Friday, January 4, 2013

It's not the End



 All what have been written in the previous blogs were such a quick glance, there are many other achievements & examples of pioneer Saudi women. You can go further through these names :

Musha’el Al-Eisa,
Title of invention: A product vital to eliminate the bacteria cluster held a first Prize (gold) of the Foundation of King Abdul Aziz and his men for the Talented.

Dr. Samia maimani,
1. She invented The Relaxing the nervous system 2. She invented Al Jawnj.

Dr.Wafa Fakih,
She got a fellowship in 1989, Arab women and the birth of an advisory has achieved first world achievement in medical history for her work planting the womb of a woman who lost her womb years ago

Dr.Reem M. Al-Tuwirqi,
Assistant Professor of Physics at King Abdulaziz University, who wan some French prize in Physics in 2008.

Machael el-Shamemre,
First Saudi woman and an Arab who has joined the NASA in US.
“ I will do my best in order to show the world that the Saudi Arabian woman is capable of doing a great job in different fields of work for her strong will and her ambition. I want the girls of my country to know that nothing can stand in front of their success as long as they want to prove themselves within their traditions and their religion”.
Machael ..

Dr. Marwah Mohamed Bakri, 
Dean of Female Students Academic Complex, was awarded the 11th Middle East Prize granted by the Middle East Excellence Award Institute of Datamatix. This award is annually bestowed upon pioneering leaders worldwide.

Dr. Maha Al-Muneef,
An Executive Director of the National Family Safety Program and councilor of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, is a child protectionist and child rights advocate. She is also a consultant on pediatric infectious diseases and has been involved in the national implementation of child protection services.

She is chairwoman of the Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect Center at King Abdul Aziz Medical City, a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and president-elect of the Arab Professional Network for the Prevention of Violence Against Children. She is also a consultant in the Shoura Council.

… & Still there are many others & one day we have to write about them. 


Sources of the blog: 
http://www.kfshrc.edu.sa/
http://www.tristemcorp.com/corporation02.htm
http://www.scribd.com/doc/16354603/51/PROF-DR-SAMIRA-IBRAHIM-ISLAM
http://selwaalhazzaa.wikispaces.com/Bibliography
http://www.scribd.com/doc/17780763/Great-Saudi-Woman
http://projectofesp.wordpress.com/research/
http://www.kfafh.org/dentalcon/images/speakers/drarwaalsayed.pdf
http://ttfec.blogspot.com/2011/12/saudi-scientists.html
http://www.dgsonline.org/news-details.php?id=65
http://raltuwirqi.kau.edu.sa/CVEn.aspx?Site_ID=0003653&Lng=EN
http://www.jazanu.edu.sa/sites/en/News/Pages/News143304110301.aspx
http://www.aawsat.com/details.asp?issueno=11700&article=568132
http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20120818133477
http://samiaalamoudi.blogspot.com/p/achievement.html
http://www.sauress.com/en/spaen/831117






Dr. Arwa bint Ali Alsayed



Dr. Arwa bint Ali Alsayed granted King Abdulaziz Medallion (First Degree).

"Dr. Arwa has graduated from king Saud University with honour in 1989. In 1993 She did training in Periodontology at Dalhousie University in Halifax – Canada. In 1996 She obtained a Master of Dental Implants from the University of Toronto in Toronto – Canada – she developed a new design for the Endo-Pore dental implant system and won the price of the best thesis in Toronto for that year.

In 2001 She obtained a second Master degree in advanced clinical training in Periodontology and Dental Implant from Eastman Dental Institute at University College London in UK – she was graduated with distinction.
In 2009 she became the chief editor of the dental section at the Saudi Medical Journal.
In 2010 she was awarded with King AbdulAziz First Medal Price at the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for discovering gene polymorphism in drug-induced gingival hyperplasia in kidney transplant patients.
Currently she works as: Consultant in Periodontics and Dental Implants at Riyadh Armed Forces Hospital and She is the Director of the Saudi fellowship program in Dental Implants."

Prof. Samia Al-Amoudi


"Dr. Samia Al-Amoudi, obstetrician, gynecologist and assistant professor at King Abdul Aziz University, is a breast cancer advocate and breast cancer survivor. She has received several awards for her courage and hard work for the betterment of society. The Arabian Business Magazine placed her among the top 100 people who had a significant impact on their societies and she was also listed as one of the most important Arab scientists. 
Dr. Al-Amoudi is well-known for her brave campaign to raise awareness about the prevalence of breast cancer in Saudi Arabia and for her bold initiative to speak about her own experience as a breast cancer survivor in order show support for other women who suffer in silence. Dr. Al-Amoudi recently established the Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Al-Amoudi Scientific Chair for Women’s Health Empowerment at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah to empower women and raise awareness about health rights and health issues in general. "



Dr.Samia . the first one on the left , attending a conference as one of the 3 female saudi speakers, Where they introduced to the audience their stories as cancer survivors .  

Dr. Khawla Al-Kuraya




- Dr. Khawla Al-Kuraya is the First Saudi Woman who received the King Abdulaziz Award of Excellence-1st Class on January 11, 2010
- She is one of the Board of Advisers of the National Geographic Al Arabiya Magazine since September 22, 2010. 
- She is the Associate Editor of BMC Genomics since February 24, 2009.
- Dr. Khawla awarded as Young Physician Award for Research by Harvard Medical School Dubai Center (HMSDC) Tamayoz Award in Dubai, UAE on Apri 19, 2007.

Dr.Khawla Al-Kuraya  is a consultant and the principal clinical scientist at the King Faisal Hospital and Research Center. She was also appointed as the director to the Department of Human Cancer Genomic Research, as well as director for the Research Center for Children’s Cancer. She has produced many internationally peer reviewed journals and has presented her findings in global summits as well as local conferences.

She obtained her medical degree from King Saud University, she enrolled in the Pathology Residency program at Georgetown University Hospital in 1995 in Washington, D.C. She obtained her board certification in clinical pathology and completed her fellowship in Molecular Diagnostics at the National Cancer Institute in the United States.

Dr. Al- Kuraya is also a member of several associations and institutes such as the College of American Pathologist, the American Association for Cancer Research and the United States-Canadian Academy of Pathology. In January 2010, King Abdullah conferred the prestigious “First Rank King Abdulaziz Medal” on Dr. Khawla Al-Kuraya in recognition of her achievements in science that have made her a prominent international figure in cancer research

Prof. Salwa Al-Hazza’a



Prof. Salwa Al-Hazza’a

"The first Arabic woman, dealing with diseases of the retina laser, and received Arabic, British and American fellowships.

She is a Saudi ophthalmologist at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and research center as the head of the ophthalmology department since 1997. She is considered as one of the most influential personalities in Saudi Arabia, and the Arab World in general. She is also considered to be a pioneer for Saudi women, as she is one of the first Saudi women to achieve international success academically and professionally.

She has a fellow certificate for three years in John Hopkins Hospital. She was chosen to be the international woman of the year for personal resumes center in Cambridge in Britain. Her name was listed in remarkable women list in United States and also in the Fourteenth Markeez list for distinguishable personalities in 1997.

She wrote many medical articles, the most important one is DUANES which was about genetic eye diseases in Saudi Arabia. She also acquired the Saudi board in eye diseases and fellow royal certificate in Britain. "




Prof. Samira Ibrahim Islam


Prof. Samira Ibrahim Islam


• First Saudi full professor in Pharmacology in 1983 .
• She is the first Saudi woman to obtain Bachelor and Ph.D degrees
• First Saudi woman to become a professor of pharmacology.
• She is also the first to introduce formal university education for girls in the
Kingdom and the first woman vice dean in a Saudi university.
• first Muslim and Arab woman to be nominated by UNESCO as a distinguished Scientist of the World For the Year 2000
• First Saudi woman and the second Saudi Arab to hold an official staff position
in the World Health Organization (WHO)

"Prof Dr Samira Ibrahim Islam of Saudi Arabia was first Saudi woman to complete a basic education; the first Saudi woman to obtain a BA and PhD degree; also with respect to all specialties she was the first Saudi woman to become a full professor. While in the field of Pharmacology she was the first Saudi, man or woman, to become a full professor. Her successful working career was not limited to pure science research projects only; with considerable devotion to, and a sincere interest in the field of girl's higher education which was in its infancy in the early 70s - Professor Islam's contribution branched into many separate areas.. She is also the first to introduce formal university education for girls in the Kingdom and the first woman vice dean in a Saudi university

Professor Islam started her academic career in 1971 by volunteering to lecture at the College of Education, King Abdulaziz University, Makkah Branch (now Umm Al Qura University). In 1972, Dr Ahmed Muhammad Ali, the university President, appointed Dr Islam as an official member of the teaching staff in the position of Lecturer.

Dr Islam established many new educational programs for women and she was also assigned as the Head of the Science Departments. During 1973, Departments of Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Biology were founded in theC ollege of Education Makkah branch with Dr Islam at their Head.

Professor Islam achieved recognition in her field and she became the first Saudi full professor in Pharmacology in 1983. She focused her research on the effect of drugs on the Saudi population through the Drug Monitoring Unit at King Fahd Medical Research Canter of King Abdulaziz University. She founded the Drug Monitoring Unit from the research funds she was granted where the blood of patients undergoing medication is analyzed, thus helping physicians to decide on accurate doses. Professor Islam remarked that she publicized the need for every organization and individual to support scientific research in this country, especially concerning the drug safety which includes treatment of illnesses and curing of diseases. Her groundbreaking research and contributions to science in her home country were finally recognized when Professor Samira Ibrahim Islam became the first Muslim and Arab woman to be nominated by UNESCO as a distinguished Scientist of the World for the Year 2000, at their For Women in Science Awards. The award, first instituted in 1998, selects female scientists who have made a major contribution to their area of expertise. Of the 100 women scientists nominated globally, the UNESCO award committee in Paris chose 32 in late 1999 as final nominees. Saudi Arabia was one of the six Asian counties shortlisted along with China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea and India."

Dr. Ilham Saleh Abuljadayel


Dr. Ilham Saleh Abuljadayel
, Head of Stem Cell Research and Therapy at TriStem Corporation, founder of the Retrodifferentiation Technology and co-founder of TriStem Corporation ltd.
"Dr. Ilham Saleh Abuljadayel is the sole inventor of the TriStem Technology. She discovered the process of retrodifferentiation in the early nineties and also developed ways of committing the retrodifferentiated cells into a variety of cells/tissue types, including haematopoietic, neuronal, mesenchymal, cardiomyogenic, endothelial and exocrine cell lineages etc. Based on her research, Dr. Abuljadayel co-founded the TriStem Group. She received her Bachelor's degree in Cell Biology (1985) and her Ph.D in Immunology (1990) from King's College , University of London. Dr. Abuljadayel has been working as a molecular and cellular biologist since 1982 and has published various articles in peer reviewed journals. During the period 1990 to 1997 Dr Abuljadayel worked as a consultant immunologist at the King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital in Jeddah. Dr. Abuljadayel carried out her research at King's College London, the Royal London Hospital and University of Cambridge."

A video of a case has been treated & uploaded by the Dr.Ilham, 



Published on Oct 9, 2012
"Infusion of Autologous Retrodifferentiated Neuronal Stem Cells into a patient suffering from Parkinson Disease. Patients leukocytes direct reprogramming into neuronal stem cells and therapy via retrodifferentiation"


Thursday, January 3, 2013

Prof.Howaida Al-Qethami



•First female Professor of Cardio-Surgery in Middle East.
• Chose as one of the most famous 50 characters around the world.
•Awarded King Faisal Al-Saud Award for her unique contribution to her field.

"From 1977 to 1983, Dr. Howaida Al-Qethamy attended the Faculty of Medicine at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, where she earned her M.B. and Ch.B. degrees. In 1986, she earned her Primary fellowship (F.R.C.S.) from the Royal College of Surgeons in Glasgow, Scotland. Her Final F.R.C.S.E. was obtained from the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1987.
In 1993, Dr. Al-Qethamy received a Clinical Fellowship of Pediatric Surgery from the University of Toronto (Canada) Hospital for Sick Children.

Since 1984, Dr. Al-Qethamy has had a number of high-profile academic and professional appointments -- in the Armed Forces Hospital and in the Prince Sultan Cardiac Centre in Riyadh, in the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children, and in Broussais Hospital in Paris, France.

During her distinguished career, Dr. Al-Qethamy has attended numerous courses and symposia worldwide, and she is a member of numerous societies and associations related to her profession. She has given many presentations in a number of countries, and has been published in a number of well-known medical journals.
Currently, Dr. Al-Qethamy is the Director of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at the Prince Sultan Cardiac Center in Riyadh, where she has been working for the past twenty years. Her responsibilities include the care and management of babies and children in the intensive care units and surgical wards. Her current caseload involves three to four cases of congenital heart diseases a day.
Dr. Al-Qethamy is the first female in the Middle East to head a cardiac surgery department. In addition, she has pioneered a method of implanting a valve into the heart while it is still pumping."


Dr. Hayat Sindi



"She is a PH.D. holder in electromagnetic and sound meter equipments from Cambridge University. She concluded that a number of major scientific inventions made her hold a highly academic position. 

United States called her to be in a group of 15 of the best scientists in the world to look up to sciences streams and future. Bruckly University, California also called her to be one of the most three prominent female scientists: Carl Dar- cancer research director, Cathy Silver- the first spacewoman, and Hayat Syndy is the third. She is a visitor researcher in Harvard University. 

Her team is “diagnosis for all” which is a modern technology developed in “Gorge white side” laps in Harvard University which works to reduce the test laps in a figure-size equipment made of papers, and the ordinary person can use to do the test any time and directly read the results to diagnose the case or to see the specialized without the need to go to the lap. This project –which stemmed from non-prophet institution established by Gorge white side, Car Michele Roberts, and Hayat Syndy- has hold the first position in the contest of plan of action for social projects in Harvard University and also in the contest of initiatives directed by Masochists institute of technology (MIT) recently; by that, the project is the first that gained tow prizes in just one year. 
Her scientific team is the first project to serve the society that comes from the laps of Harvard University and wins its prize since 12 years. The project also is the only one that reached to the final stage for MIT prize and took the prize despite it is a non-profitable project. 

She received an invitation from NASA and provided her a job because of this invention, for her multiple applications invention in deferent fields for medicine industries, and for researchable projects to protect the environment and to measure the poisoned gases. Her innovation is characterized by high accuracy which reached to achieve a percentage of success to acknowledge the genetic readiness to have diabetes that reach 99.1% when it was not more than 25%."



Prof. Faten Khorshid


"Dr. Faten Khorshid is one of the top inventors in Saudi Arabia, A Saudi researcher who discovered a medicine to treat the most ill-natured cancer type: lung cancer. She is a head of Plant Cells and Tissues Unit, in King Fahad Medical Research Center. She proved through her research that camel’s urine can treat some cancer types. & planning to win The Nobel Prize within her discoveries.
In 1983, she received her bachelor’s degree in biology. In addition, in 1989, she had her master’s degree in the tissue of animals. Moreover in 2000, she was selected as by the Saudi embassy as one of the best students in London, UK and Ireland.
In 2001, she got her PhD in tissue engineering. She is a professor in the medical biology lab in King Abdul-Aziz University ( KAAU ) in Jeddah.

Finally her study is approved from the Ethics Committee of Scientific Research at ( KAAU ), also she has received the golden medal for the best invention in 2008 and her medicine was selected as one of the best six medicines at the International Innovation and Technology Exhibition ( ITEX )  in 2009."



Why Saudi Women ?

This Blog is for all those who doesn't know about Saudi Women or underestimating their abilities , or misled by the medias that Situations of Saudi Women are kinda misery. Yes ! we might have problems or some overrated regulations to be stuck with ! Yes there might be cases of child-abuse , family violence or daughters who were disowned by their parents ! Yes there might be Mothers who were giving up by their sons or wives encountering husband's bad behaviors !

But THIS IS HAPPENING ALL OVER THE WORLD !! it's not such a unique picture of Saudi Women , it's not like that 100% are suffering from the above. Surprisingly, whenever it comes to saudi women, situations are overrated, manipulated & start to go over & over, like u end up saying : OMG , are we alines !!? why many things are misunderstood! Why many ones don't get their nose out of our business? Why unrelated institutes trying to fix things up instead of working on theirs? Apart of those individuals arguing all the time about Saudi women's rights, women's jobs, women's transportations , women's education, Women's freedom, women women women ! then what ? They are 1st class citizens not second if anyone thought before, & whatever should be corrected will take place but eventually.

In spite of the fact that Saudi Women are muslims -where ISLAM has guaranteed all her rights- the society is not the one of angles. Whenever mistakes happen -& it will- that means carrying out of Islam's instructions wasn't done properly & and we have to go farther through it.
I'm not trying to analyze the situation or investigate all about it. this is such a long talk that wouldn't end in a blog or 10 , but I wanted to depict a bright side that has been ignored most of the time ; a group of pioneer Saudi women that overcome most difficulties & showed to the world examples of stunning, genius & great female scientists. Furthermore, this group gets enlarged day by day .

Maybe the introduction wasn't directed to the title immediately , but I tried to clarify the reason of all this, WHY SAUDI WOMEN ?? YES we have female scientists , Yes they invented so many great marvelous inventions , Yes There are successful Saudi women with amazing achievements . Yes they're accomplishing progression toward unlimited success.

Their achievements & their personalities inspire us to fulfill our dreams to be successful doctors either in our academic or professional lives . They are simply "Pioneers"and we're proud of them.

By: Hanan Shulail