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Message From The Founder
As I reflect on the past year, I am inspired by the remarkable progress and collective energy that have propelled the MENASA Group forward. Our mission—to mobilize representation, networks, and advancement for Middle Eastern, North African, and South Asian (MENASA) communities in clinical research—has never been more urgent or more achievable.
We began this journey with a simple yet bold vision: to bridge the persistent gaps in health representation and ensure that MENASA voices are heard, valued, and included in the global dialogue on clinical research. In 2024, this vision took shape through six flagship initiatives, each designed to empower healthcare providers, build inclusive research ecosystems, and engage communities historically overlooked in clinical trials.
Our first MENASA Clinical Research Inclusion Summit in Houston brought together over 200 attendees, 32 community leaders, and nine life sciences vendors, marking the launch of the first U.S.-based advocacy platform for MENASA clinical trial inclusion. This event not only secured media coverage and academic recognition but also laid the foundation for ongoing partnerships and advocacy.
With the launch of the MENASA Magazine, we have created a vital platform for sharing stories of accomplished physicians, insights on clinical trial equity, and innovations within our communities. The magazine’s reach is already expanding, with 350 printed issues distributed and partnerships with leading medical associations.
Looking ahead, we are committed to launching a comprehensive MENASA Clinical Trial Registry, expanding the Junior Academy nationally, and securing core funding for our central hub in Sugar Land. These steps will ensure that our impact continues to grow, both in the United States and internationally.
I am deeply grateful to our team, partners, sponsors, and the broader MENASA community for their unwavering support. Together, we are not just an organization—we are a movement. A movement dedicated to creating an inclusive global healthcare landscape where every patient, regardless of their ethnicity, is truly represented, valued, and served.
With hope and determination,
Dr. Hadi Danawi
Founder, MENASA Group
Board of Directors
Esteemed Advisory Board
Dr. Sherif Z. Zaafran
Dr. Zaafran serves as the President of the Texas Medical Board appointed by Governor Abbott in 2017. He was recently reappointed and confirmed by the Texas Senate to serve through 2027.
He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Federation of State Medical Boards as well as on the FDA Analgesia and Anesthesia Drug Product Advisory Committee.
As a partner with US Anesthesia Partners, he serves as the Chair of their National Legislative Committee and as the Vice-Chair of the Clinical Governance Board for USAP Gulf Coast.
Within organized medicine, Dr. Zaafran is a delegate in the Texas Medical Association, Texas Society of Anesthesiologists, American Medical Association, and the American Society of Anesthesiologists. He was also recently appointed to the Board of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation.
In all these organizations, he serves on committees and councils advancing both the practice and regulation of medicine.
Dr. Zaafran studied biochemistry at The University of Texas at Austin and finished medical school and residency at The University of Texas McGovern Medical School in Houston. He is the current chair of the Texas Medical Board.
Dr. Nawar Shara
Nawar Shara, PhD is an executive leader, scientist, and innovator at the intersection of artificial intelligence, data science, and healthcare. She serves as Chief of Research Data Science at MedStar Health Research Institute, Chief of AI Applications in Healthcare at Georgetown University Medical Center, and Associate Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University. She is also the Founding Director of the AI CoLab, the MedStar-Georgetown Collaborative Center for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Research and Education, where she leads a multidisciplinary program advancing the responsible development, evaluation, and implementation of AI to improve healthcare delivery, research, and education.
Over more than two decades, Dr. Shara has established an internationally recognized career spanning clinical and translational research, biostatistics, biomedical informatics, artificial intelligence, and implementation science. She directs the Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science (GHUCCTS) Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Research Design (BERD) Core and co-directs its Biomedical Informatics Core, providing scientific leadership and methodological expertise to investigators across a broad range of clinical and population health research.
As an entrepreneurial research leader, Dr. Shara has built and leads a diverse portfolio of federally funded research supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), and other public and private sponsors. Her research focuses on developing and evaluating innovative AI-enabled solutions to improve patient outcomes, advance health equity, strengthen clinical decision-making, and accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into practice.
A hallmark of Dr. Shara's leadership is her ability to build sustainable research ecosystems. She has established multidisciplinary collaborations that bring together clinicians, scientists, engineers, data scientists, educators, and community partners across academic, healthcare, government, and industry settings. She is equally committed to developing the next generation of leaders, creating educational and workforce development programs that have trained students, researchers, and healthcare professionals in the responsible application of AI and data science.
Dr. Shara is widely recognized as a trusted advisor on artificial intelligence in healthcare. She serves on national and international advisory boards and strategic committees spanning academia, healthcare systems, industry, and nonprofit organizations, and is a frequent invited speaker on topics including AI, biomedical informatics, digital health, clinical research, and healthcare innovation. Fluent in English, Arabic, German, and French, she brings a global perspective to scientific collaboration and leadership.
Dr. Asif Ali
Dr. Asif Ali, MD is a Houston-based cardiologist and med-tech strategist whose work spans clinical care, research, and healthcare innovation. He holds leadership roles at Houston Cardiology Consultants, McGovern Medical School, University of Houston Medical School, Cena Research Institute, and Cena Consultants, where he advances inclusive research, digital health adoption, and patient-centered care models. Dr. Ali is a national speaker and advisor to emerging health technology companies, with a focus on equitable, human-centered innovation. He is a member of the Health Technology Advisory Group For the Center for Health Technology and Innovation for the American Heart Association Al and Digital wearables.
Senior Council Team
Dr. Majid Shah
Dr. Shah is a senior clinical research leader with over 18 years of experience across Phase I–IV clinical trials in multiple therapeutic areas. With a background in NIH-funded research, psychiatry, neuroscience, and peer-reviewed publications, he currently serves as CEO and Research Site Owner of Houston Clinical Research Associates. He leads end-to-end clinical research operations, including site development, regulatory compliance, and multi-site trial execution, and has extensive expertise in Phase I unit establishment, decentralized trials, electronic systems implementation, and ensuring compliance with FDA and ICH-GCP standards while managing complex, high-volume studies.
Liliana Gamba
Jerry Settle
MENASA Group Partners with National Arab Orchestra
We are proud to announce a strategic partnership between MENASA Group and the National Arab Orchestra. Together, we will celebrate and promote the richness of Arab culture, music, and heritage through collaborative events and initiatives that inspire and connect communities worldwide.