Medical Advisory Board

Dr. Nche Zama

Director of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery

Dr. Nche Zama is a renowned cardiothoracic surgeon who completed training at the Cleveland Clinic and Harvard University. He holds a PhD in chemistry, a Harvard master’s degree in management, and a medical degree. He is recognized as one of the top cardiothoracic surgeons in the US and is often sought out for his expertise.

Dr. Thierry Mesana

President & CEO

Dr. Thierry Mesana is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and Professor of Cardiac Surgery at the University of Ottawa. He is recognized as one of the leading heart valve surgeons in the world. He received his medical degree at the Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France, where he trained in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, and received his PhD in biophysics and biomechanics at the same university.

Dr. Jay M. Nfonoyim

Program Director

Dr. Jay Nfonoyim is Program Director, Chief of Critical Care and Clinical Medicine at the Richmond University Medical Center, and Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at New York Medical College. He also served as director of the Surgical Trauma ICU at Elmhurst Hospital Center and Assistant Professor of Surgery at Mt. Sinai Medical School. He has close to four decades of experience in the field of medicine. His areas of expertise are Saddle Pulmonary Embolism, Emphysema, and Angioplasty.

Dr. Gopichand Mannam

Medical Doctor

Dr. Gopichand Mannam is a consultant Cardio Thoracic Surgeon based in India, with expertise in the field of Cardio-Thoracic surgery, having performed over 25000 cardiac surgeries. He is credited with the nascence of beating heart coronary bypass surgery and undersized donor heart transplantation in India. He pioneered minimally invasive atrial septal defect closure and mitral valve replacement in India. Dr Mannam has provided extended cardiac surgery services to children in developing countries such as Ethiopia and Libya. He was named the “Doctor of The Year” in India 2005, and TV5 “Business Leader of The Year” in 2013.

Dr. Mpoki M. Ulisubisya

Medical Doctor

A former Cardiac Anaesthesiologist at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (Muhimbili National Hospital) in Dar Es Salaam and one of the first doctors to be trained as a Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiologist in Tanzania, Dr. Mpoki serves as the High Commissioner of Tanzania to Canada