Sharon Ashley, MD, MPH, MBA, DABA, FASA
Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
University of California, Davis
Davis, CA

Dr. Sharon A. Ashley is a Pediatric Anesthesiologist who has been practicing for over 30 years. She has achieved the rank of Health Sciences Clinical Professor, Step 3, in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of California, Davis, and the Department of Surgery at Charles R. Drew University Medicine and Science. Dr. Ashley has established herself as a premier educator of trainees and a leader in quality and health care equity. She has demonstrated her passion for education by making crucial contributions to the Pediatric Education Sub track at the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Dr. Ashley has served as the Chairman of the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee at UC Davis for two years and serves on many hospital committees and site visits. In addition to her professional achievements, Dr. Ashley is deeply committed to community service. She actively volunteers and contributes to grassroots organizations that promote health equity, mentor aspiring healthcare professionals, and improve access to care for underserved populations.

Kumar G. Belani, MBBS, MS, FACA, FAAP
Professor, Department of Anesthesiology;
Associate Director of the Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowship Program,
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN

Dr. Kumar Belani is a professor and the former Division Chief and Medical Director of Pediatric Anesthesiology at the University of Minnesota Department of Anesthesiology. He currently serves as the Associate Director of the Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowship Program. He also runs his own lab, the Belani Lab, which is currently focused on measuring cyanide toxicity, its treatment, and the role of sulfanegen, a new antidote.

Norifumi Kuratani, MD, PhD, MPH
Anesthesiologist-in-Chief,
Saitama Children’s Medical Center
Visiting Research Associate, Teikyo University Graduate School of Public Health
Saitama-City, Japan

Dr. Norifumi Kuratani is the Director of Pediatric Anesthesia at Saitama Children’s Medical Center in Japan, with adjunct professorships at several leading Japanese universities. With extensive experience in pediatric anesthesia, international health, and public health, he actively promotes safe pediatric anesthesia in Asian low- and middle-income countries through educational programs and clinical missions. Dr. Kuratani is a committed educator, deeply involved in global anesthesia training initiatives and the international anesthesia research community. He connects anesthesiologists worldwide via Facebook to enhance knowledge-sharing and improve patient care globally.

Dwi Pantjawibowo, MD, PhD
Anesthesiologist, Pain Management Consultant,
Bintaro Premier Hospital;
Eka Hospital;
Banten, Indonesia

Dr. Dwi Pantjawibowo’s medical career has been marked by dedication, precision, and a strong desire to relieve suffering. From the hectic operating rooms of Bintaro Premier Hospital to the advanced care settings of Eka Hospital in Banten, Indonesia, he is a pillar of competence in anesthesiology and pain management. His days involve a careful balance of leadership and clinical practice. As the leader of two anesthesia departments, he handles the intricacies of ensuring patient safety while also optimizing surgical outcomes. 

Mika M. Rockholt, MD, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
NYU Langone Grossman School of Medicine
New York, NY

Dr. Rockholt, originally from Sweden, earned her medical degree from the University of Barcelona in Spain and completed her residency in anesthesiology and intensive care at Lund University Hospital in Sweden, where she also obtained a PhD in Medicine. Driven by her commitment to academic excellence, she currently serves as a postdoctoral research fellow at NYU Grossman School of Medicine/NYU Langone Health, where she will soon transition to clinical work as an Anesthesiologist. Her research focuses on pain management and anesthesia in elderly patients. Fluent in seven languages, Dr. Rockholt is an avid traveler, passionate diver, and long-distance runner.

Shagun Bhatia Shah, MBBS, DA, DNB, FIMSA, MNAMS, Cert. TEE
Senior Consultant Anaesthesiologist
Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre
New Delhi, India

Dr. Shagun Bhatia Shah, MBBS, DA, DNB, FIMSA, MNAMS, Cert. TEE, is a motivated, dedicated and competent anesthesiologist with 21 years of experience in the field of anesthesia. Presently she is a Senior Consultant onco-anesthesiologist at Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre (a premiere tertiary care institute and the largest exclusive oncology setup of Northern India) and a thesis guide for DNB students. She has authored 94 publications in peer reviewed indexed journals besides 11 Book Chapters. She is especially interested in recent advances in anesthesia like USG guided procedures, difficult airway, advanced haemodynamic monitoring, ERAS protocol and anesthesia for robotic surgery. She is certified in TEE (Trans esophageal echocardiography) and utilizes it for managing cardiac patients undergoing noncardiac oncosurgery. She is ready to walk that extra mile with post-operative and terminally ill cancer patients to alleviate their pain and suffering.

Saher Siddiqui
Third-year Medical Student
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
New York, NY

Saher Siddiqui is currently a third-year medical student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in NYC. Before medical school, she studied Chemical and Physical Biology with a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy at Harvard University. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, reading, equestrian activities, weightlifting, and exploring the diverse food scene in NYC with her friends. She is super excited to be serving as the IARS 2025 Social Media Ambassador. Please feel free to reach out – she looks forward to meeting everyone in person soon!

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2024 Contest
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