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Since 2019 Roberta Panariti Nashi is the Founder and President of “Albanians Fighting Cancer-USA” a nonprofit organization based in Boston, MA
After graduating from high school with high remarks as a soprano form the Classical Music School of Korca city, Roberta went to University “Aleksander Xhuvani” and graduated as a teacher. After six years of working as a teacher she was appointed as Head of Department of Elementary School Education for District of Korca.
She moved to Boston USA in 1996 and studied computer science and programming at Clark University in the state of Massachusetts. She worked as data analyst and reporting at State Street, Fidelity, Blue Cross Blue shield, and since 2008 she works as a Manger of Commercial Reporting, Business Intelligence & Analytics group at Merck, an international pharmaceutical company in Boston, MA.
Dr. Ivi Kasimati followed an excellent family tradition in medicine. His grandfather and his parents have been medical doctors of Korca, Albania. After he graduated from high school with a perfect (10/10) GPA he received a full scholarship at the Medical School of the University of Tirana and graduated in the top 5% of the class (9.7/10 GPA) completing the final licensing examination with honors.
After completing his residency in 2006 at BLHC he worked as Hospitalist at MMC and later joined Hospitalist group at New England Baptist Hospital, where he provides inpatient clinical care for the Hospital Medicine Group supervise NP/PA along with NP students. His clinical interests revolve mainly around applying general medicine to the whole patient and educating patients and families in disease prevention.
Since 2011 he serves as a preceptor for Patient Doctor II HMS course and Preceptor for NP students for Regis College and Mass College of Pharmacy by doing specific topic lecturing as well as bedside teaching. Lately he keeps the position of Vice Director of Hospitalist Group at NEBH.
He is co-owner and doctor of the 3D Medical DPC also winner of several honors and prizes.
Dr. Mihali is an Internal Medicine specialist, affiliated with Associated Physicians of Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at Beth Israel Lahey Hospital. She also is Assistant Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine in Boston, MA
Dr. Mihali graduated with honors from the University of Medicine of Tirana, Albania. She, then furthered her training as a Cardiology fellow at the University Hospital Center “Mother Teresa”, Tirana. In 2015, she joined Dr. Azzi’s laboratory as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Transplantation Research Center/Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School where she worked on multiple projects to elucidate the mechanism, as well as novel methods for allograft rejection treatment. Dr. Mihali was the 2016 recipient of the prestigious Young Investigator Award from American Transplant Congress.
She completed her Internal Medicine Residency training at Capital Health System, New Jersey. In 2019, she received the Best Resident Research Project award. She has several publications in peer-reviewed journals and poster/abstract presentations at scholarly meetings. She is a member of numerous professional organizations including American College of Physicians, Society of Hospital Medicine, and Early Career Physician Council of Massachusetts ACP chapter.
DR. AGIM ALIAJ
Technical/Surgical Committee Chair
Dr. Agim Aliaj graduated successfully from the Medical School of the University of Tirana in 1992. After he finished his residency specializing in General Surgery and Trauma, he continued his fellowship at the city of Lecce Hospital in Italy focusing on New Technique in Approaching Hernia Surgery to be continued in Laparoscopic surgery at Santa Maria delle Croci Hospital.
In 2004 he become certified from Da Vinci Robotic Surgery and later he was Certified as Surgical Assistant working at BWH Hospital and helping many Albanians in health issue needs. He has been participating in several research programs in Albania, Italy and USA including BWH research on perioperative outcome for major cancer surgery, as well as Cost Saving Opportunities by Optimizing Surgical Approach for Distal Pancreatectomy.
ENKELA PANCE
Marketing and Expansion Committee Chair
Enkela, was born and raised in Tirana, Albania. Graduated Petro Nini Luarasi high school and got a bachelor’s degree in Physics from the Faculty of Natural Science, Tirana, Albania. Worked as a journalist in the National Radio and later National TV- RTSH.
In the United States she has a fifteen years of experience working in community and public health, with emphasis in Albanian American recent emigrant community, project management and grant writing. She has the distinction of Project Management Professional from Project Management Institute of Philadelphia.
Enkela enjoys physical activity and running road races with her son.
Dr. Emal Lesha is a Neurosurgery Resident at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. After graduating high school at Gjimnazi “Petro Nini Luarasi”, he started medical school at the Faculty of Medicine in Tirana. Shortly after he immigrated with his family to the U.S, moving to Quincy, Massachusetts. He studied Biology at the University of Massachusetts Boston, then studied medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine.
Throughout his studies, Dr. Lesha has been involved with multiple research projects, spanning from clinical research, biomaterials to genetic engineering. He has also worked with several projects and NGOs focused in Albania, including MAASBESA, Fondacioni Spitalor i Nenes dhe Femijes, TEDx Tirana and Albanian Scholarship Effort, amongst others.
Noela Kokomani is a highly skilled mission-driven healthcare executive with proven success in leading high performing and innovative programs and with deep expertise in regulatory affairs, government relations and health care policy and reform in the health insurance industry.
Noela earned her bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and Literature from Tirana University in Albania. She also holds an Executive Education Certificate from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management and has received her Certified Healthcare Insurance Executive designation by the American Health Insurance Plans Foundation, Executive Leadership Program, a prestigious national program limited to 100 candidates chosen annually nationwide.
For over 20 years Noela has held various leadership roles at Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan, including the role of Vice President of Public Partnerships, leading the implementation of various components of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Massachusetts health care reform. In her current role, she serves as Vice President of Account Partnerships, Head of New England Health Plans with Beacon Health Options located in Boston, MA.
Irvin Cepa graduated successfully from University in 2002 and holds a master’s degree in Agro-food Engineering.
Qualified in personal and group training, high intensity and heart rate-based interval training, indoor rowing, resistance training, nutrition, and TRX suspension training, his focus is on developing strength and corrective programs to reduce the risk of chronic diseases or rebuild strength post disease.
Irvin is a Certified Coach, Personal & Group Trainer and a Nutrition Specialist.
Since April 2015 he has achieved the Master Trainer title from the ISSA (International Sport and Science Association) and CSCS® (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) from National Strength and Conditioning Association.
He is certified as Personal Trainer, Corrective Exercise Specialist, Specialist in Bodybuilding, Specialist in Group Fitness, Strength & Conditioning Specialist Coach.
Since October 2018 he works as Head Coach at Orangetheory Fitness in Quincy, MA
Doriela is Data Science Master Student. She graduated in Computer Science from University of New York, Tirana.
She has a great passion for programming, artificial intelligence and mathematics. She is always willing to learn and cooperate with others, especially for humanitarian causes.
Doriela has experience in web and app development. She joined Albanians Fighting Cancer in 2020 and helped with the design and development of the website.
Previously she has worked as a Math Instructor at UNYT’s Math Centre as well as in the online education platform “Photostudy! Got It!”
