Biopsychosocial approach to sexuality

Dr. Miriam Mutebi is a Consultant Breast Surgical Oncologist and Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. She is also a clinical epidemiologist and health systems researcher with a research focus on understanding barriers to access for women with cancers in Sub-Saharan Africa and in designing interventions to mitigate those barriers.

 She is the President Elect of the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), the Chairperson for the Kenya Society of Hematology and Oncology (KESHO) and on the board of directors of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).  She is also the co-founder of the Pan African Women’s Association of Surgeons (PAWAS-www.africanwomensurgeons.org) which was developed to mentor and provide transformative leadership for women in surgery in order to improve surgical care and pathology on the continent and is part of the Kenya Association of Women Surgeons.

She is the Co-chair of the National Cancer Taskforce in Kenya, Chair of the Commonwealth Taskforce for the elimination of Cervical Cancer and a commissioner with three Lancet commissions of Women and cancer, Cancer in sub-Saharan Africa and Breast Cancer. She is currently pursuing a pilot's licence in order to extend breast care services to marginalised areas.

Philip Odiyo Ouma is currently working as Patient Support Manager at Faraja Cancer Support Trust in Nairobi and Eldoret. His passion for Psycho-Oncology began 15 years ago. Besides having a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology, he is currently studying for a research doctoral degree at Erasmus University (Netherlands). Philip’s was selected for a Clinical Observership and training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York where he was mentored by Dr. Jimmie Holland under the Union for International Cancer Control Fellowship in 2014. Besides, his work at Faraja. Philip is also a fellow at the Association of Union for International Cancer Control Fellows and was awarded Naomi Stearns Fellow in 2018 for his role in developing psychosocial oncology in Kenya. Philip was elected in 2019 as a Director representing Africa in the International Psycho-Oncology Organization

Philip Odiyo is currently the Secretary for Prostate Cancer Support Association in Kenya and a board  member at Kenyan Network of Cancer Organizations; he is also a committee member representing developing countries at the International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) and the Vice President of Association for Psycho-Oncology Society in Africa. 

Philip has presented in several IPOS meetings in Rotterdam (2013), Portugal (2014) and Berlin (2017). He has been actively involved in IPOS Academies in Durban (2013), Marrakech (2015) and Kigali (2016) and the 2019 Annual Fall Scientific meeting in Nashville, TN, USA. He was instrumental in the organization for the first ISSM/SMSNA Sexual Health conference in 2019 in Nairobi Kenya and the ongoing planning for the East African Virtual ISSM/SMSNA Virtual Sexual Health Symposium in December 2021.

He is a reviewer in the following Journals:  The Breast Journal, Supportive Care in Cancer, e-Cancer Journal and Psycho-Oncology: Journal of Psychological, Social and behavioural dimensions of cancer.

Prof Joachim Osur is Associate Professor of sexual and reproductive health and also the Vice Chancellor at Amref International University. Among others, he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine and Surgery, a Master’s Degree in Public Health, and a PhD in reproductive health. He is a Member of the American College of Sexologists and a Fellow of the Multidisciplinary Joint Committee of Sexual Medicine as designated by European Union of Medical Specialists. He runs a busy sexual medicine clinic in Nairobi, Kenya.

Dr. Wittmann is an Associate Professor Emirata of Urology and Adjunct Associate Professor of Social Work. She is a lead faculty in the Brandon Prostate Cancer Survivorship Program with clinical and research interest in sexual health and quality of life in cancer survivorship. She uses mixed methods to understand issues in cancer survivorship care and to evaluate interventions designed to improve patients' and partners' outcomes. She is faculty in the Mixed Methods Research Program at the University of Michigan. She is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Sexual Medicine.