Dr. Nafisa Darod is an Older Adult Psychiatry Resident and Founder of Psyching OUT!, a digital psychiatry education platform. She is dedicated to making mental health conversations open, informed, and stigma-free through education and community connection.

Danish Ashraf is a serving elected councillor for the Scottish National Party for nearly a decade, representing his community with dedication and a strong commitment to public service.

A qualified optometrist by profession, Danish brings a unique blend of clinical expertise and civic leadership to his role.

Beyond politics and healthcare, Danish has extensive experience in the third sector, particularly in charity development and fundraising, where he has contributed to a wide range of community-focused initiatives, including Charity Week, Islamic Relief and FOSIS.

Born and raised in Glasgow, Danish truly is a son of the city with a deep network spanning right across Scotland’s largest and most vibrant city.

Passionate about grassroots engagement, Danish has been actively involved with numerous local organisations, advocating for social equity and meaningful change. His work reflects a deep belief in collaboration, inclusion, and the power of community-driven progress.

Dr Hafsah Qureshi is a General Practitioner and Certified Life Coach with a strong interest in wellbeing and patient-centred care. She is a co-founder of the British Islamic Medical Association. 

Alongside her clinical work, she supports professional Muslim women managing stress, building resilience, and achieving sustainable balance in demanding roles. She is the founder of the Khadijah Life Upgrade Programme, which is a step by step holistic comprehensive personal development programme for Professional Muslim women who want to excel personally professionally and Islamically without anxiety and burnout – improve their mental and physical health, time management, Salah and Quran, relationships, career, legacy work and finances (www.drhafsahcoaching.com/klu)

Dr Qureshi brings a compassionate, practical approach to health, integrating medical expertise with coaching principles to promote long-term wellbeing. At this conference, she contributes insights on supporting both patients and clinicians to thrive, not just survive, within modern healthcare systems.

Dr Sohail Hanif has served as Chief Executive of the National Zakat Foundation (NZF) since November 2021. He brings experience in Islamic scholarship and community service, having previously held roles as Head of Research and Development at NZF, Lecturer and BA Manager at Cambridge Muslim College, and Head of Sciences at the Qasid Arabic Institute in Amman.

He studied Islamic law with traditional scholars and completed a PhD at the University of Oxford, focusing on the development of legal reasoning in the early Hanafi tradition. His research was awarded the 2019 BRAIS-De Gruyter Prize by the British Association for Islamic Studies.

Today, under Dr Sohail’s leadership, NZF continues to build a nationwide network of support powered by Zakat – making sure this pillar of our faith transforms the lives of Muslims in need across the UK.

Dr. Saleyha Ahsan is an emergency medicine doctor, broadcaster, and academic whose work explores health amid crises. With over 25 years’ experience working  in armed conflict settings, which includes military service, frontline humanitarian response, storytelling, and global policy work, she focuses on developing collaborative interdisciplinary responses to the challenges faced today within healthcare delivery in emergency settings.

She holds an LLM in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and is currently a PhD student at the University of Cambridge, researching the impact of attacks on healthcare in conflict. At Cambridge she established and runs the CRASSH Healthcare in Conflict research network. Through medicine, research, and storytelling, she examines resilience, recovery, and ethical care in armed conflict.

Naveed Sattar is Professor of Cardiometabolic Medicine, University of Glasgow. He has contributed to >1600 papers across diabetes, obesity, CV disease and related conditions. He has also co-authored over 10 national/international guidelines across cardiometabolic disease and obesity. He has also contributed to many trials in these areas including lifestyle and drugs trials, with evidence of impact across several disciplines.

He is associate editor for Diabetes Care and has received several national and international awards for his research contributions. He contributes to new health initiatives in the Scottish Health Service and is Chair of the UK Government’s Obesity Healthcare Goals Programme.

Dr Shireen Kassam is a Consultant Haematologist, Certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician and Visiting Professor of Plant-Based Nutrition. She is founder of Plant-Based Health Professionals UK, a community interest company that provides education and initiatives on healthy plant-based diets and lifestyle medicine. Her first book, Eating Plant-Based, Scientific Answers to Your Nutrition Questions, co-authored with her sister Zahra, was published in January 2022. She has also co-edited the textbook Plant-Based Nutrition in Clinical Practice, published in September 2022

Dr  Aziza Sesay is a GP, educator, former Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer, and medical broadcaster dedicated to advancing health education and equity. Founder of “Talks with Dr. Sesay,” she shares evidence-based information on women’s health, cancer awareness, mental health, and health disparities. She serves as Vice Chair and Creative Director of Black Female Doctors UK and is an ambassador for leading charities including The Eve Appeal and Wellbeing of Women. A regular GP on BBC Breakfast, she collaborates with organisations such as NHS England, the Department of Health, YouTube Health, and WHO, and is a recipient of the Point of Light Award.

Shaykh Sohaib Saeed is a Scotland-based specialist in Tafsir and Qur’anic Studies. A graduate of Al-Azhar University, he completed his PhD at the University of London under Professor M. A. S. Abdel Haleem. He has taught and published widely across the UK and Europe.

He is known for translating classical works of tafsir, including The Great Exegesis by Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, which received the Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding in 2018. He is currently preparing a translation of Ibn Juzayy’s commentary and has authored Explaining the Qur’an Through the Qur’an (forthcoming, Edinburgh University Press).

Since 2016, he has served as Head of Research at Bayyinah Institute, collaborating with Nouman Ali Khan on contemporary Qur’an translation and commentary. He also leads Quality and Guidance at QuranReflect and is Founder and Director of the Ibn Ashur Centre for Quranic Studies.

Omar is the Managing Director of the Global Ethical Finance Initiative (GEFI) and Board Member of the UK Islamic Finance Council (UKIFC).

A Chartered Accountant by profession, he specialises in ethical/responsible finance, Islamic finance, and private equity. He has extensive experience in financial services and has advised multiple governments and regulators on ecosystem building as a leading advocate for sustainable and Islamic finance. His background includes working with EY London, where he qualified as a CA and was the former Head of Islamic finance.

Through his GEFI work, Omar has established a number of initiatives, including the Path to COP, the SDG Financial Products platform with UNDP, which promotes innovative financing structures for the SDGs, the Global Islamic Finance and UN SDGs Taskforce launched with the UK Government and IsDB, and the award-winning interfaith Edinburgh Finance Declaration—the world’s first shared values approach to finance between Islamic finance and the Church. He also served on the Board of the University of Oxford Faith-Aligned Impact Finance Project

Omar received a BAcc and a PhD from the University of Glasgow along with an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University conferred for his work in developing ethical finance. Beyond finance, he is actively involved with Colourful Heritage which works with Glasgow Museums to preserve and celebrate South Asian heritage in Scotland, The King’s Trust Scotland and Olivewood Primary School.

Dr Mary Ross-Davie is Director of Midwifery for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the largest maternity service in Scotland. After qualifying in 1995, she worked in London in hospital, community, and specialist roles, supporting women with HIV, substance misuse, and perinatal mental health needs. After moving to Scotland, she worked as a Sure Start midwife and consultant midwife and completed a PhD on continuous support during labour. Mary has also held national roles in perinatal mental health, quality improvement, and education, and served as UK Professional Director at the Royal College of Midwives. She regularly publishes, presents internationally, and enjoys running and climbing Munros.

Dr Aman Durrani FRCPsych is a Consultant Perinatal Psychiatrist at the West of Scotland Mother and Baby Unit in Glasgow, working across inpatient and specialist community perinatal mental health services. He has contributed to the development and expansion of perinatal services across Scotland, with a focus on improving access, quality, and equity of care. He has served on the Executive Committee of the Perinatal Faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists and on Scottish Government perinatal mental health steering groups. He is an Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Glasgow and has longstanding involvement in community organising within the Muslim community.

Hauwa Hamza began her career in public administration before founding the BAHM Medicare Foundation, dedicated to improving pregnancy outcomes in the UK and Nigeria. Inspired to advance her impact, she earned a BSc in Midwifery during the COVID-19 pandemic, receiving awards in recognition of her dedication. Her work gained international attention through an interview with Hiroshi Kagawa of IBC Consulting and Publishing in Japan. She has also supported Electronic Patient Record implementation and large-scale digital transformation, contributing to organisational readiness and improved maternity care through innovation, leadership, and continuous professional growth.

Sehar Shahid is an award-nominated pharmacist, independent prescriber, obesity specialist pharmacist and the founder of 24 HR Pharmacy, an innovative online pharmacy dedicated to women’s health, weight management, and holistic wellbeing. With over a decade of experience in pharmacy and healthcare leadership, Sehar combines clinical expertise with a passion for empowering patients to make informed choices about their health.

Through 24 HR Pharmacy, Sehar has created a trusted digital platform that offers safe, accessible, and patient-centred services — from specialist weight-loss clinics and women’s health consultations to integrative care with herbal medicine and lifestyle support. Her mission is to raise the standard of online healthcare by embedding the highest levels of governance, safety, and compassion into every service. Alongside running her pharmacy, Sehar is a National Pharmacy Association Board Director for Scotland, shaping policy and championing innovation in pharmacy across the UK. She is also a mentor, speaker and regularly trains on stage and appears on media to advocate for her industry. She advocates for women in healthcare, inspiring others to step into leadership and pursue their ambitions with confidence through her networking community – Dose of Empowerment.

Dr. Ahmed is a dual-qualified healthcare professional with over 20 years’ clinical experience, owner of a thriving Edinburgh Dental Clinic, and founder of the multimillion-pound Glasgow venture, Fame Dentistry. He is the author of books on mindset and executive presence, including Unstoppable: The Mindset of a Great Clinician and First Impressions, Final Decisions. He believes success is shaped not only by what you know, but how you are perceived—and that with the right mindset and the ability to project certainty, even in uncertainty, there is no limit to what you can achieve.

Dr Bachelani, an experienced physician on Harley Street, graduated from The Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine in 1997 and holds a BSc in Immunopathology. He trained as a hospital physician, before shifting his focus to General Practice.

With over 20 years of experience, Dr Bachelani is currently the managing director of London Harley Street Practice. He has been involved with BIMA since 2016 and is currently a council member.

Claire is the Heritage Lead for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. Over the last 30 years she has worked across the UK at museums and heritage institutions including Manchester Art Gallery, the New Art Gallery Walsall, the National Trust for Scotland and Paisley Museum. She is passionate about sharing the rich and diverse heritage collections of the UK’s museum collections with the widest audiences.

The Library collection of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow dates back to 1698 and contains some incredible treasures, including work by Arabic scholars from the 9th and 10th centuries including, Abu al-Hussain Ibn Abdullah Ibn Sina (980–1037) (known as Avicenna in the West). His ‘Canon of Medicine’, translated from Arabic into Latin, towered above other Islamic works as the most influential medical text for medical study in European universities from the 12th to the 17th centuries. The College Library has a large, complete version of the ‘Canon’ printed in Venice in 1544. Claire will give an overview of this and other influential works in her presentation.

Dr Sharif is the President of BIMA, he is currently a consultant plastic, reconstructive & hand surgeon and is the Plastic Surgery Lead at the Bradford Royal Infirmary. He is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Leeds and executive member of the International Society for History of Islamic Medicine.

Dr Farhan Shahid is a Consultant in Sport, Exercise and Musculoskeletal Medicine (SEM) and a Fellow of the Faculty of Sport & Exercise Medicine (FSEM). He completed Higher Specialist Training in SEM in the prestigious London Deanery and specialises in musculoskeletal injury management, exercise medicine and elite performance medicine.
He holds private clinics in London and works with the UK Sports Institute (UKSI), supporting Team GB athletes. Dr Shahid has extensive experience in elite sport, including roles within the Premier League, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and the Football Association England pathways.

He is President of the SEM Section at the Royal Society of Medicine and is passionate about teaching, research, leadership and promoting physical activity to improve health within communities.

Dr Aminah Amer is a GP and Sports & Exercise Medicine Resident Doctor based in Manchester. She holds a Master’s in Sport & Exercise Medicine and is a Member of the Faculty of Sport & Exercise Medicine (FSEM). Alongside her clinical practice, she works as a pitch-side doctor in rugby and serves on the Exercise Medicine and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Committees within FSEM, helping to embed exercise medicine across diverse populations.
Dr Amer’s work focuses on the role of physical activity in preventing and managing chronic disease, including musculoskeletal conditions. She is passionate about improving health equity and advocates for positive health outcomes within ethnic minority communities, especially Muslim women.

Dr Qasim Javed is a Birmingham-based GP and Chair of Council at the British Islamic Medical Association (BIMA). Alongside his NHS clinical work, he is involved in grassroot leadership including co-founding Young Thinkers Gloucester. He leads on community health initiatives and youth empowerment projects, with a focus on strengthening Muslim healthcare professionals and the communities they serve.

Ofrah Muflahi, MSc, BSc, RN, is a distinguished community and humanitarian leader and registered nurse, recognised for her unwavering commitment to service, advocacy, and community empowerment. She is the Founding Director of the British Arab Nursing and Midwifery Association (BANMA), where she demonstrates transformational, collaborative, and values-driven leadership, providing strategic direction, strengthening professional representation, and championing equity and inclusion for Arab nurses and midwives.

Her professional and humanitarian work reflects a deep and sustained dedication to supporting individuals, families, and communities through impactful initiatives, ethical practice, and inclusive leadership. In recognition of her exceptional contributions, Ofrah was honoured with the Arab Award for Community and Humanitarian Leader of the Year 2025, acknowledging her integrity, leadership excellence, and sustained efforts to uplift and serve communities in need. She remains firmly committed to advancing dignity, equity, and compassion.

Dr Green-Thompson is a Medical Doctor and a Psychiatrist with interest in Emergency, Perinatal and Neuropsychiatry. Born in South Africa, he read medicine there before entering specialist training Psychiatry in London and Cambridge.

Manira Ahmad is the Chief Officer at Public Health Scotland, where she champions a vision of a healthier, fairer Scotland. In her role, she supports the wider public health system to prevent disease, prolong healthy life and promote wellbeing, while leading cross‑organisational programmes in climate and sustainability, equity and justice, international development, long‑term conditions, workforce planning, human rights commissioning, and arts, culture and wellbeing.

 A systems leader across both public and private sectors, Manira played a pivotal role during the pandemic, building and scaling critical data intelligence functions. She led teams that delivered actionable insights, including utilisation trends, shielding dashboards and risk‑modelling tools, that informed national decision‑making at moments of profound uncertainty.

Before entering public service, Manira worked globally in financial services, specialising in workforce planning and offshore investment. She brings this analytical grounding together with a deep belief in compassionate, community‑led public health. Her work is rooted in lived experience and storytelling, ensuring that strategy always connects back to “what really matters.”

Manira also contributes her leadership to education, community development and social justice. She serves as a Board Member at City of Glasgow College and as a Board Director at Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector. She is Chair of the Scottish Minority Ethnic Women’s Network, a Trustee for the SAPC Community Sports Hub, and Strategic Advisor to The DataKirk, an employability charity. Most recently, she was appointed to the Board of the Anti‑Racism Observatory for Scotland, reflecting her enduring commitment to equity, representation and local empowerment.

Passionate about supporting the next generation, Manira has spent the past four years as an MCR Pathways mentor, working closely with young people to help them thrive. She also regularly contributes as a guest lecturer, sharing her experience at the intersection of leadership, data and public health.

Having retired from clinical practice after 42 years as a Family Doctor in Scotland, Rob pursues the applications of Lifestyle Medicine into healthcare. In 2016 he co-founded the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine (BSLM) to promote the principles of Lifestyle Medicine to healthcare professionals and the public. He served as the BSLM Chair from 2016-2024.

He currently serves as Trustee and International Director of the BSLM, as Trustee and founding President of the European Lifestyle Medicine Council, as Vice President of the Mediterranean Lifestyle Medicine Institute and is a founder member of the Executive Committee of the World LM Organisation.

Dr Tom Dolphin is a consultant anaesthetist in London, and Chair of Council at the BMA since June 2025. During his time in the BMA, Tom has been chair of the Junior (now Resident) Doctors Committee, and a national contract negotiator for both consultants and resident doctors at the same time, and has chaired the Local Negotiating Committee for his Trust. He has been on the BMA Board of Directors since 2024, and has been part of the Trade Dispute Preparedness Group for several years working on ways to strengthen the union through organising, developing the Strike Fund, and delivering training on workplace organising around the country. 

Tom’s clinical practice includes major trauma, ENT and airway surgery, and breast and general surgery. He is a faculty member with a charity providing trauma skills training for anaesthetists and surgeons in conflict zones, and has delivered training in Ukraine on three occasions since the full invasion in 2022.

He is focused on the embedding of the union in the workplace, continuing the shift from the union as a service to the organising model, with expansion of the knowledge and skills reps hold as the core of that shift.

Mehvish Ashraf, MRPharmS is a Non-Executive Board Member at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and was recently recognised as Medical Leader of the Year, reflecting her dedication, leadership, and impact across healthcare and the wider community.

With over 15 years’ experience as a pharmacist, Mehvish has worked extensively within an independent pharmacy organisation operating across Scotland. This has given her strong insight into the operational, contractual, and workforce challenges facing primary care contractors, as well as the interface between independent providers and public services.

Mehvish also leads The Aspire Women’s Network – a professional network launched by the Scottish Asian Business Chamber to provide a tailored space for women in Scotland to grow, lead and connect. Aspire has hosted the Equalities Minister, MSPs and bestselling authors and would welcome all ladies to the network.

Her frontline work in some of the most deprived communities in and around Glasgow, supporting people affected by addiction and members of ethnic minority communities, has shaped her deep understanding of health inequalities and the need for equitable, compassionate, person-centred care.

Mehvish brings senior leadership, workforce and governance expertise to her Board roles. She is Vice Chair of the East Renfrewshire Integration Joint Board and Co-Chair of the Staff Governance Committee at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. She serves as the Board’s BME Champion and is a member of the Finance, Planning and Performance and the People Committees. 

Azza Elghonaimy is a sessional GP, RCGP Yorkshire Faculty Honorary Secretary, and a nationally elected RCGP Council Member. She is a Fellow of the RCGP and a strong advocate for GP development, professional leadership, and inclusive practice.

Dawud Duncan is an award-winning traditional Scottish singer, storyteller and virtuoso whistle, bodhran and mandola player. He has performed with acts including Gaelic Singer of the year Griogair Laubhridh; Moriscan Sufi collective Al Firdaus Ensemble; and festival punk-folk favourites The Ramshakle Band.

Since embracing Islam in 2006, Dawud began finding commonality between his religion and his rich cultural upbringing in the West Highlands of Scotland. Through his traditional music story & song, Dawud hopes to challenge false narratives of East/West division – and welcome all to come together as human beings.

Based in NHS Lanarkshire , Farhat – an Emergency Medicine Consultant – has developed a dedicated teaching and induction programme for International Medical Graduates, helping new doctors navigate NHS systems, policies and patient care with confidence and clarity. Her approach is grounded in compassion, dignity and equity. Her pioneering work earned her the Chief Executive Award for the 2025 NHS Lanarkshire Staff Awards.

As Chair of NHS Lanarkshire’s Ethnic Minority Forum — and now a member of its Executive group — Farhat leads quietly but powerfully, creating space for every voice and driving change that’s already influencing practice nationally.

Described as humble, collaborative and deeply committed, Farhat’s work continues to shape a stronger, fairer NHS for everyone.

Kareem is an Ironman triathlete, Pharmacist and strategist with experience across healthcare, digital innovation, policy and community engagement. He is currently pursuing a DPhil (PhD) in Primary Healthcare and Applied Data Science at the University of Oxford researching the adoption of cardiometabolic disease clinical guidelines using population level data. He leads professional development and membership diversity at BIMA and serves as a board member at the RCGP, Thames Valley Faculty. Previously, he contributed to the development of healthwords.ai, an internationally patented AI health-assistant.

Dr Shehla Imtiaz-Umer is a GP Principal in Derby and EDI Director for The Hub Plus, where she leads efforts to address equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) across General Practice in Derbyshire. She is co-editor of the Wiley publication ABC of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Healthcare, contributing to the advancement of inclusive practice in healthcare.

Shehla also serves as National Director for Advocacy at the British Islamic Medical Association (BIMA), where she works to raise awareness and drive action on issues affecting Muslim patients and healthcare professionals. Her leadership and commitment to equity have earned her national recognition and multiple awards.

Safiyah Khan is a Senior CBT Therapist with over 10 years’ experience in mental health. She started her career working with young people in CAMHS and progressed through Talking Therapies from trainee PWP to Step 2 Team Lead. During COVID-19, she helped lead service delivery through a particularly difficult period, supporting both staff wellbeing and the running of the service.

Since 2020, Safiyah has been involved with Inspirited Minds, a Muslim mental health charity, where she is now Counselling Manager. She supports the running of the counselling service and oversees the IM Adapted Study, a feasibility trial exploring culturally adapted low-intensity therapy for young Muslim women.

She is particularly passionate about making therapy more accessible and relevant for Muslim communities, and about using research to challenge stigma and support the development of faith-informed approaches to mental health.

Sufyan Ismail is an award-winning serial entrepreneur and philanthropist, ranked among the 500 most influential Muslims on six occasions. He graduated from the University of Manchester and trained with Deloitte. He founded businesses including 1st Ethical, focused on Shariah-compliant finance, and Carter Gem, specialising in private equity and real estate. His companies have won multiple awards and appeared in the Sunday Times Fast Track 100. He has authored briefing papers and co-authored a university textbook on Islamic finance. He also founded and supported charities such as Muslim Vote, Islamophobia Response Unit etc, promoting advocacy, media engagement, and political literacy across the UK and community development.

Dr Kiran Rahim is a London-based Paediatrician, mother, and child health advocate with over a decade of NHS experience. She is the founding member of Children Not Numbers, a medico-legal charity delivering life-saving care, medical education, and rehabilitation to children in Gaza.

Alongside her clinical and humanitarian work, she leads a social media platform of over 100,000 followers, using it as an educational space to discuss child and women’s health, grief, and healthcare inequality, particularly within South Asian communities.

Anum Qaisar is a Scottish Pakistani political commentator and former UK Member of Parliament, elected to Westminster at 28. She quickly established herself as a confident and principled voice on equality, representation, and international affairs.

Within a week of her election, she was appointed to the Health and Social Care Committee, where she scrutinised the NHS and social care – questioning Ministers, clinicians, academics, and sector leaders on workforce pressures and health inequalities.

Anum was also appointed to Shadow Cabinet, holding a number of roles, including as Shadow Minister for International Development. She engaged closely with global health issues – chairing parliamentary events with Medical Aid for Palestinians on medical access in Gaza, working with Amnesty International on the case for banning trade with illegal Israeli settlements, and undertaking a UN delegation to Ethiopia focused on malnutrition. A key focus of her work has been championing women and girls in the Global South, particularly in menstrual health, healthcare access, and reproductive health.

Before politics, she was a secondary school teacher of Modern Studies and Politics.

Anum is also the founder and host of DemocraTEA, a podcast exploring people, power, and politics through candid conversations, and is known for her leadership talks, “Legislating in Lashes.” Anum speaks openly about how her love for makeup and fashion sits comfortably alongside her passion for justice and policy – arguing that women should not have to dilute any part of themselves to be taken seriously in positions of power.