Molecular, genomic and clinical genetics research studies. Projects topics involved personalized medicine in inherited muscle diseases, clinical genetics and genomic studies of brain growth and malformation, hereditary spastic paraplegias, and neural tube defects. Neurodegeneration, movements disorders, and human stem cell research are of particular interest. A certified clinical geneticist.



My specific area of research interest is Human Genetics. In my early career, 1985 to 1991, I have been trained as clinical geneticist; I have enjoyed a lot to categorize the genetic disorders under its correct group category. I always had a very good interaction with patients, whatever their education and background, explaining them every detail and answer every question related to their or their sons and daughters genetic disorder. The opportunity I have got to study molecular genetics of X linked mental retardation at Medical school Hannover, Germany and getting in touch with various advanced and sophisticated molecular technologies at that time had re-oriented my direction in human genetics.

As back to Egypt in 1997 I have started and introduced a molecular diagnostics service for a number of single gene disorders and dynamic mutations-related disorders at the service units of National Research Center (NRC)-Cairo. The good understanding and the confidence I have got in clinical and molecular human genetics have enabled me to be successfully awarded multiple nationally funded projects related to clinical and molecular genetics of monogenetic disorders. On 2006 I have been selected by the NRC’s president to develop the first stem cell research unit there. I have been able to bring together a group of junior scientists of diverse background and worked it out to transfer the basic laboratory technology and its application in the developed unit.

In 2010, despite my senior career’s positions as being the head of Molecular Genetics Department, the stem cell group leader, Head of postgraduate registration committee and the vice director of human genetics and genome research division at NRC I have decided to join Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) in Qatar looking to have deeper insight into science and technology, getting new experiences in applying high throughput genomic technologies and the analysis of the large set of genomic data. The current research projects I am leading at WCMC-Q , and funded by QNRF involving a study to investigate the clinical, mutational and genomic spectrum of inherited muscle diseases in Qatar. Another project is addressing the genetics and molecular biology of hereditary spastic paraplegias. earlier projects were studying families with brain growth and malformations as well as neural tube defects. The certified role as clinical geneticist is being employed in my clinical diagnostics activities at Hamad General Hospital-Pediatric department-section Genetics and metabolic.
I believe I have transferred knowledge, technology and experience to my students and team at NRC in Cairo as well as at WCMC in Doha and participated in raising the physicians’ genetics awareness, at Qatar medical hospitals.