Basil Elnazir PhD, FRCPCH, FRCPI, DCH

Prof Basil Elnazir is a Consultant in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine with a strong academic background. He obtained his PhD from the University of Birmingham, UK, and completed his clinical training in the UK and Ireland. He has held many key leadership positions during his career with the Asthma Society of Ireland, Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, Make a Wish Ireland, and internationally with the Arab Paediatric Pulmonology Association & as a co-founder of the Middle East Cystic Fibrosis Association. He also served as a National Specialty Director in Paediatrics at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. He decided to expand his horizons by taking a 3-year sabbatical period and joined Al Jalila Children's Specialty Hospital in Dubai in 2015 to set up a Paediatric Pulmonology Service.

He was very quickly given the task of the Chief Medical Officer, where he has steered progress to the fruitful opening of a 200-bed hospital. He had the opportunity to witness and actively help in shaping the development of Al Jalila Children's Hospital as the first standalone children's Hospital in the UAE and the Gulf region. He has recently taken up an appointment as the Associate Director for Global Relations at the School of Medicine, TCD, with the view to fostering international academic and educational opportunities between TCD and medical schools in the Middle East. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed medical journals and presented at national and international meetings. He has also served as an Editor and Reviewer of many Paediatric medical journals.