Senior Advisor and Past President of the Syrian American Medical Society
Dr. Zaher Sahloul returned recently from a medical mission to Yemen, is a Critical Care specialist serving patients in the Chicago-land area. Between 2011 and 2015, Dr. Sahloul led the transformation of the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) into a globally-recognized medical NGO representing the Syrian American diaspora, serving hundreds of thousands of Syrian patients and refugees. He co-founded SAMS Global Response to address the refugee crisis in Europe, as well as the American Relief Coalition for Syria (ARCS), a coalition of 14 humanitarian organizations.
Dr. Sahloul is a leading advocate in the Syrian humanitarian crisis and the role of diaspora communities among medical circles, the media, the U.S. government, and the UN. He has authored many articles on the impact of the war in Syria on public health, healthcare workers, civilians, and children, and has been published in outlets such as the New York Times, CNN, WP, WSJ, Foreign Policy, the Chicago Tribune, and the Guardian.
In 2016, Dr. Sahloul was awarded Chicagoan of the Year for risking his life in medical missions to besieged Aleppo. He has received several awards, including the Dr. Edward K. Barsky Award by the American Public Health Association, the Robert H. Kirschner Award for Global Activism by the Heartland Alliance Marjorie Kovler Center, and the Commitment to Change Award by the National Immigration Justice Center.
With several fellow humanitarians, he co-founded MedGlobal, a medical relief NGO to dedicated to providing sustainable, innovative solutions to victims of global crises incorporating technology, cultural sensitivity, and interfaith collaboration.
He co-chairs the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition, and sits on the advisory boards of the Syrian Community Network (SCN) and the Center for Public Health and Human Rights at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health.
He is also an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Dr. Sahloul is married with three children.
