of Medical Education
Focus Session: Humanizing Medical Education: Bioethics as the Foundation of Flourishing in the Contemporary Educational Revolution
Dr. Surapaneni Krishna Mohan is a distinguished medical teacher and renowned researcher in the fields of Biochemistry, Medical Education, Bioethics and Population Health Informatics. He currently serves as the Vice Principal & Professor of Biochemistry and Heads the Department of Medical Education, Clinical Skills & Simulation and Bioethics at Panimalar Medical College Hospital & Research Institute, Chennai, India. His expertise in Medical Education is evidenced by the award of prestigious Joint Masters in Health Professions Education (JMHPE), from Maastricht University, The Netherlands, and Suez Canal University, Egypt and Masters in Health Professions Education (MHPE) from Keele University, UK. He was awarded the prestigious CMCL-FAIMER Fellowship (Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research) in 2009. He has also earned prestigious Fellowships including the International Association of Medical Science Educators (FIAMSE), USA and the Academy of Medical Educators (FAcadMEd), UK. He received Fellowships and certificates from Harvard Macy Institute and Harvard Medical School on Health Professions Education (HPE) and Media & Medicine. With over 23 years of experience, Dr. SKM is renowned for his contributions to advance the fields of biochemistry and health professions education (HPE), having authored over 330 peer-reviewed publications in internationally and nationally reputable journals with high impact factor. His innovative teaching methodologies and dedication to excellence in medical education continue to shape the future of healthcare training and inspire the next generation of physician leaders.
Panimalar Medical College Hospital & Research Institute
HoD of Medical Education
Focus Session: Humanizing Medical Education: Bioethics as the Foundation of Flourishing in the Contemporary Educational Revolution
Dr. Surapaneni Krishna Mohan is a distinguished medical teacher and renowned researcher in the fields of Biochemistry, Medical Education, Bioethics and Population Health Informatics. He currently serves as the Vice Principal & Professor of Biochemistry and Heads the Department of Medical Education, Clinical Skills & Simulation and Bioethics at Panimalar Medical College Hospital & Research Institute, Chennai, India. His expertise in Medical Education is evidenced by the award of prestigious Joint Masters in Health Professions Education (JMHPE), from Maastricht University, The Netherlands, and Suez Canal University, Egypt and Masters in Health Professions Education (MHPE) from Keele University, UK. He was awarded the prestigious CMCL-FAIMER Fellowship (Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research) in 2009. He has also earned prestigious Fellowships including the International Association of Medical Science Educators (FIAMSE), USA and the Academy of Medical Educators (FAcadMEd), UK. He received Fellowships and certificates from Harvard Macy Institute and Harvard Medical School on Health Professions Education (HPE) and Media & Medicine. With over 23 years of experience, Dr. SKM is renowned for his contributions to advance the fields of biochemistry and health professions education (HPE), having authored over 330 peer-reviewed publications in internationally and nationally reputable journals with high impact factor. His innovative teaching methodologies and dedication to excellence in medical education continue to shape the future of healthcare training and inspire the next generation of physician leaders.
John Szarek
Geisinger College of Health Sciences School of Medicine
Professor of Pharmacology and Vice Chair of Curriculum
Focus Session: Professional Development of Medical Educators Using the GLASS Tool: Designing Faculty Development Sessions for Leadership in Longitudinal and Integrated Curricula
John L. Szarek, BPharm, PhD - Department of Medical Education, Geisinger College of Health Sciences School of Medicine, Scranton, PA. Dr. Szarek is a Professor of Pharmacology and Vice Chair of Curriculum with extensive experience in integrated curriculum leadership. He has conducted numerous workshops on innovative teaching methodologies and educational leadership, bringing practical experience in implementing the competencies addressed by the GLASS Tool.
Geisinger College of Health Sciences School of Medicine
Professor of Pharmacology and Vice Chair of Curriculum
Focus Session: Professional Development of Medical Educators Using the GLASS Tool: Designing Faculty Development Sessions for Leadership in Longitudinal and Integrated Curricula
John L. Szarek, BPharm, PhD - Department of Medical Education, Geisinger College of Health Sciences School of Medicine, Scranton, PA. Dr. Szarek is a Professor of Pharmacology and Vice Chair of Curriculum with extensive experience in integrated curriculum leadership. He has conducted numerous workshops on innovative teaching methodologies and educational leadership, bringing practical experience in implementing the competencies addressed by the GLASS Tool.
Thomas Thesen
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Associate Professor
PDWS: AI Foundations & Tool Mastery
PDWS: Advanced Applications in Health Professions Education
Focus Session: Beyond Words: Voice-Native AI Patient Actors with Personality and Prosody Analysis for Diagnostic Reasoning and Communication Skills
Thomas Thesen, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Medical Education and Computer Science and serves as the Course Director for Neurology and Neuroscience at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, USA. Research in his lab (https://geiselmed.dartmouth.edu/thesen/) focuses on developing open-access teaching tools for healthcare education using innovative technologies, such as Generative AI.
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Associate Professor
PDWS: AI Foundations & Tool Mastery
PDWS: Advanced Applications in Health Professions Education
Focus Session: Beyond Words: Voice-Native AI Patient Actors with Personality and Prosody Analysis for Diagnostic Reasoning and Communication Skills
Thomas Thesen, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Medical Education and Computer Science and serves as the Course Director for Neurology and Neuroscience at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, USA. Research in his lab (https://geiselmed.dartmouth.edu/thesen/) focuses on developing open-access teaching tools for healthcare education using innovative technologies, such as Generative AI.
Antolice Thomas
University of California, San Diego
Student/Medical School Applicant
Focus Session: Cultivation of Pre-Professional Identity Formation: Lessons Learned from Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program Students
Antolice Thomas is an alumna of the UC San Diego Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program and a current medical school applicant. She has contributed to the pre-professional identity formation project by piloting key components of the research methods and providing ongoing support as the team refines current and future iterations of the study. She remains committed to work that strengthens medical education and promotes meaningful student development.
University of California, San Diego
Student/Medical School Applicant
Focus Session: Cultivation of Pre-Professional Identity Formation: Lessons Learned from Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program Students
Antolice Thomas is an alumna of the UC San Diego Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program and a current medical school applicant. She has contributed to the pre-professional identity formation project by piloting key components of the research methods and providing ongoing support as the team refines current and future iterations of the study. She remains committed to work that strengthens medical education and promotes meaningful student development.
Demidmaa Tuvdendorj
Drexel University College of Medicine
Medical Educator
PDWS: Beyond Satisfaction Ratings: Building a Comprehensive Program Evaluation
Focus Session: A New Era of Learning: Curricular Innovation for a Pass/Fail World
Demidmaa Tuvdendorj is an Associate Professor, Physiology Thread Director at Drexel University College of Medicine. She has been involved in medical and graduate education for more than a decade. She is actively involved in medical education scholarship, and her areas of special interest are curriculum development and assessment. She also devotes significant effort to mentoring students and junior faculty to help them develop leadership skills, as well as interest in educational scholarship.
Drexel University College of Medicine
Medical Educator
PDWS: Beyond Satisfaction Ratings: Building a Comprehensive Program Evaluation
Focus Session: A New Era of Learning: Curricular Innovation for a Pass/Fail World
Demidmaa Tuvdendorj is an Associate Professor, Physiology Thread Director at Drexel University College of Medicine. She has been involved in medical and graduate education for more than a decade. She is actively involved in medical education scholarship, and her areas of special interest are curriculum development and assessment. She also devotes significant effort to mentoring students and junior faculty to help them develop leadership skills, as well as interest in educational scholarship.
Katerina Venderova
Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine
Associate Professor
Focus Session: Connecting the Dots: Assessing Competency in Medical Knowledge Integration
Katerina Venderova, PharmD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine in Pasadena, CA. She combines her expertise in pharmacology with innovative curriculum design to create active learning experiences that bridge basic science and clinical application and champions the integration of foundational sciences into clinical education through competency-based medical education (CBME) frameworks. Committed to educational scholarship and collaboration, she led initiatives to align assessment and instruction with CBME principles and works across disciplines and organizations to advance integrated, learner-centered approaches that prepare future physicians.
Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine
Associate Professor
Focus Session: Connecting the Dots: Assessing Competency in Medical Knowledge Integration
Katerina Venderova, PharmD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine in Pasadena, CA. She combines her expertise in pharmacology with innovative curriculum design to create active learning experiences that bridge basic science and clinical application and champions the integration of foundational sciences into clinical education through competency-based medical education (CBME) frameworks. Committed to educational scholarship and collaboration, she led initiatives to align assessment and instruction with CBME principles and works across disciplines and organizations to advance integrated, learner-centered approaches that prepare future physicians.
Gabi Waite
Geisinger College of Health Sciences School of Medicine
Professor
Focus Session: Professional Development of Medical Educators Using the GLASS Tool: Designing Faculty Development Sessions for Leadership in Longitudinal and Integrated Curricula
Gabi N. Waite, PhD, CMHFA, is Professor of Physiology and Immunology and Vice Chair of Medical Education at Geisinger College of Health Sciences. A recognized leader in medical education, Dr. Waite has directed and taught integrated, clinically framed physiology curricula for over two decades, pioneering active learning and flipped classroom models. She oversees Phase 1 curriculum design, integration, and assessment, mentors faculty across disciplines, and contributes nationally through workshops on curriculum leadership, faculty development, and AI-enhanced education. Her scholarship spans physiology education, curricular innovation, and mentoring strategies, and she has authored multiple textbooks and chapters in foundational sciences. Dr. Waite is a Distinguished Member of the Academy of Educators and an inaugural member of the Association of Physiology Chairs.
Geisinger College of Health Sciences School of Medicine
Professor
Focus Session: Professional Development of Medical Educators Using the GLASS Tool: Designing Faculty Development Sessions for Leadership in Longitudinal and Integrated Curricula
Gabi N. Waite, PhD, CMHFA, is Professor of Physiology and Immunology and Vice Chair of Medical Education at Geisinger College of Health Sciences. A recognized leader in medical education, Dr. Waite has directed and taught integrated, clinically framed physiology curricula for over two decades, pioneering active learning and flipped classroom models. She oversees Phase 1 curriculum design, integration, and assessment, mentors faculty across disciplines, and contributes nationally through workshops on curriculum leadership, faculty development, and AI-enhanced education. Her scholarship spans physiology education, curricular innovation, and mentoring strategies, and she has authored multiple textbooks and chapters in foundational sciences. Dr. Waite is a Distinguished Member of the Academy of Educators and an inaugural member of the Association of Physiology Chairs.
Katie Wells
Robert Larner MD College of Medicine at the University of Vermont
Assistant Professor & Director
Focus Session: Restorative Justice in Academic Medicine: Healing Harm, Building Trust, Cultivating Resilient Communities
Katie Wells, MD, MPH is an emergency medicine physician and Director of Social Medicine at the Larner College of Medicine, where she also serves as faculty advisor for the Student Social Justice Coalition. In these roles, she has integrated social justice principles into clinical education and co-facilitated circle processes that address concerns of both students and faculty. Dr. Wells brings frontline experience from both clinical practice and medical education, ensuring that restorative approaches are contextualized within both patient care and academic environments.
Robert Larner MD College of Medicine at the University of Vermont
Assistant Professor & Director
Focus Session: Restorative Justice in Academic Medicine: Healing Harm, Building Trust, Cultivating Resilient Communities
Katie Wells, MD, MPH is an emergency medicine physician and Director of Social Medicine at the Larner College of Medicine, where she also serves as faculty advisor for the Student Social Justice Coalition. In these roles, she has integrated social justice principles into clinical education and co-facilitated circle processes that address concerns of both students and faculty. Dr. Wells brings frontline experience from both clinical practice and medical education, ensuring that restorative approaches are contextualized within both patient care and academic environments.
Alison Whelan
American Association of Medical Colleges
Chief Medical Education Officer
Focus Session: Flourishing as Role Models: Empowering Basic Science Educators to Drive Competency-Based Medical Education
Dr. Whelan is the Chief Academic Officer at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) leads a staff that addresses critical medical school data, administrative, and operational issues; explores new models of successful mission alignment; focuses on key student and faculty issues; transforms current models of education and workforce preparation across the full continuum of medical education. Her team created the Foundational Competencies for UME, and she is a national leader in CBME. Prior to joining the association in 2016 as Chief Medical Education Officer, Dr. Whelan served as Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She held multiple education roles: Genetics course director, clerkship director, curriculum dean and ultimately was appointed the inaugural Senior Associate Dean for Education. Dr. Whelan is an internist and clinical geneticist.
American Association of Medical Colleges
Chief Medical Education Officer
Focus Session: Flourishing as Role Models: Empowering Basic Science Educators to Drive Competency-Based Medical Education
Dr. Whelan is the Chief Academic Officer at the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) leads a staff that addresses critical medical school data, administrative, and operational issues; explores new models of successful mission alignment; focuses on key student and faculty issues; transforms current models of education and workforce preparation across the full continuum of medical education. Her team created the Foundational Competencies for UME, and she is a national leader in CBME. Prior to joining the association in 2016 as Chief Medical Education Officer, Dr. Whelan served as Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. She held multiple education roles: Genetics course director, clerkship director, curriculum dean and ultimately was appointed the inaugural Senior Associate Dean for Education. Dr. Whelan is an internist and clinical geneticist.
Paul Zarutskie
Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Focus Session: Harnessing AI for Communication Skills Training in Medical Education: From Pilot Study to Practical Implementation
Dr. Paul Zarutskie, MD, is Professor of Obstetrics&Gynecology, Clinical Medicine and Primary Care at Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (SHSU-COM). At the national level he is recognized for developing successful initiatives in patient/consumer advocacy and education with emphasis on utilization of media and Internet communications. Dr Zarutskie has an active record of scholarly accomplishments which includes over 100 publications, abstracts, and book chapters. He has served as a reviewer for specialty peer review journals and has received 13 extramural grants including NIH/NICHD funded grants. At SHSU-COM, Dr. Zarutskie is engaged in interdisciplinary collaborations that include initiatives that engage students in employing artificial intelligence technologies across diverse academic and clinical fields—such as medicine, psychology, public health, and data sciences.
Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Focus Session: Harnessing AI for Communication Skills Training in Medical Education: From Pilot Study to Practical Implementation
Dr. Paul Zarutskie, MD, is Professor of Obstetrics&Gynecology, Clinical Medicine and Primary Care at Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (SHSU-COM). At the national level he is recognized for developing successful initiatives in patient/consumer advocacy and education with emphasis on utilization of media and Internet communications. Dr Zarutskie has an active record of scholarly accomplishments which includes over 100 publications, abstracts, and book chapters. He has served as a reviewer for specialty peer review journals and has received 13 extramural grants including NIH/NICHD funded grants. At SHSU-COM, Dr. Zarutskie is engaged in interdisciplinary collaborations that include initiatives that engage students in employing artificial intelligence technologies across diverse academic and clinical fields—such as medicine, psychology, public health, and data sciences.
Vania Zayat
University of Central Florida, College of Medicine
Associate Professor
Focus Session: Make the Match: Designing Interactive Lab-Clinical Correlation Games for Medical Learners
Dr. Zayat is an Associate Professor of Pathology at University of Central Florida, College of Medicine. She is a medical educator that focuses on active learning, clinical reasoning, and technology integration. She developed a novel EHR-integrated Team-Based Learning activity used in preclinical medical education and is passionate about equipping educators with innovative, practical tools to enhance student engagement and real-world readiness.
University of Central Florida, College of Medicine
Associate Professor
Focus Session: Make the Match: Designing Interactive Lab-Clinical Correlation Games for Medical Learners
Dr. Zayat is an Associate Professor of Pathology at University of Central Florida, College of Medicine. She is a medical educator that focuses on active learning, clinical reasoning, and technology integration. She developed a novel EHR-integrated Team-Based Learning activity used in preclinical medical education and is passionate about equipping educators with innovative, practical tools to enhance student engagement and real-world readiness.
Yuan Zhao
Sam Houston State Univeristy College of Osteopathic Medicine
Professor and Department Chair
Focus Session: Harnessing AI for Communication Skills Training in Medical Education: From Pilot Study to Practical Implementation
Dr. Yuan Zhao, PhD, is a Professor and Chair of the Molecular and Cellular Biology Department at Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She has led national and institutional initiatives advancing medical education innovation, securing extramural funding and publishing widely on curriculum design and pedagogy. As principal investigator of a recent pilot study on AI-assisted training, Dr. Zhao brings recognized leadership in integrating emerging technologies into health professions education.
Sam Houston State Univeristy College of Osteopathic Medicine
Professor and Department Chair
Focus Session: Harnessing AI for Communication Skills Training in Medical Education: From Pilot Study to Practical Implementation
Dr. Yuan Zhao, PhD, is a Professor and Chair of the Molecular and Cellular Biology Department at Sam Houston State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She has led national and institutional initiatives advancing medical education innovation, securing extramural funding and publishing widely on curriculum design and pedagogy. As principal investigator of a recent pilot study on AI-assisted training, Dr. Zhao brings recognized leadership in integrating emerging technologies into health professions education.
Denise Zwahlen
University of Kansas School of Medicine
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
Focus Session: When Education Innovations Fail: Adaptive Responses to Regroup and Recover
Denise Zwahlen, MD is a board-certified family medicine-geriatrician in academic practice at the University of Kansas. Dr Zwahlen is an Assistant Dean in the Office of Student Affairs and oversees the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) curriculum in the School of Medicine. In these roles Dr Zwahlen provides guidance for medical students from arrival on campus to graduation and leads both training and faculty development for PBL.
University of Kansas School of Medicine
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
Focus Session: When Education Innovations Fail: Adaptive Responses to Regroup and Recover
Denise Zwahlen, MD is a board-certified family medicine-geriatrician in academic practice at the University of Kansas. Dr Zwahlen is an Assistant Dean in the Office of Student Affairs and oversees the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) curriculum in the School of Medicine. In these roles Dr Zwahlen provides guidance for medical students from arrival on campus to graduation and leads both training and faculty development for PBL.