Leadership
Manaf Seid, MD
PRESIDENT
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Dr. Seid was born and raised in Tabriz which is where he attended medical school at Tabriz University. After receiving his medical degree he pursued his residency training at Cleveland Clinic and Wayne State University. He received numerous teaching appointments most notably at Lafayette Clinic and Henry Ford Hospital, where is currently a attending physician and Professor of Neurology. Dr. Seid is fluent in Azeri, Farsi, and English. He will perform the role of chief advisor to AAMA due to his extensive experience working in healthcare both in Azerbaijan and the United States of America.
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Samir Babayev MD
PRESIDENT ELECT
Samir Babayev, M.D., is an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology and IVF Clinic Director at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. He is board-certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology with specialty certification in Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility. Dr. Babayev graduated from Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine, completed a four-year residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at New York Medical College. He then completed a three-year fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. Babayev is the Associate Editor for Human Reproduction, one of the top scientific journals in the field of reproductive medicine, and a contributor to multiple other scientific journals.
RAUF SHAHBAZOV, MD
CO-FOUNDER AND PAST PRESIDENT (2017-2020)
Rauf Shahbazov MD, PhD, MRCS Ed, FEBS, currently works as an Assistant Professor, Transplant Surgeon and Director of the Pancreatic Islet Cell Transplantation Program at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York. Prior to his arrival to Upstate Medical University, he was holding a transplant surgeon faculty position at the University of Virginia, Department of Surgery Transplant Program in Charlottesville. He earned his medical degree at Azerbaijan Medical University, Baku, Azerbaijan. He completed his general surgery and abdominal multi organ transplant surgery training programs at Azerbaijan Medical University, Baku, Azerbaijan, and Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, UK, Bashkent University Medical Center, Ankara, Turkey, Baylor Transplant Institute and the University of Virginia, Charlottesville. Dr Rauf Shahbazov has an established track record in performing kidney, liver, pancreatic islet cell transplantation as well as hepatobiliary surgery. Dr. Shahbazov published more than 110 abstracts and manuscripts for national and international journals. His research interests include liver, pancreas and kidney, pancreatic islet cell transplantation and hepatopancreatobiliar surgery. He is respected surgeon in the area of transplantation and hepatobiliary surgery.
Feredun Azari, MD
VICE PRESIDENT
Feredun Azari MD, is an assistant resident at the Department of General Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania as a of June 2017. He received his medical education at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.
Feredun was born in Baku, Azerbaijan in 1991 and attended elementary as well as middle school prior to moving to Canada and USA. He completed his high school in Virginia and matriculated at George Mason University. While at George Mason he was engaged in multiple events hosted by the Azerbaijani diaspora both locally and within the university community. Due to his academic achievements he was selected for the dean’s list during each of the semesters. He obtained the degree in Bachelor of Chemistry prior to matriculating at UVA where he received multiple honors and awards due to his performance during four years at the School of Medicine.
Dr. Jafar Kafaie, MD, Ph.D
BOARD MEMBER
Dr. Jafar Kafaie MD, Ph.D., is an associate professor of neurology and the director of the adult neurology program at Saint Louis Univerisity in Saint Louis/Missouri. He was born and raised in Tabriz. After finishing high school in his hometown, he received his MD degree from Tehran Medical University. He then moved to Canada to study molecular biology at McGill University in Montreal. During his research years, he became interested in neurology and did all required USMLE exams while working on his thesis. He completed his neurology residency at Washington University in Saint Louis/Missouri, followed by a one-year fellowship in neuromuscular medicine. He joined Saint Louis University in 2013, where he teaches medical students, residents, and fellows while taking care of patients with muscle and nerve diseases in all age groups.
Oktai Mamedov
BOARD MEMBER, TREASURER
Oktai Mamedov, MD is the Medical Director/Owner of Comprehensive Sleep Center in East Lansing, Michigan. Previously, he was the medical director of a sleep center in Okemos, Michigan. He is board certified in Sleep Medicine and Internal Medicine.
He graduated from Azerbaijan Medical University, Baku in 1995 and completed his residency in Baku as a General Surgeon. In 2010 he completed his residency and internship in Internal Medicine at Good Samaritan Hospital affiliated with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Mamedov completed his Sleep Medicine Fellowship at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan in 2011 where he developed a passion for sleep medicine. He specializes in insomnia and has clinical research experience in. Today he works collaboratively with other medical professionals to get our patients a healthy night's sleep
Leyla Baghirzada MD
BOARD MEMBER, SECRETARY
Leyla Baghirzada received her MD degree from Azerbaijan Medical University in 1998. As a recipient of a Muskie Scholarship she then pursue masters degree in Public Health at Boston University, BA, MA. She then continued her postgraduate studies at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada while taking the Medical Council of Canada licensing examinations and in 2005 was accepted into a residency program in Anesthesiology and Perioperative medicine at the University of Calgary. After completing the residency at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada examination in 2010, Dr. Baghirzada worked as a Fellow in Obstetric Anesthesia at the Mount Sinai Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada. She returned to Calgary in 2012 and accepted a position of a staff anesthesiologist at the South Health Campus, Clinical Assistant Professor,University of Calgary. Dr. Baghirzada is actively involved in medical student assessment and education. She has authored numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals. Her research interests include obstetric anesthesia, patient safety and quality improvement.
Azada Ibrahimova MD, FAAP
BOARD MEMBER
Azada Ibrahimova is an American Pediatrics Board Certified Pediatrician in Philadelphia, PA. She is the chief resident at the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at Einstein Healthcare Network in Philadelphia. She was born and raised in Baku, Azerbaijan. She received her medical degree from Ege University School of Medicine, in Izmir, Turkey. She will be joining Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.
Sait Ashina
BOARD MEMBER
Sait Ashina, MD is an Assistant Professor of Neurology and Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School. He is a Director of Comprehensive Headache Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Dr. Ashina graduated from University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Health Sciences. He completed residency in neurology at Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and clinical and research fellowship in Headache Medicine at Montefiore Headache Center and at Danish Headache Center. He is a member of education committee of International Headache Society. He serves on Advisory Board for the Journal of Headache and Pain and is Associated Editor of Neurology Reviews and BMC Neurology. He is involved in training, mentoring and educating students, residents and fellows at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Ashina is actively involved and in research and has numerous publications. He is recipient of Enrico Greppi Award for excellence in headache research. He is currently in involved in several research projects at Harvard Medical School.
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Frank Aryan
BOARD MEMBER
Dr. Aryan was born in Tabriz, Azerbaijan Iran. Shortly after, his family moved to Iran’s capital, Tehran, where he graduated from Alborz High in 1986. After high school, Dr. Aryan entered Azad University, School of Dental Medicine in 1990, and graduated in 1997 as a distinguished student. As a graduate of the class of 1997, Dr. Frank Aryan assumed an outstanding reputation as a scholar, lecturer, and author in the dental profession. During and after his time as a university student, Aryan published more than 30 textbooks and articles. His love for dentistry grew and for 3 years after graduation, he worked as a dentist in the Ministry of Education Dental Clinic in Tehran, Iran. In 2001, Aryan immigrated to the United States to further his dentistry career and education. He was accepted into the Oral and Maxillofacial program in the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2005 and graduated from the program in 2008. Committed to success, he served as a clinical instructor and advisor to students at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Dr. Frank Aryan is a member of the American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Texas Dental Association, and San Antonio Dental District Society.
Yusif Hajiyev
BOARD MEMBER
Yusif Hajiyev, M.D., is a Clinical Instructor of Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. Dr. Hajiyev graduated from Trakya University Faculty of Medicine, completed a residency in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical School, Istanbul, Turkey. Also, he continues to his affiliation at Azerbaijan Medical School where he had worked for seven years as an attending.
Sabina Hajiyeva
BOARD MEMBER
Sabina Hajiyeva, M.D., is an Assistant Professor of Pathology, Director of Anatomic Pathology and Associate Director of Pathology Residency Program at Northwell Health Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, NY. She was born and raised in Ganja, Azerbaijan. Dr. Hajiyeva received a medical doctor degree from Azerbaijan Medical University and completed her residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at New York Medical College at Westchester Medical Center. After becoming a board-certified anatomic and clinical pathologist, she completed fellowships in Surgical Oncological Pathology and Breast Pathology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY.