Programme Committee
Meet our valued Programme Committee, a dynamic group of seasoned educators and experts dedicated to fostering innovation and excellence in health professions education.
Drawn from diverse backgrounds and specialties, our committee members are committed to guiding the AMEE 2026 Programme and ensuring that it reflects the latest in pedagogical research and practical application.
They bring a wealth of experience, passion and insight, collaborating to design enriching experiences that uphold our mission to transform healthcare through education and scholarship.
Bridget O'Brien
Chair
Biography
Bridget O’Brien, PhD is a professor of medicine and director of research in the Center for Advancing Scholarship in Education (CASE) at the University of California, San UCSF. She co-directs the Teaching Scholars Program and the UCSF-UMC Utrecht Doctoral Program in Health Professions Education and directs the SF VA Health Professions Education Evaluation and Research fellowship.
She is a deputy editor for Academic Medicine.
Her research focuses primarily on educator development and understanding and improving workplace learning among health professionals using qualitative and mixed methodologies.
Annette Mercer
Past Chair
Biography
Annette Mercer has extensive experience in education and educational research.
In the last 25 years she has focused on the selection and admission of health professional students.
She was the academic lead on selection in the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Western Australia for 15 years and is currently employed by Monash University to work on special projects related to the University Clinical Aptitude Test for Australia and New Zealand (UCAT ANZ).
She worked with others to establish this test in ANZ and was the Director of UCAT ANZ from 2018 to 2022. Her interests are the selection of medical and dental students; psychometrics; the use of aptitude tests, selection interviews and Situational Judgment tests; health professions education; and widening participation.
Vienna 2026 will be her 8th AMEE Conference, starting in Milan in 2014.
Dr Nora Leopardi
Academic Liaison Lead
Biography
Dr Nora Leopardi is a Senior Lecturer in Medical Education at the University of Queensland.
As an educator, they coordinate the design, development and delivery of Year 1 of the Doctor of Medicine Program at UQ, working alongside a passionate team of academics and professionals.
In this work, they aim to create inclusive and nurturing environments that foster meaningful engagement, self-directed learning strategies, and student well-being.
As a researcher, Dr Leopardi has expertise on learning environments, innovative educational approaches, technology-enhanced learning, and clinical reasoning development.
Karen Steger-Jager
Admissions and Selection Chair
Biography
Karen Stegers-Jager is Full Professor of Innovative and Person-centred Learning and Working in Healthcare at Radboud University in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, with a special focus on diversity, inclusion and equal opportunities.
She studied Educational Science and Technology at the University of Twente and obtained her PhD from the Erasmus University in Rotterdam.
Her three main areas of research are: (1) predictors of medical school performance, with a special focus on ethnic minority and first-generation university students, (2) unravelling ethnic and social disparities in undergraduate clinical performance, including research on the role of first impressions and prior performance information in rater-based assessments and (3) selection and admission of medical students and residents.
She is the 2026 Theme Chair for the Conference Committee on Admissions and Selection.
Rune Dall Jensen
Designing and Planning Learning Chair
Biography
Rune Dall Jensen, PhD, is associate professor in medical education at Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark.
He is Head of Research at Contiuning Professional Development and Head of Simulation at MidtSim, Simulation Center, Central Denmark Region and member of the AMEE Simulation Committee.
Rune is Deputy Editor at Medical Education and associate editor in Advances in Simulation.
His research takes a holistic view on medical education aiming at easing transitions by developing health professionals who can regulate own learning to adapt to future situations.
Saniya Sabzwari
Education and Management Chair
Biography
Dr. Saniya Sabzwari, MD, MHPE, FAAFP, SFHEA, is Chair of the Department for Educational Development and an Endowed Chair at the Aga Khan University, Karachi.
She is also a Professor of Family Medicine, a Fellow of the American Acadamy of Family Physicians, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA).
Dr. Sabzwari’s scholarly interests include curriculum design, educational innovation, and faculty development.
She is committed to advancing health professions education and strengthening teaching and learning across the institution and region.
Marwa Schumann
Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Chair
Biography
Dr. Marwa Schumann is a medical doctor and an international medical education scholar with academic and professional experience across Egypt, the UK, and Germany.
Her research expertise lies in the migration and integration of internationally trained physicians, with a strong focus on equity, diversity, and inclusivity (EDI), particularly language inclusivity in health professions education research, curricula, and patient care.
She is an AMEE Associate Fellow, a member of the AMEE Faculty Development Committee, and a tutor in the AMEE course Essential Skills in Medical Education under the leadership of Prof. Ronald Harden, and she also serves as a member of the WHO Academy Advisory Group for Lifelong Learning.
Patricia Tempski
Faculty Development Chair
Biography
Patricia Tempski is an Associate Professor of Health Professions Education and Director of the Center for the Development of Medical Education at the School of Medicine of the University of São Paulo.
She also serves as the Executive Secretary of the Brazilian System of Accreditation for Medical Schools.
With extensive experience in faculty development and research in Health Professions Education, she was recognized as a KIPRIME Fellow at the Karolinska Institute.
Over the past decade, she has played a central role in nationwide faculty development initiatives supported by the Brazilian Ministry of Health and by numerous public and private medical schools, contributing to the certification of more than 7,300 health professionals as educators.
She attended her first AMEE Conference in 2005 and has participated regularly for the past 20 years, continuously learning, contributing, and growing within the international community of health professions education.
In 2025, she served as Chair of the Faculty Development of the Programme Committee of the AMEE Conference in Barcelona.
Olga Maria Rostkowska
Humanities Chair
Biography
Olga Maria Rostkowska is an assistant professor at the Medical University of Warsaw (MUW), Department of Transplantology, Immunology, Nephrology and Internal Medicine in Warsaw, Poland.
She is a specialist in internal medicine and a certified lifestyle medicine physician (IBLM Diplomate) with international experience gained at the European Commission, World Health Organization, European Public Health Alliance and Standing Committee of European Doctors.
At MUW she serves as the Rector’s Plenipotentiary for EUniWell – European University for Well-Being. Dr Rostkowska has +10 years of teaching experience in diverse contexts, including university students, healthcare trainees, and school children.
Student of postgraduate Master of Public Health, University of Hertfordshire, UK.
Renee Stalmeijer
Interprofessional and Team Learning Chair
Biography
Renée E. Stalmeijer is an associate professor in the department of educational development and research and the school of health professions education within the faculty of health, medicine and life sciences at Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
Her research explores how to better prepare healthcare trainees for interprofessional collaborative practice through the lens of workplace learning, socio-cultural learning theories, and qualitative methodology.
She is the program director for the Master of Health Professions Education at Maastricht University and teaches qualitative research methodology.
Robin Newton
Patient Safety Chair
Biography
Dr. Robin C Newton is a physician executive and leader in healthcare quality, patient safety, and graduate medical education.
With extensive C-suite experience, Dr. Newton has driven quality improvement and accreditation initiatives at major institutions, including serving as Vice President at the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
In this role, Dr. Newton led national oversight of clinical learning environment reviews, developed standardized protocols, and advanced best practices in patient safety and health equity.
Previously, Dr. Newton provided strategic leadership for quality and accreditation at Howard University, designing faculty education programs and implementing hospital-wide patient safety curricula. Dr. Newton’s operational leadership has resulted in measurable improvements in efficiency, accreditation outcomes, and patient experience across diverse healthcare settings.
Dr. Newton contributed to national reports and peer-reviewed publications on healthcare quality and patient safety.
She served on the Institutional Review Committee of the ACGME and on the Group on Resident Affairs Steering Committee of the Association of American Medical Colleges.
She is a past winner of the ACGME Parker J. Palmer Courage to Lead Award. Dr. Newton received her medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine and is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.
She is currently the chair of the AMEE Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Committee.
Calvin Chou
Supporting Learners Chair
Biography
Calvin Chou, MD, PhD is Professor of Medicine at UCSF, and staff physician at the VA in San Francisco.
As faculty with the Academy of Communication in Healthcare, he leads workshops in relationship-centered communication, feedback, conflict, and remediation in health professions education.
He is co-editor of the books Remediation in Medical Education: A Midcourse Correction; Communication Rx: Transforming Healthcare Through Relationship-Centered Communication; and the forthcoming Transdisciplinary Spiritual Care: Practices at the Intersection of Vulnerability & Awe.
Truong Nguyen Xuan Quynh (CHS)
Sustainability and Global Health Chair
Biography
Dr. Quynh Xuan Nguyen Truong, is an Assistant Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine at VinUniversity (Vietnam).
She is a clinical social worker, educator and health systems researcher whose work bridges palliative care, oncology, psychosocial health, and sustainable medical education.
Her scholarship focuses on strengthening person-centered care in resource-constrained settings, integrating mental health into cancer and maternal health services, and embedding global health equity into medical curricula.
At VinUniversity, she leads curriculum initiatives integrating Mental Health First Aid, healthcare communication, and social accountability into undergraduate medical education.
Her work emphasizes training future physicians to navigate complexity, uncertainty, climate vulnerability, and health inequities with competence and compassion.
Dr. Quynh has received multiple international recognitions for her contributions to cancer care and public health innovation, including awards acknowledging her leadership in advancing psychosocial oncology and community-based palliative care in Vietnam.
She serves on national and international professional boards and collaborates with partners across Asia, Europe, and North America on curriculum reform, health workforce development, and implementation research.
Her vision is to help shape a generation of health professionals who can deliver care that is not only clinically excellent, but socially just and environmentally responsible.
Nana Sartania
Teaching and Facilitating Learning Co-Chair
Biography
Nana Sartania is Professor of Medical Education and Selection at the Undergraduate Medical School at the university of Glasgow, UK.
She has an extensive background in medical education, focusing on educational pedagogies and leadership, curriculum development, student experience, transition, and admissions and selection for medicine.
She is the co-director of MB3 of the programme and Phase 3 Lead and contributes to teaching in the pre-clinical years through Problem-Based Learning and Student-Selected Component modules.
Prof Sartania holds leadership positions within the National Medical Schools Widening Participation Forum and serves on the executive boards of the Medical Schools Council Selection Alliance and UCAT.
Her educational research focuses on small group teaching methodologies, selection into medicine, and widening participation – particularly on supporting the integration and progression of students from underrepresented backgrounds throughout their training.
Holly Meyer
Teaching and Facilitating Learning Co-Chair
Biography
Holly Meyer, MS, PhD, serves as an Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Student Affairs in the Department of Health Professions Education (HPE) at the Uniformed Services University.
Dedicated to improving coaching and advising, she teaches courses on pedagogy and learning, supports a team of faculty advisors, and guides a diverse student body.
Dr. Meyer views teaching as a powerful form of leadership, striving to translate cutting-edge educational practices into military medical education.
Her work seeks to shape clinical professionals into exceptional leaders, adept in both healthcare and leadership.
Her research primarily employs qualitative methodologies, with occasional forays into quantitative approaches. Outside of her professional pursuits, Dr. Meyer resides in western Germany with her family, finding joy in hiking, European travel, cheering for the Packers, and tackling CrossFit workouts
Julius Kaminski
AI/Technology Enhanced Learning Chair
Biography
Julius Josef Kaminski, MD, MHPE, is a physician and medical education researcher at the Dieter Scheffner Center for Medical Education, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin.
He holds a doctorate in medical education from Charité and an MHPE from Maastricht University. His work focuses on test-enhanced learning in medical education, as well as the teaching and assessment of clinical reasoning through virtual patient-based learning.
Drawing on prior experience in neurosurgery, he is currently exploring applications of mixed reality simulation for emergency procedure training and the development of reliable use cases for LLMs in health professions education.
He is a regular speaker at the AMEE AI symposia and will attend AMEE 2026 as his eighth conference since first attending in Vienna in 2019.
David Thomas
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Chair
Biography
Dean for Medical Education | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Dr. David C. Thomas is an internal medicine physician and tenured professor in the Departments of Medical Education, Medicine, and Rehabilitation and Human Performance.
In 2024, he was named Dean for Medical Education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Chair of the Leni and Peter May Department of Medical Education, where he leads initiatives to advance excellence in teaching, mentorship, and institutional scholarship.
Dr. Thomas has a distinguished history of leadership at Mount Sinai, previously serving as System Vice Chair for Education (2012-2024) and Interim System Chair of Medicine (2020-2022), overseeing over 2,000 faculty and staff across eight hospitals. A committed advocate for community health, he is Co-Founder and Medical Director of the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership (EHHOP), a student-run, attending directed free clinic established in 2004.
He holds a Master of Science in Public Health from Tuft University and a Master of Health Professions Education from the University of Illinois, board certifications from the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and has published over 50 peer reviewed manuscripts.
Naomi Steenhof
Connecting Health Professions Around Education
Biography
Dr. Naomi Steenhof holds a PhD in health professions education research.
She is a scientist at The Wilson Centre, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, and a pharmacist.
Her research interests focus on the development of adaptive expertise in health professionals, with a particular concentration on instructional strategies that assist novices in acquiring the conceptual knowledge they need to learn in the future.
Esther de Groot
CPD
Biography
Esther de Groot is the current Chair of the AMEE Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Committee, where she leads efforts to strengthen CPD and lifelong learning through a scholarly approach.
She is involved in research collaborations to strengthen informal learning; in networks, through dual-roles (such as clinician-scientists), and from data.
She leads a research program at Utrecht University (The Netherlands) on the Continuum of Primary Care Education
Rikki Goddard-Fuller
Ottawa
Biography
Rikki Goddard-Fuller (she /her) is the Director of The Christie Institute for Cancer Education in Manchester, UK and practices clinically as a consultant stroke physician and geriatrician.
This is underpinned by a substantial career in health professions education (both nationally and internationally) and the development of sector-leading, award-winning curricula, programmes of study and assessment systems.
She is co-chair of the 2026 Ottawa conference.
Her main research interests focus primarily on educational assessment, working with a cross-institutional group of research colleagues, which has led to over 200 key outputs including the application of intelligent assessment design in knowledge, OSCE and workplace-based assessment formats, assessor behaviours, technology delivered assessment and the impact of sequential testing methodologies.
Rikki publishes and speaks regularly at leading international medical education conferences, and holds a number of educational advisory roles, including acting as an assessment expert for the General Medical Council (GMC), and leadership of the GMC’s Tests of Competence Panel.
She is the current chair of the global ASPIRE to Excellence Board and a trustee and member of the governing committee of the International Association for Health Professions Education (AMEE).
Joyee G. Vachani, MD, M.Ed
Fringe Coordinator
Biography
Dr. Joyee Vachani is a pediatric hospitalist and Professor in Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH) in Houston, TX who is passionate about collaborating and representing diverse voices to deliver high quality, safe care to children.
Dr. Vachani completed a residency in Pediatrics followed by a fellowship in Pediatric Hospital Medicine (PHM) at Emory School of Medicine in 2009.
She subsequently completed a Master’s of Education (M.Ed), Advanced Quality Improvement and Patient Safety course and Six-Sigma training at TCH, and a Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Management from Rice University.
During her time as faculty, Dr. Vachani has led local and national and international educational, quality improvement, and patient safety initiatives by mentoring inter-professional individuals and teams, developing curricula, participating in NIH and HRSA grant-funded research, disseminating/ publishing scholarly work, and serving in leadership roles.
Dr. Vachani currently serves as the Department of Pediatrics Associate Quality Officer and PHM Director of Quality Improvement at BCM/ TCH, an active steering committee member of the American Pediatric Association Quality and Safety Improvement Scholars committee, and recent past Chair of the AAP SOHM PHM fellow conferences and Emerging Leaders conferences.
Her favorite role is Mommy to her 12- and 14-year-old daughters. Dr. Vachani describes herself as a chaos organizer, a recovering perfectionist, and an impatient optimist; she is very excited to be here with you this year.
Gary Rogers
Patil Teaching Innovation Awards
Biography
Professor Gary D. Rogers is Dean of the School of Medicine at Deakin University, Victoria, Australia.
He is a health professions education scholar, public health researcher and general medical practitioner with a focus on HIV medicine and LGBTQIA+ health.
Gary is a former president of the Australian and New Zealand Association for Health Professional Educators and former member of the Executive Committee of AMEE.
He currently serves as Deputy Chair of the Medical Schools Accreditation Committee of the Australian Medical Council and Treasurer of Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand.
Rola Ajjawi
Research and Doctoral Report Papers
Biography
Degrees: PhD, BAppSc(Physio)Hons.
Rola Ajjawi is Professor of Medical Education at the Department of Surgery and Scientist, and Associate Director (Research) at the Centre for Health Education Scholarship, University of British Columbia, Canada.
She studied physiotherapy and became a clinical teacher before completing a PhD in health professions education examining how clinical reasoning is learned and communicated in practice.
She is an international research expert in workplace learning, including researching clinical supervision, feedback, equity in assessment and belonging.
She was awarded a Karolinska Institutet Fellowship in 2021 in recognition of her medical education research.
Rola is chair of the International Association for Health Professions Education (AMEE) Research Committee and incoming Editor-In-Chief of Medical Education.
Keywords: workplace learning, feedback, belonging, equity.
Marco Carvalho Filho
Doctoral Report Papers
Biography
Marco Antonio de Carvalho Filho, MD, PhD, is a Full Professor of Research in Health Professions Education at the University Medical Center Groningen.
Trained in internal medicine in Brazil, he transitioned from clinical practice to a global career dedicated to reforming and renewing medical education.
His work blends critical pedagogy, arts-based methods, and design-driven inquiry to support identity formation, interprofessional collaboration, and equity in medical education.
As leader of UMCG’s LEARN network, he continues to build research and training environments that emphasize agency, curiosity, and socially responsive educational practice.
Ryan Brydges
Research Papers
Biography
Dr. Ryan Brydges sits on the AMEE Simulation Committee and Leads the Research Paper Network as part of the AMEE Research Committee.
He is a Full Professor in the Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, and he holds the David and Anne Patterson Chair in Advancing Technology-Enhanced Learning at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto.
He is also a Scientist at the Wilson Centre, University Health Network, where he supervises in the Health Professions Education Research PhD program.
Yoon Soo Park
Ottawa
Biography
Yoon Soo Park is Department Head and Ilene B. Harris Endowed Professor in the Department of Medical Education at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, USA.
His research agendas focus on data science, artificial intelligence (AI), and learning analytics methodologies in health professions education.
Alex Phillips
Surgery
Biography
Professor Alexander Phillips is a Consultant Oesophagogastric Surgeon at Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Professor of Oesophagogastric Surgery and Surgical Education at Newcastle University.
He is Head of the Northern Oesophagogastric Unit and Clinical Lead for Upper GI Cancer for the Northern Cancer Alliance. His clinical and academic work focuses on improving outcomes for patients with oesophageal and gastric cancer through innovation in surgical care, pathway redesign, early diagnosis, prehabilitation, and the implementation of new technologies including robotic surgery.
Alongside his clinical practice, Professor Phillips has made a substantial contribution to surgical education and faculty development. He has served as Director of Undergraduate Surgery at Newcastle University and as Director of the Faculty of Surgical Trainers at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. His educational interests include curriculum design, workplace learning, trainer development, and the role of education as a patient-safety intervention.
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