MEET THE
SPEAKERS
Speakers at the 59th Annual PAPS Meeting
The 59th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Association of Pediatric Surgeons will highlight exceptional speakers. The program will include the prestigious Gans Lecture, presenting insights from a local/regional community leader, as well as the Journal of Pediatric Surgery Lecturer, sharing the latest advances in clinical and scientific research. During the conference tour to NASA Space Center, we will hear from the Conference Excursion Speaker. In addition, our GAP Fellows will showcase their experiences in pediatric surgery from their home countries. Stay tuned for the full program and join us for a stimulating exchange of ideas and discoveries.
GANS LECTURER
Danielle Grossman
Director of Strategic Communications, Houston Livestock and Rodeo Show
For more than 90 years, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has stood as a symbol of Texas pride, tradition, and philanthropy by bringing together over 2.5 million visitors each year to celebrate community, culture, and giving. As Director of Strategic Communications, Danielle Grossman will share the Rodeo’s story of its agricultural roots, record-breaking scholarship and youth programs, and its growing national influence.
KEYNOTE SUBJECT: TELLING THE STORY OF TEXAS: THE HERITAGE, HEART, AND HUMANITY OF THE HOUSTON RODEO
Danielle Grossman is the Director of Strategic Communications for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, one of the largest events of its kind in the world, attracting more than 2.5 million visitors each year and generating millions of dollars in scholarships and educational support for Texas youth. In her role, Danielle oversees public and media relations, crisis communications, and organizational messaging, helping to elevate the Rodeo’s national recognition and share the stories behind its enduring legacy of community, culture, and giving.
Ms. Grossman is an award-winning journalist and communications leader with more than 15 years of experience in media, storytelling, and public engagement. Before joining the Rodeo, Danielle built a distinguished broadcast journalism career with CNN, KPRC in Houston, and NBC affiliates across the country. Her reporting has been featured on The Today Show, and she played a key role in launching a new NBC affiliate in Lafayette, Louisiana, where she served as managing editor and evening anchor.
A proud Temple University graduate, Danielle lives in The Woodlands, Texas, with her husband and two daughters.
JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC SURGERY SPEAKER
Elizabeth McLeod, MD MPH
Consultant Pediatric Surgeon @ The Royal Children's Hospital in Australia
Dr. Liz McLeod is a Melbourne-based pediatric surgeon and global surgery leader whose work spans the Asia-Pacific region. Through the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and partnerships with the WHO and the Pacific Community, she will share her experience of advancing equitable access to safe, sustainable surgical care and building health system resilience.
KEYNOTE SUBJECT: LEADING GLOBAL EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN SURGICAL SYSTEMS ACROSS THE PACIFIC
Dr. Liz McLeod is a Melbourne-based pediatric surgeon specializing in congenital colorectal conditions and an adult general surgical fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS). She holds a Doctorate in Tumor Cell Biology and a Master of Public Health from the University of Melbourne, where her research focused on program evaluation and health system strengthening.
A passionate leader in global surgery, Dr. McLeod has spent more than 15 years advancing surgical care and capacity across the Asia-Pacific region. Through RACS, she has worked extensively in the South Pacific, Papua New Guinea, Eastern Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar, contributing to initiatives in service delivery, program design, management, and evaluation. She has served as Chair of the RACS Global Health Monitoring and Evaluation Committee and the RACS Global Health Executive Committee, and played a key role in She has also served as the Global Health Editor for the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery and as a consultant to the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Regional Office, supporting the Safe and Affordable Surgery program.
Integrating her commitment to surgical equity with her advocacy for climate action, Dr. McLeod recently completed an Executive Master in Development Policy and Practice at the Graduate Institute of Geneva. Her thesis examined surgical system resilience to climate change in Vanuatu, and she now collaborates with the Pacific Community to assess the impact of climate stressors on health infrastructure and surgical access by helping to guide regional priorities for climate-resilient surgical systems across the Pacific.
NASA EXCURSION SPEAKER
Nicolas Heft, MD
Space Medicine Fellowship Director, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
From Mission Control to NASA’s Artemis program, Dr. Nicolas Heft, Space Medicine Fellowship Director at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, will share his experiences in preparing physicians to care for astronauts on the next frontier and to advance research on human health and performance in space.
KEYNOTE SUBJECT: MEDICINE BEYOND EARTH: DR. NICOLAS HEFT AND THE FUTURE OF HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT
Dr. Nicolas Heft is a board-certified Emergency Medicine physician and the Co-Founder and Fellowship Director of the Space Medicine Program at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. A graduate of the United States Air Force Special Warfare Medical Officer Course and a certified Diver Medical Technician, Dr. Heft brings unique operational and aerospace experience to his work. His research and training center on space medicine focuses on how human health, physiology, and performance are affected by the extreme environments of space. He is passionate about preparing the next generation of physicians and scientists to advance human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit.
Dr. Heft develops experiments for orbital missions and has contributed to the development of the medical framework for NASA’s Human Landing System as part of the Artemis program. As a Flight Surgeon in Mission Control, he has also provided medical support for crews bound for the International Space Station.
GAP FELLOWS
Dr. Nahla Kechiche
Pediatric Surgeon from Monastir, Tunisia
Dr. Nahla Kechiche is a pediatric surgeon from Monastir, Tunisia, practicing at Fattouma Bourguiba University Hospital, and will be a GAP fellow at PAPS in Houston in 2026. She teaches medical students, interns, and residents at Monastir and Sousse Health Schools. She is interested in pediatric urology, neonatal surgery, oncology, and abdominal surgery. Dr. Kechiche is the chairwoman of the SIOP Africa Wilms Tumor Working Group and a member of the GIPS Wilms Tumor Working Group. She looks forward to expanding her knowledge in pediatric urology, congenital malformations, AI, global collaboration, education, and innovation in pediatric surgery by attending PAPS in Houston 2026 as a Global Alliance Partnership (GAP) Fellow.
Dr. Bohdana Li
Pediatric Surgeon from Lviv, Ukraine
Dr. Bohdana Li is a pediatric surgeon practicing in Lviv, Ukraine at one of the largest pediatric hospitals in Western Ukraine, St. Nicholas Children's Hospital of the First Medical Union. She faces the challenges of delivering care to her patients, often with limited resources, and being in a country actively at war. Dr. Li has keen interests in neonatal surgery, particularly in the management of congenital gastrointestinal and anorectal anomalies, as well as minimally invasive surgery. She looks forward to learning more about innovative approaches to these problems at the PAPS conference in Houston as a Global Alliance Partnership (GAP) fellow.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Sunday, April 12
Monday, April 13
Tuesday, April 14
Wednesday, April 15
Thursday, April 16
REGISTER
TO ATTEND
Registration is now open for the 59th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Association of Pediatric Surgeons, to be held in Houston, Texas. All scientific sessions and official events will take place at the Royal Sonesta Houston Galleria, a contemporary, full-service hotel located in the heart of Houston’s premier shopping and dining district. The Royal Sonesta offers elegant guest rooms, exceptional amenities, and convenient access to the Texas Medical Center and the city’s many cultural attractions.
REGISTER NOW FOR EARLY BIRD RATES
Stay in the lively Uptown neighborhood and within minutes of the Galleria Mall, Rice University, Memorial Park, the Houston Zoo, and other top-rated attractions. The Royal Sonesta Houston Galleria features beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites, on-site dining options, a fitness center, an outdoor pool, a jacuzzi, 50,000 square feet of flexible event space, and a business center.
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50% DISCOUNT COUPON CODE FOR LMIC & LATIN AMERICA ATTENDEES!!!