Dr. Omar Tujjar
President
Dr. Omar Tujjar, MD, MA, PGDip, EDAIC, EDRA, is a Consultant in Anaesthesia, Intensive Care, and Pain Medicine at the National Orthopaedic Hospital Cappagh, Dublin, Ireland. His clinical and academic journey spans several European healthcare systems, reflecting a deep commitment to advancing patient care through evidence-based practice, leadership and medical education. He completed his medical degree at the University of Florence, Italy, and specialised in Anaesthesia, Intensive Care, and Pain Medicine, complemented by a Clinical and Research Fellowship in Intensive Care at Erasme University Hospital, Brussels.
Holding the European Diploma in Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (EDAIC) and the European Diploma in Regional Anaesthesia (EDRA), Dr. Tujjar also earned a Master of Arts in Leadership and Strategy from the Institute of Public Administration, Dublin, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Teaching. His leadership roles, including ICU Clinical Coordinator and Chair of the COVID-19 Surge Committee at Sligo University Hospital, highlight his expertise in critical care systems management.
Dr Tujjar’s contributions to clinical research, education, and healthcare leadership resonate with ISMAI’s mission to ensure that medical AI remains under the guidance of clinicians. His vision is rooted in the belief that AI should augment, not replace, the nuanced decision-making of medical professionals, fostering a future of ethically integrated, patient-centred healthcare.
Dr Fabio Massimo Abenavoli
Dr Fabio Massimo Abenavoli, MD, is a globally recognised expert in Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery, dedicated to advancing surgical care through innovation and humanitarian outreach. He graduated with honours in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Rome and pursued specialisations in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Carlos Chagas Institute in Rio de Janeiro under the mentorship of Prof. Ivo Pitanguy, alongside Maxillofacial Surgery, Otolaryngology, and Digestive Surgery in Rome.
With decades of experience across leading institutions, including the San Pietro Hospital Fatebenefratelli and the Gemelli Polyclinic Foundation in Rome, Dr Abenavoli’s commitment to improving patient outcomes extends beyond clinical excellence. In 2007, he founded Emergenza Sorrisi, a humanitarian organisation dedicated to providing reconstructive surgery to children affected by congenital conditions, burns, and war injuries. His leadership has transformed thousands of lives globally.
Dr Abenavoli’s approach to medicine aligns with ISMAI’s ethos, championing a future where medical AI complements human expertise in achieving ethical, patient-centred care. As a board member, he brings a wealth of clinical knowledge, international collaboration, and a vision for harnessing AI to enhance surgical precision and global healthcare accessibility.
Dr Andrea Alfonso
Dr Andrea Alfonso is a Consultant Anaesthesiologist at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, with a distinguished clinical career across several of Europe’s leading academic and research centres, including Humanitas Research Hospital in Milan, Homerton University Hospital in London, Ireland, and Universitätsklinikum Bonn in Germany.
He brings extensive international expertise in obstetric and regional anaesthesia, and a strong focus on integrating AI into perioperative care pathways. Throughout his practice, Dr Alfonso has led innovations in Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS), multimodal analgesia, opioid-sparing techniques, and patient blood management, contributing to safer, more efficient anaesthetic services.
Dr Alfonso has played senior roles in clinical governance, leading audits and quality improvement initiatives aimed at optimising patient safety and service delivery. At Humanitas, he contributed to research-driven anaesthesia protocols and real-time haemodynamic monitoring in complex surgery. At Homerton, he led simulation-based education and labour analgesia training for junior doctors, midwives, and anaesthetic trainees. His time at Universitätsklinikum Bonn further enriched his academic and clinical background, advocating a collaborative approach to translational research and perioperative innovation within one of Germany’s most prestigious university hospitals.
Passionate about medical education and mentorship, Dr Alfonso has delivered training programmes across Italy, Ireland, Germany, and the UK, focusing on both advanced clinical techniques and the ethical implementation of emerging technologies.
As a Board Member of ISMAI, he advocates for responsible AI integration in healthcare. He champions a model where digital tools enhance clinical reasoning without undermining the irreplaceable human element of medical decision-making. His current research interests include AI-driven risk stratification in obstetric anaesthesia and algorithmic transparency in clinical prediction tools.