Chairs and Speakers – R

Dr Rabinovich has over 30 years of experience in global health across research, public health, and philanthropic sectors, with focus on strategy, global health product development, and the introduction and scale-up of tools and strategies resulting in impact on endemic populations. Prior to joining Harvard, she served as Director of the Infectious Diseases division at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, overseeing the development and implementation of strategies for the prevention, treatment, and control of infectious diseases of particular relevance to malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, and neglected infectious diseases. Dr. Rabinovich was Chief of the Clinical and Regulatory Affairs Branch at the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), focusing on the development and evaluation of vaccines . In 1999, Dr. Rabinovich became the founding director of the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative, to advance malaria vaccine candidates.  She is past president of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and serves on the boards of the Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) and the Sabin Vaccine Institute.  Dr. Rabinovich holds a medical degree from Southern Illinois University and a master’s degree in Maternal and Child Health from the University of North Carolina.

Johanna is a CEO of the World Obesity Federation and has 20 years experience in global   noncommunicable disease advocacy. Johanna oversees the implementation of the WOF five year plan for 2020-25, including advocacy for global obesity targets, education and capacity building, and evidence and data.  Prior to joining World Obesity in 2017, Johanna was the CEO of the World Heart Federation and Vice Chair of the NCD Alliance and prior that spent 11 years as VP P Global Strategies at the American Cancer Society, creating capacity-building programs in cancer and tobacco control in LMICs. She also serves on advisory boards including with WHO and has  published on NCDs and wider health issues. She grew up in Sweden and the US, and currently is based in Boston with her family.  Johanna also has lived experience of NCDs and has written and spoken on the importance of people at the centre of health and food systems.  

Carlos Robalo Cordeiro is the Head of Pulmonology Department at the Coimbra University Hospital and Dean of Coimbra Medical School where he is Full Professor of Pulmonology. He was President of the Portuguese Society of Pulmonology, Executive Committee member of the WASOG and Secretary General of the ERS – European Respiratory Society. He was elected in August 2020 for the ERS presidential cycle, starting is mandate as President on September 2022. His main field of interest is Interstitial Lung Disease and Obstructive Airways Diseases, having published 140 papers in impact factor journals and being peer reviewer/ Board member of 16/8 national and international journals.

In 1981, Ferdinando Romano graduated in Medicine and in 1985 he specialized in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine. In 1987, he earned a Master of Science in Epidemiology at Harvard University, School of Public Health. He was appointed as Full Professor of Hygiene and since 2000 is Full Professor of Hygiene at Sapienza University of Rome. He served for 5 years as President of the National Institute for Research on Food and Nutrition (INRAN). Afterward he was appointed as General Manager of a number of Agencies and Health Authorities, nominally: the Regional Healthcare Agency of Abruzzo in 2009; General Manager of the Public Healthcare Company of Caserta (Campania Region – Italy) in 2010; General Manager of the Public Healthcare Company ROMA D (Lazio Region – Italy) in 2011; Head of the Directorate-General of Health of the Lazio Region (Italy) from 2011 to 2013; Head of Department of Health and Natural Resources of the Campania Region (Italy) from 2013 to 2015; Head of the Health Services University Hospital Policlinico Umberto I of Rome (Italy) in 2015-2016 and from 2018 to 2020; General Manager of the Public Healthcare Company ASL 1 Abruzzo (Italy) since 2021. He is the author of over 180 scientific papers in the fields of Epidemiology and Public Health.