SPEAKERS

Todd Ponsky, MD, FACS

Todd Ponsky is currently serving as Interim Vice President for Cincinnati Children’s Innovation Ventures (CCIV).  He is also a Professor of Surgery at the University of Cincinnati and a pediatric surgeon at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.  His surgical career has focused on developing and popularizing minimally invasive surgical techniques, such as needlescopic surgery in newborns and the pediatric laparoscopic hernia repair, while also spearheading advancements in surgical telepresence. Todd is an accomplished author, writer, and speaker publishing more than 140 manuscripts, authored three textbooks and more than 30 book chapters, led over 50 national and international courses and given over 230 invited lectureships on minimally invasive surgical techniques in children as well as the convergence of innovation and education.

Before joining Cincinnati Children’s in 2018, Todd launched and served as CEO of a startup, GlobalcastMD. One of its platforms, StayCurrentMD, has significantly improved the dissemination of medical knowledge.

Todd earned his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University in 1999, completed his surgical residency at George Washington University in 2005, and his pediatric surgical training at Children’s National Hospital in 2007.  

Reflecting his commitment to innovative thought leadership, he served as the recent past president of International Pediatric Endosurgical Group, the premier international pediatric surgical society, advocating for breakthrough techniques. In 2023, he was honored to be inducted as a member of the American Surgical Association.  As a board member of the International Society for Pediatric Innovation, he continues to prioritize advances in the pediatric innovation ecosystem.

The real focus of his life are his wife, Diana, and three daughters, Sasha, Josie and Ella.

Muhammad Mamdani, PharmD, MA, MPH

Dr. Mamdani is Vice President of Data Science and Advanced Analytics at Unity Health Toronto and Director of the University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine Centre for Artificial Intelligence Research and Education in Medicine (T-CAIREM). Dr. Mamdani’s team bridges advanced analytics including machine learning with clinical and management decision making to improve patient outcomes and hospital efficiency. Dr. Mamdani is also Professor in the Department of Medicine of the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, and the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. He is also an Affiliate Scientist at IC/ES and a Faculty Affiliate of the Vector Institute. Previously, Dr. Mamdani was named among Canada’s Top 40 under 40. He has published over 500 studies in peer-reviewed medical journals. Dr. Mamdani obtained a Doctor of Pharmacy degree (PharmD) from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and completed a fellowship in pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research at the Detroit Medical Center. During his fellowship, Dr. Mamdani obtained a Master of Arts degree in Economics from Wayne State University with a concentration in econometric theory. He then completed a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard University with a concentration in quantitative methods.