Prof. Riadh A.S. Fadhil
Professor of Urology & Transplant Surgery
Director, Qatar Organ Donation Center
Hamad Medical Corporation / Weill Cornell College of Medicine – Qatar
Councilor-at-Large, Middle East & Africa, The Transplantation Society
Prof. Riadh A.S. Fadhil has a distinguished career spanning over four decades in organ donation and transplantation. A graduate with honors from the Baghdad College of Medicine in 1977, he completed his fellowship training in the United Kingdom in 1986 before returning to Iraq, where he played a pivotal role in developing the country’s transplant infrastructure. In Iraq, he served as Professor of Surgery, Dean of the College of Medicine, and founder of both the University Kidney Transplant Center and the Iraqi Association of Nephrologists and Urologists. He also held leadership roles such as Director of the Medical Research Center and Editor-in-Chief of the Iraqi Journal of Medical Sciences.
In 2004, Prof. Fadhil relocated to Qatar, where he had a leading role in the establishment of the country’s multi-organ transplantation program. He pioneered the internationally recognized Doha Model for organ donation—an inclusive and equitable system ensuring fair access to transplant and donation services for all residents, regardless of nationality or citizenship.
A passionate advocate for ethical organ transplantation, Prof. Fadhil emphasizes the importance of international collaboration, combating organ commercialism, and building trust within diverse communities. His commitment to global transplant equity inspired the creation of the ROOTS (Reach Out for Organ Transplant Self-sufficiency) initiative in 2018, and more recently, the Doha International Center for Strategy and Leadership in Organ Donation and Transplantation in 2024.
Prof. Fadhil has served several key international advisory roles, including:
Councilor, Declaration of Istanbul Custodian Group (2014–2018)
Member, TTS Ethics Committee (2014–present)
Member, WHO Taskforce on Organ Donation and Transplantation (2018)
Councilor-at-Large for the Middle East & Africa, The Transplantation Society (2024–2028)
He has authored over 70 peer-reviewed publications on topics ranging from kidney transplantation and urology to organ donation ethics, including issues of equity, financial neutrality, donor evaluation, anti-trafficking measures, and access for migrants and minority populations.
Prof. Fadhil’s visionary leadership has positioned Qatar as a global exemplar in ethical organ donation, earning him widespread recognition and respect across the international transplant community.