International Assembly

The International Ambassadors represent AASM members across the world. Ambassadors serve as liaisons for local members and the AASM with the intent to help advance the field of sleep medicine in local and regional territories.

Ari Manuel, MBBS, MRCP, Bsc | Co-Chair
Region: Europe/Northern Europe

Ari Manuel is passionate about improving care for patients diagnosed with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in the U.K. During his clinical and academic career, Dr. Manuel’s guiding aim has always been to improve the patient pathway for those who have SDB. He has worked in sleep units for over 10 years in both a clinical and an academic capacity. During his academic tenure at Oxford, a key aspect to Dr. Manuel’s work was the ability to gather data, analyze and critique it to a high standard to synthesize useful conclusions. This led to a peer-reviewed publication and an editorial on his work in a well-known respiratory journal. He has had the opportunity to apply these skills in other forums, such as contributing to the British Thoracic Society (BTS) driving guidelines for patients with OSA. Dr. Manuel works on several national committees including BTS, Royal Society of Medicine, and British Sleep Society, which enables him to be aware of the current challenges to provision of services for patients with SDB. Dr. Manuel has appeared on national radio to promote healthy lifestyles and weight management to socially disadvantaged minorities. He is a medical trustee to Hope-2-Sleep, a sleep apnea charity, and has also worked with the British Lung Foundation.

Dimitrios Kantas, MD | Co-Chair
Region: Europe/South Europe

Dimitrios Kantas graduated from Medical School of Ioannina, Greece in 2011. He pursued a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at University Hospital of Ioannina and one year fellowship in pulmonary and sleep medicine at University Hospitals Birmingham, United Kingdom. He also possesses a MSc in sleep medicine from National University of Athens, Greece. Currently, Dr. Kantas is a board certified pulmonologist/intensivist-somnologist, research fellow at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and PhD candidate with a thesis in racial differences OSA and cardiovascular risk. He is an active member of the European Respiratory Society sleep assembly 4 cooperation’s working group, member of the PAC advisory panel of AASM and associate editor of the REM section of JCSM. He is also a member of the European Sleep Research Society, Hellenic Sleep Research Society and British Sleep Society. His main goal will be to bridge sleep societies worldwide and increase the awareness of sleep disorders in the public.

Morenikeji Komolafe, MBBS, MD, FWACP | Ambassador
Region: Africa/Western Africa

Morenikeji Komolafe is a professor of neurology at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Nigeria. She graduated from the University of Ibadan in 1990 with an MBBS degree and became a fellow of the West African College of Physicians in 2000. She obtained the post graduate diploma in clinical neurology at the Institute of Neurology, University College London in 2009. She participated in the Mini-Fellowship Program of the AASM in 2011 and was at the Center of Circadian and Sleep Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. In her institution, she coordinates the multidisciplinary sleep research team, supervises postgraduate students, and manages sleep disorders in the Neurology Clinic. Her current research focuses on effects of sleep deprivation in adolescents and health professionals, as well as sleep disorders in stroke, epilepsy, and sickle cell disease. In recent years, she has focused on improving the awareness of sleep disorders among health professionals by coordinating update lectures during World Sleep Day annually in March and sleep awareness efforts for students and talks on sleep disorders in the media.

Pei-Lin Lee, MD, PhD | Ambassador
Region: Asia/Eastern Asia

Pei-Lin Lee earned her M.D. from College of Medicine, China Medical University and Ph.D. from Graduate Institution of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University (NTU), College of Medicine. She received residency training in the Department of Internal Medicine and clinical fellow training in Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH). Her experience includes a role as a research fellow at Royal Infirmary Hospital, Edinburgh University, U.K. She also served as a member of the AASM International Member Task Force. Her current positions include clinical associate professor, NTU, College of Medicine; director, Center of Sleep Disorder; and attending physician, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, NTUH. Her academic positions include international ambassador, AASM International Assembly; committee member, Taiwan Society of Sleep Medicine; and member, Taiwan Society of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Sleep Medicine Task Force. Also, she serves in editorial role for PLOS ONE; Sleep and Breathing; and Thoracic Medicine. Her research interests include clinical phenotyping, molecular mechanism, and therapeutic intervention of obstructive sleep apnea. Her other works include sleep-disordered breathing in pediatrics and pregnancy. Her current focus is new technology and big data in sleep medicine.

Yuenan Ni, PhD | Ambassador
Region: China (Asia/Eastern Asia)

Yuenan Ni is a respiratory therapist/RPSGT and Assistant Professor in the West China Hospital, Sichuan University. She received her Sleep Medicine Research Training at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA. Her research interests include personalized treatment for sleep apnea, especially the effect of acetazolamide in patients with high loop gain, advanced sleep data analytics, and the predictors for positive airway pressure efficacy. She serves sleep apnea patients who have mixed pathophysiology including chronic pulmonary disease.

Sameh Farag, MBChB | Ambassador
Region: Kenya (Africa/Eastern Africa)

Valentina Gnoni, MD | Ambassador
Region: Italy (Europe/Southern Europe)