Advocacy Committee

Close to 12 years contributions to global public health with on prevention and control of NCDs. MD, Gynecologist and Obstetrician and master’s degree in health administration and management, University of Oslo, Norway. Over 20 years of senior management experience from the World Health Organization (WHO) and other organizations.
Chairperson of the World Heart Federation advocacy steering committee. I am committed to advancing global initiatives like HEARTS and the Global Diabetes Compact, as well as fighting air pollution, integrating heart and cardiometabolic diseases into Primary Health Care (PHC), Universal Health Coverage (UHC), humanitarian settings, climate and environment, human rights, and gender agendas with a specific focus on the 4th HLM on NCDs in 2025.
It is an inspiration to build networks and foster participation among partners, stakeholders, the private sector, employees, patient organizations to develop solutions. Co- creation with those with lived experience is a cornerstone for innovation and implementation.

Fernanda de Carvalho is Public & International Affairs at Instituto Lado a Lado pela Vida (means Side by Side for Life) a healthcare Brazilian Think Tank. She is journalist, specialist in stakeholder engagement and reputation management.
Her responsibilities at Lado a Lado pela Vida are to establish relationships with public and private organizations, in Brazil and abroad, expanding the actions of the organization which is dedicated to positively impact healthcare in Brazil, in the areas of cardiovascular disease, oncology, and men’s health.
She represents Lado a Lado pela Vida as a Global Heart Hub affiliate at The Invisible Nation, a worldwide network of patient organizations committed to driving a decline in cardiovascular death by effecting systemic change in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Fernanda is also Member of the Governing Board at IAPO (International Alliance of Patient Organization).

Dr Renu Garg is Senior Vice President for Cardiovascular Health at Resolve to Save Lives (RTSL). She is a public health specialist with more than three decades of experience supporting implementation of large-scale public health programs in low- and middle-income countries. Prior to joining RTSL she worked with WHO in various roles including WHO Representative and Team Lead for Noncommunicable Diseases in Thailand, Medical officer for HV/AIDS and Tuberculosis in WHO South-East Asia Region. Previously she has worked at US CDC, and at public health institutions in India covering a range of health programs including noncommunicable diseases, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and child survival. Dr Garg served as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at US CDC from 1997-1999. She received her medical and public health degrees from Mumbai University, India and Master of Public Health from Emory University, Atlanta.

Dr. Taskeen Khan is a dedicated global health practitioner with extensive expertise in
non-communicable diseases, public health policy, and advocacy. With a medical
degree from Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine and postgraduate qualifications
in health economics and public health, she has held influential roles at the World
Health Organization, the Africa Europe Foundation, Resolve to Save Lives and the
World Stroke Organization. Dr. Khan has led strategic initiatives on hypertension and
health system strengthening across multiple regions. Her work has influenced global
policy, research, and implementation, improving healthcare access and outcomes.
Passionate about innovation, equity, and global collaboration, she continues to
shape public health worldwide.

Dr. Komuro graduated from The University of Tokyo in 1982 and after clinical residency, he started research on the mechanisms of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. As a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard Medical School, he has studied cardiac development and congenital heart diseases. After returning to Japan, he was promoted to professor and chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, at Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, and The University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine. He is now vice president of the International University of Health and Welfare and a project professor at the University of Tokyo. He has published over 1300 papers on cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular development, and regeneration in peer-reviewed journals including Nature, Cell, Nature Medicine, Nature Genetics, Lancet, and Circulation. He is a past president of the Japanese Circulation Society and created the Heart Failure Care Instructor Program to manage heart failure patients. He was an immediate past president of the Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology. He founded the Japanese Onco-Cardiology Society and the Japanese Circulation Association.

Prof. Hilal Lashuel is the Research Development and Innovation Advisor to the Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, Executive Director of RDI at the Chairperson’s Office, Director of the Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Neurodegeneration at EPFL, and CSO of ND BioSciences. His research focuses on understanding protein misfolding and aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases to develop innovative diagnostics and therapies. A PhD graduate from Texas A&M University and the Scripps Research Institute, he held postdoctoral positions at Harvard Medical School before joining EPFL in 2005. He also completed a sabbatical as a Visiting Professor at Stanford University’s Department of Neurological Sciences. Prof. Lashuel has published over 226 peer-reviewed articles, holds nine patents, and has over 30,000 citations (h-index: 94). His work has received funding from prestigious organizations, including the Michael J. Fox Foundation, European Research Council (ERC), and partnerships with major biotech and pharmaceutical companies. He has held key leadership roles in Qatar, including Executive Director of Qatar Biomedical Research and advisory roles in the Qatar Genome Project and Biobank, Qatar Foundation, and Hamad Medical Corporations. Recognized globally, he is a recipient of the Kuwait Prize, Takreem Scientific Achievement Award, and was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

Dr. Lilian Mbau is a Medical Doctor and Public Health expert specializing in Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine. Currently serving as the Executive Director of the Centre for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (CCPR), she is committed to elevating the priority of cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention and rehabilitation in Kenya and the broader region. Previously, she held the role of Chief Executive Officer at the Kenya Cardiac Society (KCS).
Following her medical training, Dr. Mbau pursued a Master of Public Health degree at Moi University and a Master of Science in Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine from the University of South Wales. Additionally, she holds a certification in cardiac rehabilitation from the University of Wisconsin.

She is an active member of the Kenya Cardiac Society, European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) and the International Council for Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation (ICCPR).