DR.  RICARDO
KOMOTAR
MD, FAANS, FACS

Joshua M. Hare, M.D., FACC, FAHA, is a nationally and internationally recognized cardiologist, physician-scientist, and pioneer in regenerative medicine. He is the Louis Lemberg Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), Founding Director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, Director of the Donald Soffer Endowed Program in Regenerative Medicine, and Senior Associate Dean for Experimental and Cellular Therapeutics at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Hare’s research has helped advance the use of stem cells and cell-based therapies as medicines, particularly for heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, and conditions associated with aging. He has led major NIH-funded clinical research programs, published more than 450 scientific articles, and helped translate regenerative-medicine discoveries from the laboratory into human clinical trials and biotechnology applications.

Leor Weinberger, Ph.D., is a pioneering biomedical scientist and the Sylvester Professor and founding chair of the Department of Cell and Systems Biology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. His research focuses on innovative approaches to infectious disease, particularly the development of therapeutic interfering particles (TIPs)—engineered antiviral therapies designed to combat viral infections and potentially overcome drug resistance. Before joining Miami, Weinberger was a distinguished professor and research leader at UCSF and the Gladstone Institutes, where he built an internationally recognized program at the intersection of virology, systems biology, and therapeutic innovation. He has received multiple major NIH honors, and his work has been published in leading scientific journals. At Miami, he is helping build bridges between fundamental biology, biotechnology, and translational medicine in partnership with Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Jennifer Martin, Ph.D., is a Professor at the Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and the Leon Medical Centers Eminent Scholars Chair in Geriatrics. She directs FIU’s Benjamín León Jr. Family Center for Geriatric Research and Education and the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center at the Miami VA. A licensed clinical psychologist and nationally recognized sleep researcher, her work focuses on insomnia, sleep disorders, healthy aging, women’s sleep health, and improving sleep care for older adults and veterans. Before joining FIU, she was a professor at UCLA and held research leadership roles within the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. She is also a past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and has received multiple honors for her research and contributions to sleep medicine.

Dr. Anil Menon is a NASA astronaut, emergency medicine physician, mechanical engineer, and U.S. Space Force colonel whose career has taken him from emergency rooms and military aviation to the International Space Station. A graduate of Harvard and Stanford, he earned degrees in neurobiology, mechanical engineering, and medicine, followed by training in emergency and aerospace medicine. Menon was NASA’s flight surgeon for multiple International Space Station missions and became SpaceX’s first flight surgeon, helping prepare the company’s first astronauts for human spaceflight and building its medical program. Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2021, he completed astronaut training in 2024 and launched aboard the Soyuz MS-29 in July 2026 for his first mission to the International Space Station, where he is conducting scientific research and technology demonstrations focused on the future of human space exploration.

Mauricio Sulaimán Saldívar is the President of the World Boxing Council (WBC), one of the most influential organizations in global boxing. Born in Mexico City in 1969, Sulaimán grew up immersed in the sport as the son of legendary longtime WBC President José Sulaimán. After earning a degree in Business Administration from the Tecnológico de Monterrey, he held leadership roles in business and joined the WBC, eventually becoming its Executive Secretary before being unanimously elected President in 2014. Under his leadership, the WBC has emphasized boxer safety, medical research, clean sport, women’s boxing, and social responsibility, while continuing to expand the organization’s global influence. In 2024, he was re-elected to a four-year term, continuing a family legacy that has helped shape the modern sport of boxing.

Shelton “Shelly” Berg is an acclaimed jazz pianist, composer, arranger, educator, and five-time Grammy-nominated musician who has made a profound impact on music education and the South Florida cultural community. Berg served as Dean of the University of Miami’s Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music from 2007 through 2026, where he helped transform the school into a nationally recognized leader in innovative, experiential music education. A graduate of the University of Houston, where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in piano performance, Berg has performed and recorded with some of the world’s leading musicians and has composed and arranged for film, television, and major recording projects. His work has included collaborations with artists such as Ray Charles, Gloria Estefan, Arturo Sandoval, and Chicago. As an educator and leader, Berg has championed creativity, entrepreneurship, technology, and cross-disciplinary collaboration, preparing generations of musicians for the rapidly evolving music industry.