Ghania Ait-Ghezala, PhD

Dr. Ait-Ghezala is a Scientist II, head of molecular biology/ genomic department at the Roskamp
institute. A multidisciplinary team dedicated to understanding neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative
disorders and addictions with an emphasis on identifying and developing new therapeutics for the
treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. She is also the Head of Molecular Biology at Archer pharmaceutical
were she leads the program that is focused on developing molecular and cell biology-based screening of
small molecule inhibitors and modulators for gamma secretase activity.
gaitghel@hsc.usf.edu

Abdelouahab Aitouche, PhD

Dr. Abdelouahab Aitouche is the Scientific Review Officer for the Center of Scientific Review, the
evaluation central for the National Institutes of Health, and the portal for receipt and referral of a yearly
average of 75000 research grant applications destined for evaluation by the several United States
Department of Health and Human Services agencies (CDC, AHRQ, and NIOSH).
Dr. Aitouche coordinates two federal panels that evaluate pre-doctoral, post-doctoral, and senior
sabbatical NRSA fellowships. He is also a member of the NIH Training Advisory Committee that develops
and oversees federal policy pertaining to training programs, including but not limited to, Career
Development Awards (K series), and Individual and Institutional training programs (F and T series
respectively). Dr. Aitouche also serves as the point person for Center for Scientific Review for matters
pertaining to conduct and policy of the fellowship review process.
aaitouch@yahoo.com
 Farid Amirouche, PhD

Farid Amirouche is a University of Illinois Scholar Professor, Professor of Bioengineering and Mechanical
engineering and a Professor of Orthopedics in the College of Medicine at the University of Illinois at
Chicago. He served as a university Fellow for Academic leadership of Big 10 universities in 2009-2010, he
is currently the director of Orthopedic research in the nation largest medical school where he supervises
residents and medical students. He is also the Director of the Biomechanics Research Laboratory where
he works with graduate students from Bioengineering and mechanical engineering. Additionally since
2007 Pr. Amirouche has coordinated the orthopedic research at the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute. Pr
Amirouche have served as a Chairman of the UIC Faculty Advisory Committee (FAC) from 1993-
farid.amirouche@gmail.com

Sam Beddar, Ph.D.

Professor Beddar was born in Constantine, Algeria, and went to the University of Wisconsin driven to
study medical physics. He concentrated his research on plastic scintillation dosimetry, publishing several
seminal papers on the subject, and receiving his doctorate in 1990.
Pr. Beddar next joined Princess Margaret Hospital as a staff physicist, and then in 1993 became an
assistant professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Following a post at Albany Medical
College he accepted a position at Cleveland Clinic in 1998, where he established an intraoperative
radiation therapy program using the first commercially available Mobetron portable linear accelerator.
In 2002, he became an associate professor at MD Anderson Cancer Center, joining the Brachytherapy
service. In 2005 he became Chief of the Gastrointestinal Service, focusing his clinical attention on
developing 4D-CT with intravenous contrast for the liver, respiratory-gated radiation therapy for GI
cancers, and Director of intraoperative radiation therapy program.
abeddar@mdanderson.org
 Amar Chaker, Ph.D.

Dr Amar Chaker is the Director of the Architectural Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Institutes of
the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), a not-for-profit professional association dedicated to the
advancement of civil engineering knowledge and representing over 140,000 members of the civil
engineering profession worldwide, where he has held positions in the Technical Activities Division, the
Transportation and Development Institute, the Civil Engineering Research Foundation, and the Building
Security Council. He is responsible for the operations of the two Institutes and provides leadership and
support to their committees, whose activities include a growing program of publications (peer-reviewed
Journal of Engineering Mechanics, Journal of Nanomechanics and Micromechanics, and Journal of
Architectural Engineering, and the new Lecture Notes in Mechanics and the new Trends in Engineering
Mechanics Special Publications series) as well as the organization of conferences and symposia.
achaker@asce.org

Dr. Azedine Medhkour

Dr. Azedine Medhkour practices neurosurgery in Bellevue, Ohio and Toledo, Ohio. Dr. Medhkour
graduated with an MD 33 years ago.
azedine.medhkour@utoledo.edu