Bulletin of the National Research Centre

Editor profiles

Prof. Ashraf H. Shaalan, Ph.D.

Prof. Emeritus Ashraf H. Shaalan, Ph.D., is a biological anthropologist who is well-recognized as a dynamic leader and scientist. He was the president of the Egyptian National Research Centre, the largest multi-disciplinary research organization in the Middle East (2009-2018). He was also elected in 2016, 2019 and 2023 as the chairperson of the Coordinating Council of the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS), which is an inter-governmental organization that has a membership of 23 countries from three continents. Previously, Prof. Shaalan was the Deputy President of The Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research and Technology and he participated as a member or chairperson of many bilateral governmental scientific boards. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University in Cairo, and completed his M.Sc. and Ph.D. at the same University.

Prof. Shaalan is a well-known author in the field of growth and development of children and he is the co-editor of the Medical Journal of National Research Centre of Egypt for more than 10 years. He always aims for excellence in the publication of scientific articles.

Prof. Yasser R. Abdel-Fattah, Ph.D.

Prof. Yasser R. Abdel-Fattah., is the Deputy Minister of Scientific Research, a microbiologist who is well known in the bioprocess development sector with his valuable career and innovations. In addition, his interventions and inputs to science and technology have positive impacts on the paradigm shift to use scientific research as a driving force for fostering national economy.

During the period of 2013-2018, Prof. Abdel-Fattah was the Secretary General of Supreme council for research centers and institutes (Ministry of Scientific Research, Egypt) and Professor of microbial biotechnology in Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications, Alexandria. Previously, he occupied several posts as: Deputy president of Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (2013-2014), Acting director of City for Scientific Research and Technological Applications (2010-2011), and Dean of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute (2007-2010).

He is also a member of the experts board Environmental Biotechnology Section of the European Federation of Biotechnology EFB since 2011. For two years, since 2011, he was selected to be a member of the advisory committee for Science and Technology at WTA. In 2008 he was a member of the Biotechnology and Genetic engineering sciences committee responsible for planning to university education sector of the higher supreme of universities. His biography was included in Marquis Who’s who: Medicine and Healthcare for the year 2006 due to achievements done in the field of industrial biotechnology. He was awarded the distinguished scientific achievement award and shield of honor for the year 2001-2002 of City for Scientific Research & Technology Applications.

Dr Ihab Tewfik, Ph.D.

Ihab is a Registered Nutritionist and UNICEF-UN consultant with significant expertise in planning, implementing and evaluating sustainable public health nutrition intervention programmes at population level. Ihab has developed an independent research career that underpins the pivotal role of medical nutrition in regulating complications of chronic diseases through Tailored Functional Recipes (TFRs). These innovative TFRs are formulated, optimized using locally food ingredients and served as meals to nourish vulnerable populations to attain optimum health. The TFR-concept is not limited to elimination of malnutrition but extend to the design and engineering of food that transcends disease prevention by improving availability of micronutrients, increasing biological functions, and promoting sustainable health. Such concept has been employed to modulate global chronic disease in Georgia, Nigeria, Ghana, India, Lebanon, Nepal, Qatar, Kuwait and UK.

Dr Tewfik has led the Human Nutrition degree at University of Westminster over the last twelve years as Programme Director. His research portfolio spans to investigate the relationship between obesogenic environment and health outcomes of individual and population. His work embraces the effects of nutritional exposure during childhood and risk factors for later non-communicable diseases (NAFLD, PCOs, ADHD, CVD, DM, Cancer) especially in countries experiencing nutritional transition. As Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health (FRSPH), Ihab has been at the forefront of promoting global public health intervention with an international research agenda stretched to 11 research projects with UNICEF-UN in aspects of public health nutrition intervention. In UK, he has carried out three national projects on food safety (FSA-UK) and on Biomarkers for predicting breast radiotherapy induced side-effect funded by the National Cancer Research Institute.