50TH ANNIVERSARY GALA

Samuel Pierre, PhD, FCAE, ing.
Dean of the ISTEAH University
Founder, “Cite du Savoir “and AMHE-Grahn Health Center in Genipallier Haiti

Dr. Samuel Pierre is an internationally recognized engineer, educator, and leader whose work has had a transformative impact on telecommunications, engineering education, and global collaboration. He serves as a Professor of Electrical Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal, where he has trained generations of engineers and advanced research in wireless networks, mobile communications, and smart systems.

With a distinguished academic career spanning decades, Professor Pierre has authored hundreds of scientific publications and supervised numerous graduate students, contributing significantly to innovation in communications technology. His excellence in research, teaching, and leadership has earned him widespread recognition, including the prestigious Gold Medal from Engineers Canada, one of the highest honors in the Canadian engineering profession.

Beyond academia, Professor Pierre has demonstrated a deep commitment to service and leadership within the global Haitian diaspora. As a past president of the Haitian Medical Association Abroad (AMHE), he has supported initiatives that promote education, professional development, and capacity building across Haiti and the international community.

Professor Pierre’s career reflects a powerful intersection of technical excellence, mentorship, and global impact. Through his research, leadership, and dedication to advancing knowledge, he continues to shape the future of engineering while contributing to the advancement of communities in Haiti and beyond.

Nadia M. Biassou, MD
Neuro-Radiologist, Assistant Professor at Washington University,
Founder, School of Radiology Technicians in Haiti

Dr. Biassou is a board-certified radiologist, with fellowship training in Diagnostic Neuroradiology, who has served as a physician scientist at the National Institutes of Health for the last 20 years. During her tenure, she served as a clinician, the NIH onsite director for the Dept of Radiology ad Imaging Sciences' Neuroradiology fellowship program, Director of the Radiology Dept's MRI Research Scanner, and Chief of the Integrative Neuroscience of Communications Research Unit at the National Institutes on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders at NIH. She has helped to mentor the careers of many other scientists and physician scientists internal and external to NIH and was a foundational to developing career development programs for clinical faculty at the NIH. As an internationally recognized scholar, she was trained by the leading cognitive neuroscientists in the United States and France at the University of Toulouse Le Mirail. Her interdisciplinary expertise spans applied linguistics, cognitive science, artificial intelligence, biomedical imaging, and translational medicine. She is part of a select group of neuroscientists world wide whose expertise is sought by industry and academic partners developing next-generation neurodiagnostic technologies. Given her background and expertise, Dr. Biassou has served on the NIH Board of Scientific Directors and was appointed as Co-Chair of the NIH Taskforce for AI in biomedical research. The taskforce has co-authored the source reports that will serve as the blueprint for NIH's AI strategic plan in upcoming years. 

In her role as Chief of the Integrative Neuroscience of Communication Research Unit at NIDCD, her research focused on developing computational modeling of brain structure and function in healthy adults and in CNS disease. These computational approaches such as deep learning and machine learning serve as novel and powerful approaches to understand the mechanistic interplay between the brain and human behavior. Throughout her career, she has been invited as keynote and invited speaker at numerous scientific conferences across the U.S., Europe, Canada, Central America, and the Caribbean and has published in numerous highly respected scientific journals. Her research has been funded by NIH and Department of Defense.

Dr. Biassou has been appointed as Clinical Professor of Radiology at the George Washington University School of Medicine since 2012, as well as Clinical Professor of Radiology at Georgetown University Hospital since 2018 where she has been instrumental in the training of over 90 physicians-in training over her 20 year career at NIH. She obtained her undergraduate degree in English literature from Amherst College in Amherst Massachusetts where she was invited by the college to serve as the Amherst College Wade Fellow. She obtained a MA/PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of Pennsylvania followed by a medical degree from the University of Chicago-Pritzker School of Medicine. Dr. Biassou was also a founding board member of the Amherst Society of Black Alumni, a voting board member of the International Eye Foundation and one of the principal founders behind the creation of the new school of Radiology Technologists at the University d'Etat d'Haiti, the only such school in the Caribbean basin. Dr. Biassou is now Professor of Radiology and Neurology at USF Morsani College of Medicine and incoming Vice Chairman of Research and Director of the USF Health fMRI Research Core.

Fritz Francois, MD
Executive Vice President and Vice Dean, Chief of Hospital Operations, New York University Langone Health

Dr. Fritz François is Executive Vice President and Vice Dean, and Chief of Hospital Operations at NYU Langone Health, where he oversees hospital operations across one of the nation’s leading academic health systems. In this role, he is responsible for driving clinical excellence, operational efficiency, and high-quality patient care across NYU Langone’s network of hospitals and ambulatory sites.

A distinguished physician and healthcare leader, Dr. François is board-certified in gastroenterology and internal medicine. He has held numerous leadership positions at NYU Langone, where he has been instrumental in advancing patient safety, improving care delivery systems, and strengthening institutional performance. His leadership has contributed to NYU Langone’s national recognition for quality and innovation in healthcare.

In addition to his executive responsibilities, Dr. François maintains an active academic presence as a faculty member at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. His work reflects a deep commitment to mentoring future physicians and advancing health equity.

Dr. François is widely respected for his strategic vision, collaborative leadership style, and dedication to transforming healthcare systems to better serve diverse communities.

Jean Talleyrand, MD
Pathologist (Retired)
Past President, AMHE and Past Treasurer, AMHE Foundation

Dr. Jean Talleyrand was a retired pathologist and a respected leader in the Haitian medical community, known for his longstanding service and commitment to advancing healthcare and professional collaboration across the diaspora. Over the course of his distinguished career in pathology, he contributed to the delivery of high-quality diagnostic services and played an important role in supporting clinical decision-making and patient care.

Dr. Talleyrand has been a dedicated member of the Haitian Medical Association Abroad (AMHE), where he served as Past President, providing strategic leadership and helping to strengthen the organization’s mission of supporting healthcare development in Haiti. His tenure was marked by a focus on collaboration, professional engagement, and expanding AMHE’s impact both in the United States and internationally.

In addition to his leadership within AMHE, Dr. Talleyrand also served as Past Treasurer of the AMHE Foundation, where he helped steward resources to support charitable initiatives, medical missions, and educational programs aimed at improving health outcomes in Haiti.

Respected by colleagues for his integrity, dedication, and service, Dr. Talleyrand’s legacy reflects a lifelong commitment to medicine, mentorship, and the advancement of global health within the Haitian community.