N. Hashem
Nemat Hashem | |
|---|---|
| Citizenship | Egyptian |
| Known for | Founder of medical genetics in Egypt; research on Lymphocyte mitosis |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Medical genetics, Pediatrics |
| Institutions | Ain Shams University |
Nemat Hashem (also transliterated as N. Hashem) was an Egyptian physician and scientist who was a pioneer in the field of medical genetics in Egypt and the Middle East.[1] In 1964, she established the first medical genetics clinic in the Arab world at Ain Shams University.[2]
Education and career
Hashem served as a professor of Pediatrics at the Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University in Cairo.[2] In the early 1960s, she focused her research on chromosomal abnormalities and the clinical presentation of genetic disorders within the Egyptian population.[1]
In 1963 and 1964, she gained international recognition for her collaborative research with Kurt Hirschhorn and others on the mitogenic action of phytohaemagglutinin.[3] This work was foundational in demonstrating that peripheral lymphocytes could be stimulated to undergo mitosis in response to specific antigens, a discovery critical to the development of modern immunology and karyotyping.[4]
Contributions to genetics
Hashem is widely credited with the institutionalization of genetics in Egypt.[1] She founded the Medical Genetics Center at Ain Shams University in 1964, which served as a hub for diagnosing genetic syndromes and providing genetic counseling.[2] Her research extensively covered consanguinity and its impact on the prevalence of genetic disorders in North Africa.[5]
In 1982, she edited the three-volume series Preventable Aspects of Genetic Morbidity, which compiled significant research on reducing the burden of hereditary diseases through public health interventions.[6]
Selected publications
- Hashem N, Hirschhorn K, Sedlis E, Holt EM (1963). "Infantile Eczema: Evidence of Internal Sensitivity to Endogenous Antigens". The Lancet. 282 (7306): 469–470. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(63)90223-9.
- Hashem N, Sedlis E, Hirschhorn K, Holt EM (1964). "Immune Response and Mitosis of Human Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes in Vitro". Science. 143 (3604): 329–331. doi:10.1126/science.143.3604.329.
- Hashem, Nemat, ed. (1982). Preventable Aspects of Genetic Morbidity. Al-Ahram Press. ISBN 978-9772411313.
References
- ^ a b c Temtamy, Samia A. (2017-01-17). "Genetics and Genomic Medicine in Egypt: steady pace". Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine. 5 (1): 2–12. doi:10.1002/mgg3.271. PMC 5241207. PMID 28239625.
- ^ a b c Shawky, R.M.; El-Sayed, N.S.; El-Sattar, A.S. (2012). "Profile of genetic disorders prevalent in North East Region of Cairo, Egypt". Egyptian Journal of Medical Human Genetics. 13 (1): 45–62. doi:10.1016/j.ejmhg.2011.10.002.
- ^ Hirschhorn, K.; Bach, F.; Kolodny, R.L.; Firschein, I.L.; Hashem, N. (1963-12-01). "Immune Response and Mitosis of Human Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes in Vitro". Science. 142 (3596): 1185–1187. doi:10.1126/science.142.3596.1185.
- ^ Hirschhorn, K.; Kolodny, R.L.; Hashem, N.; Bach, F.H. (1963-08-10). "Mitogenic Action of Phytohaemagglutinin". The Lancet. 282 (7302): 305–306. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(63)90213-7.
- ^ Hashem, Nemat (1982). Preventable Aspects of Genetic Morbidity. Cairo: Al-Ahram Press. ISBN 978-9772411313.
- ^ "Preventable aspects of genetic morbidity : proceedings of first International Conference on Preventable Aspects of Genetic Morbidity". National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-01-01.