Fawzia Abbas Fahim (born 9 December 1931) is an Egyptian

biochemist Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. They study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. Biochemists study DNA, proteins and Cell (biology), cell parts. The word "biochemist" is a portmanteau of ...

and environmental biologist known for her work on the anti-tumoral effects of snake

venom Venom or zootoxin is a type of toxin produced by an animal that is actively delivered through a wound by means of a bite, sting, or similar action. The toxin is delivered through a specially evolved ''venom apparatus'', such as fangs or a sti ...

and iodoacetate. She is currently Professor of Biochemistry at

Ain Shams University Ain Shams University () is a public university located in Cairo, Egypt. Founded in 1950, the university provides education at the undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate levels. History Ain Shams University was founded in July 1950, the third ...

, Egypt. Fahim has also made important contributions to infant and occupational health, and pollution issues in

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

. Fahim worked as a Demonstrator in the Faculty of Engineering, Department of Chemistry at

Cairo University Cairo University () is Egypt's premier public university. Its main campus is in Giza, immediately across the Nile from Cairo. It was founded on 21 December 1908;"Brief history and development of Cairo University." Cairo University Faculty of En ...

, from 1957 to 1962. She received a governmental grant from the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, October 1962 – June, 1965, where she attended

Birmingham University The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university in Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingham (founded in 1825 as ...

. In 1966 she served as a lecturer in the Department of Biochemistry at Ain Shams University. In 1975 Fahim became an associate professor and in 1980 she became a full professor, the position she still holds. Fahim was head of the Department of

Biology Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...

and Natural Sciences, Institute of Environmental Studies and Research, at Ain Shams University from 1983 to 1989. Fahim received her

B.Sc. A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

from

, Egypt, in 1954 and her Master of Science in

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

from Cairo University in 1962. In 1965 she got her Ph.D. from

, England. She is the author, or co-author, of over 80 scientific papers.

Personal life

In 1959 Fahim married Salah El-Din Mohamed El-Mahdi, a professor of Design and Theory of Machines at the Faculty of Engineering, Ain-Shams University. He died in 1998. They had 3 children.

References

* Personal Interviews, November 2008 and March 2009.

Selected publications

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fahim, Fawzia 1931 births Living people Egyptian scientists Alumni of the University of Birmingham Cairo University alumni Academic staff of Cairo University Academic staff of Ain Shams University Egyptian writers People from Faiyum Governorate Egyptian women scientists Women biochemists