Speakers

Speech Title : Zopapogene imadenovec-drba, a novel adenovector-based immunotherapy, induces complete and durable responses in recurrent respiratory papillomatosis

Dr. Marco Avila is a physician executive with more than 20 years of global leadership experience in Medical Affairs across the United States, Europe, China, and Latin America. A Medical Doctor with postgraduate training in Public Health and an MBA, he has led global medical organizations and supported the development, launch, and lifecycle management of innovative therapies across immunology, oncology, rare diseases, respiratory medicine, neuroscience, and advanced therapeutics.

Speech Title : Multi-Disciplinary Approach in identifying early anatomical variations in newborns, infants, and toddlers.

Ashley Walker, MS, CCC-SLP, COM® earned a B.A. in psychology from Trinity University in 2005 and a M.S. in communication sciences and disorders from University of South Florida in 2008. She has worked in a variety of settings, including skilled nursing/rehabilitation, acute care hospitals, and both pediatric and adult private practice settings. Her focus is in the areas of feeding, oral motor, swallowing, and severe speech disorders. Special interests include tethered oral tissues, persistent sucking/oral habits, and Apraxia. She is a speech-language pathologist and a certified orofacial myologist. She owns a private practice in Houston, TX working with infants through adults.

Speech Title : Main Communication Challenges in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Laila Akdi is a Speech and Language Therapist currently working in Morocco. She holds a Master’s degree in Swallowing Disorders from UAB (Barcelona) and a Bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language Therapy from the International University of Casablanca, along with ABAT certification from the American Board. She has clinical experience in Morocco and Saudi Arabia, working with children and families with different disorders, including Autism Spectrum Disorder, dyslexia, and language delays. Laila speaks Arabic, English, French, and Spanish. She has also been a speaker at conferences in Morocco, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia on various speech and language therapy topics.