Dr Rui Pombal

IATA Medical Advisor

Rui Pombal is IATA Medical Advisor. He has worked in aviation medicine for over twenty years as medical director for UCS – TAP Air Portugal Group Health Services, running its aeromedical centre in Lisbon, Portugal.

Rui holds a Master’s in Aviation Medicine, he is an IAASM Academician and a certified EASA and FAA medical examiner. He is former Chair of the ASMA Air Transport Medicine Committee and former President of the Portuguese Aerospace Medicine Society. Rui is now President Elect of IAMA, the International Airline Medical Association.

Dr Sara Souter

IAMA

Dr Elif Gunduz Kamberler

Turkish Airlines

David Whiffin

Odilia Clark

Alex Stendahl

KontigoCare

Eunji Jung, MSN, RN

Manager, Aviation Health & Medical Center, Korean Air

I am currently a manager at the Aviation Health & Medical Center of Korean Air, bringing 15 years of dedicated experience in the field of aviation health care. 

Since joining the company in 2011, I have played a pivotal role in promoting the health, wellness, and medical fitness  of our expatriate flight crew, expertly navigating complex, cross-cultural aeromedical needs.

Holding a Master’s degree in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing from Seoul National University,  I possess specialized expertise in psychological well-being and stress management. I believe this academic background provides a valuable foundation for developing Korean Air’s proactive mental health management system. 

Additionally, I am a member of both the Aerospace Medical Association of Korea (ASMAK) and  the Korean Academy of Aerospace Health Professionals (KAAHP).

Dr Ben Johnston

Air New Zealand

Ben is an Occupational and Aerospace Medicine Specialist with twenty years’ experience in the aviation industry. He is currently General Manager, People Safety and Health at Air New Zealand. He has been with the airline fifteen years, previously holding the role of Chief Medical Officer. Ben is an appointed member of the IATA Medical Advisory Group and current chair of the AsMA Air Transport Medicine Committee. Ben has also previously held part-time academic roles in the University of Otago Occupational and Aviation Medicine Unit. His research publications have mostly focused on aircrew fatigue risk management, and preventive health programmes for airline pilots. Prior to joining Air New Zealand Ben spent six years in the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), where he commanded the Aviation Medicine Unit.

Dr David Powell

Specialist in Aviation Medicine

David Powell is a previous convenor of the Aviation Health Conference, having been IATA’s Medical Advisor 2018-2023, and before that Chief Medical Officer at both Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia.  He is a past president of IAMA.  David now continues his long involvement in teaching of aerospace medicine, and consulting, including a new role as medical director of the Safe Haven Aviation Trust in New Zealand. 

Dr Diederik de Rooy

Diederik de Rooy holds a PhD in Medine and a master’s degree in Laws. He is currently working as a psychiatrist at the Leiden University Medical Center and in private practice. Aviation psychiatry is his main area of interest. He was involved in the MESAFE project commissioned by EASA, and acted as an independent expert for the EU-Taiex programme. He is a member of the Advisory Board of ESAM, of the Mental Health Working Group of AsMA, of the scientific committee of the Dutch association of Aerospace Medicine and of the legal committee of the Dutch association of psychiatrists. His professional focus is on further developing the field of aviation psychiatry, treatment of aviation professionals, mental health risk assessment in aviation professionals and cooperation between aviation mental health professionals and AME’s, CAA’s and peer-support-programs.

Dr Justin Devlin

MedAire

Dr Kimmo Ketola

Finnair

Dr Surendra Sodhi

MD ONBOARD

Whitney Luxford

Fit 2 Fly

Whitney Luxford is the Founder and CEO of Fit2Fly, an aviation health technology company delivering digital medical clearance and passenger accessibility platforms to airlines internationally, and a corporate member of AsMA. She has worked in airline medicine for over twenty-five years, beginning her career as a paramedic. She established the medical department at Virgin Australia and went on to lead the passenger health portfolio at Qantas, where she directed the airline’s COVID-19 repatriation programme, served as clinical lead on both repatriation flights to Wuhan in February 2020, and was awarded the Qantas Spirit of Australia award.

Whitney holds a Bachelor and Diploma in Paramedicine, is AHPRA registered, and completed the Certificate of Civil Aviation Medicine at Monash University. She was elected an associate member of IAMA and sits on the IATA Accessibility Taskforce.

Dr Olga Verba

Russian Aviation Medicine Doctors Association

Dr Paulo Alves

MedAire

Mark Cairns

UK CAA

Dr Warda Marhoon, Consultant Aeromedicine, Royal Bahrain Hospital

Dr Warda Marhoon, Consultant Aeromedicine, Royal Bahrain Hospital

Daniela González

Aeronautical Psychologist, Aeromexico Mental Health Department

Since 2016, I have been involved in the implementation of a pioneering aviation project at Aeroméxico, known as En Confianza. This initiative focuses on the prevention, assessment, diagnosis, and referral to treatment, all aimed at promoting the comprehensive well‑being of flight crew members and strengthening aviation safety.

I am an active member of the Spanish Association of Aviation Psychology (AEPA) and the Interamerican Society of Aviation Psychology (SIPA), contributing to the development and professionalization of psychological practice within the aeronautical field.

Education and Additional Training

• Maestría en Psicoterapia Cognitivo Conductual | Instituto Mexicano de Psicoterapia Cognitivo Conductual.
• Certificación en Terapia EMDR | Instituto Mexicano de Terapia EMDR.
• Diplomado Internacional en Medicina Aeroespacial | Instituto Politécnico Nacional y Centro de Desarrollo Aeroespacial (CDA). Por tesina “Características psicológicas del piloto aviador mexicano”.
• Curso Superior de Especialización en Psicología de la Aviación y Factores Humanos | Centro de Entrenamientos Aeronáuticos y Servicios (CATS), Universidad Carlos III de Madrid y Asociación Española de Psicología de la Aviación.
• Curso de psicología Aeronáutica por la Sociedad Interamericana de psicología Aeronáutica Colombia SIPA.
• Curso de Especialización en Fatiga en Aviación | Sociedad Interamericana de Psicología Aeronáutica (SIPA), Colombia.
• Certificado “Group Crisis Intervention” | UMBC de la Universidad de Maryland.
• Especialización en Aplicación de Pruebas Psicométricas.
• Intervención y Prevención del Suicidio | Hospital Nacional de Psiquiatría.
• Intervención en Crisis y Primeros Auxilios Psicológicos.
• Diplomado de Experto en psicología Aeronáutica por SIPA.

Featured Presentations and Publications

• Jornadas Internacionales de la Asociación Española de Psicología Aeronáutica (AEPA), Madrid, España:
  • 2019: Seguridad aérea, proyecto de evaluación y tratamiento de salud mental a tripulantes de vuelo (XII Jornada).
  • 2017: Seguridad aérea, proyecto de evaluación de salud mental a tripulantes de vuelo (XI Jornada).
• Colaboración en el Primer Manual de Psicología Aeronáutica en Europa, publicado en 2019 SIPA.
• Ponencia “Evaluación Psicológica en Trabajadores de la Industria Aeroportuaria” | IMSS, División de Salud en el Trabajo del IMSS Delegación Estado de México Oriente, curso monográfico “Enfermedades Neuropsiquiátricas de Trabajo” (2018).
• Safety Day Aeroméxico 2025, “la importancia de la salud mental en aviación”

Dr Hardeep Hundal

Air New Zealand

Dr Ansa Jordaan

ICAO

Dr Sanjay Pooran

Ross University School of Medicine, UCLH

Dr Kris Belland

Aerospace Medicine Strategic Consultation

 Dr. Kris Belland, DO, MPH, MBA, MSS, is an aerospace medicine physician, former President of the Aerospace Medical Association, and President and CEO of Aerospace Medicine Strategic Consultation, PLLC. His career has included senior leadership roles in military, commercial, and regulatory aviation medicine, including service as FAA Deputy Regional Flight Surgeon and Global / Chief Medical Officer at American Airlines and AeroClenz a UV-C technolgy solutions company. As an Aerospace Medical Association representative, he has supported international aviation health collaboration through ICAO, CAPSCA, and WHO PRET-related initiatives. A retired U.S. Navy flight surgeon and F/A-18 Hornet pilot, Dr. Belland’s work focuses on operational medicine, public health preparedness, human performance, and multi-layered risk mitigation strategies in complex aviation settings.

Dr Razin Kamarulzaman

Malaysia Aviation Group

Dr Agoritsa Baka

ECDC

Kainat Hussain

Avicena Systems

Kainat Hussain is part of the Avicena research team, where she works on simulation-based models for infectious disease surveillance and aviation health. Her work focuses on evaluating airport screening strategies, integrating rapid diagnostics with wastewater surveillance to support early detection and response in high-throughput travel environments. She has contributed to modelling frameworks applied to international hubs, including in the Middle East, with a focus on pandemic preparedness and scalable border health systems. Her interests include stochastic and Monte Carlo simulation methods and the development of data-driven decision-support tools for real-world implementation.

Dr Kamran Khan

BlueDot

Dr. Kamran Khan, MD, MPH, is a practising infectious disease physician and a Professor of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Toronto. Motivated by his experiences during the 2003 Toronto SARS epidemic, Dr. Khan has been conducting research on global epidemics for over two decades, publishing landmark studies in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Lancet, Science and Nature.

To translate and disseminate scientific knowledge into timely action during public health emergencies, Dr. Khan founded BlueDot, a global infectious disease intelligence company that helps governments and multinational enterprises strengthen their readiness and resilience to emerging biological threats. BlueDot’s work has been featured in global forums from CNN to BBC World and has been featured twice on CBS’ 60 Minutes, most recently in their April 2025 segment on H5N1.

Dr Pedro Caetano

EASA

Dr Michel Klerlein

Air France

Michel KLERLEIN has served as the coordinating physician of Air France’s occupational health service since 2010. He is an occupational physician and specialized in industrial toxicology, epidemiology and radiation protection at the University of Paris. His career within Air France has led him to conduct numerous studies on the working conditions of flight crew in fields as varied as noise exposure, fatigue risk and cabin air quality. He coordinates a team of 22 occupational physicians and 60 nurses specialized in occupational health, who provide medical supervision for 40,000 employees, including approximately 15,000 flight crew members.

Dr Anabela Jorge

TAP Air Portugal Group Health Services

Anabela Jorge is the CEO for UCS – TAP Air Portugal Health Services, that provide healthcare, medical certification, and occupational health and safety services, while advising airline management on health-related, quality, and safety matters. A member of the UCS Board since 2017, she brings over 25 years of experience in clinical practice, medical education, and healthcare management.

A specialist in General and Family Medicine and Occupational Medicine, Anabela has recognized expertise in Aviation Medicine and has been a certified Aeronautical Medical Examiner (AME) since 2008, accredited by the Portuguese Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC). She has also been a trainer for TAP flight crews on health-related topics since 2002.

Before assuming her current role, she served as Deputy Director of the General and Family Medicine Department at UCS, where she coordinated multidisciplinary clinical teams and led the organization’s Health Quality Accreditation process. She also served as interim Health and Safety Director.

Her academic and professional development includes postgraduate training in Aerospace Medicine at Université Paris V – René Descartes, Occupational Medicine, General Practice, Travel Medicine at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and executive healthcare management programmes at AESE and the Mayo Clinic.

Email: ajorge@ucs.pt                     LinkedIn profile:  www.linkedin.com/in/anabela-jorge-8905632a

Dr Vania Melhado

Vania Elizabeth Ramos Melhado : M.D, MSc, PhD, Post-Doctorate Improvement Science- IHI-USA. Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Aerospace Medicine Specialist.

Professor of Faculty Medical Sciences Santa Casa Sao Paulo, Professor of Paulist Faculty of Health Sciences, Sao Paulo- Brazil.

Coordinator of the Lato Sensu Graduate Program Aerospace Medicine of Faculty Medical Sciences Santa Casa Sao Paulo-Brazil

Supervisor  of the Medical Residency Program of Aerospace Medicine of Prevent Senior Teaching and Research Institute, Sao Paulo- Brazil

Aerospace Medical Doctor Advisor of  Azul Linhas Aéreas.

 Sênior Aviation Doctor USA-FAA, Transport Canada, Europe.

Vânia Elizabeth Ramos Melhado

Address to access this CV: https://lattes.cnpq.br/9482608644429787

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/vania-melhado-228b369b?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Tel.: 55 11 996380197

Dr Mateja Kotnik Kerbev

EASA

Mateja KOTNIK KERBEV is a medical doctor specializing in internal medicine, with extensive clinical experience, particularly in cardiology and intensive care medicine. She currently serves as an EASA Medical Expert, contributing to the implementation and harmonization of European aviation medical standards, rulemaking and research activities.

She began her medical career at the University Clinical Centre Ljubljana, where she completed her residency in internal medicine, and subsequently gained nearly two decades of clinical experience at the General Hospital. From 2015 to 2023, she was Head of the Intensive Care Unit at the General Hospital in Slovenia.

She is active Class 1 Aeromedical Examiner (AME), an Authorised Inspector in ACW-MED, and a part-time medical assessor at the Civil Aviation Agency of Slovenia. She also holds a Sailplane Pilot Licence (SPL), reflecting her strong professional commitment to aviation medicine.

Dr Judith Maye

Kenya Airways

Dr. Maye  is the Acting Chief People Officer and Head of Medical and Occupational Health Services at Kenya Airways PLC, leading the airline’s people, health, wellness, and occupational health agenda. She drives strategies that enhance workforce well-being, safety, resilience, and organizational performance.

With extensive experience in aviation medicine, occupational health, employee wellness, and human capital strategy, Judith has been instrumental in advancing innovative health programs that support flight safety, operational excellence, and workforce sustainability across the aviation sector.

She continues to champion initiatives focused on  mental health, preventive healthcare, workforce resilience, health risk management, emergency medical preparedness, and pandemic response. She played a pivotal role in steering Kenya Airways through the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring business continuity while safeguarding employees, crew, and guests.

A passionate advocate for integrating Human Capital and Aviation Health, Dr. Maye promotes health as both a sustainability priority and an enterprise risk management imperative. Through her engagement with industry bodies and aviation stakeholders, she continues to advance best practices in aviation medicine and occupational health, helping shape the future of aviation health in Africa

Dr Azeem Ali

Senior Ground Medical Services Doctor, Emirates Airline

Dr Azeem Ali is the Senior Ground Medical Services Doctor at Emirates Airline, where he leads a team responsible for passenger medical clearance, inflight emergency support, and crew health outstation across a global network. His role focuses on real-time operational decision-making, risk assessment, and the delivery of safe and consistent aeromedical outcomes in a high-volume international environment.

A specialist in Family Medicine and a designated Aeromedical Examiner for the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority, Dr Ali brings over 15 years of experience in clinical and aviation medicine. His work centres on translating aeromedical principles into practical, scalable systems within commercial airline operations.

He began his career in Trinidad and Tobago and has since worked across the Middle East. He also serves as Vice Chair of the Global Liaison and Outreach Committee (GLOC) of the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA), supporting international collaboration in aviation medicine.