Saturday, July 21, 2007

Outstanding Arabs: Farouk El-Baz

From the Boston University Website...
Dr. Farouk El-Baz is Research Professor and Director of the Center for Remote Sensing at Boston University, Boston MA, U.S.A. He is Adjunct Professor of Geology at the Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. He is also a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Geological Society of America Foundation, Boulder CO.
He was born on 1 January 1938 in the Nile Delta town of Zagazig. Twenty years later, he received a B.Sc. in chemistry and geology from Ain Shams University, followed by a scholarship for graduate study. In 1961, he received a M.S. degree in geology from the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy; his performance won him membership in the honorary society of Sigma Xi. In 1964 he received a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Missouri after conducting research in 1962-1963 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge MA. In 1989, he received an Honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) degree from the New England College, Henniker NH.
From 1967 to 1972, Dr. El-Baz participated in the Apollo Program as Supervisor of Lunar Science Planning at Bellcomm Inc., a division of AT&T that conducted systems analysis for NASA Headquarters in Washington DC. During these six years, he was Secretary of the Landing Site Selection Committee for the Apollo missions to the Moon, Principal Investigator of Visual Observations and Photography, and Chairman of the Astronaut Training Group. His outstanding teaching abilities were confirmed by the Apollo astronauts. While circling the Moon for the first time during Apollo mission 15, Alfred Worden said, "After the King's [Farouk's nickname] training, I feel like I've been here before."

Surrounded by Apollo Command Module Pilots (from left): Michael Collins (Apollo 11), Richard Gordon (Apollo 12), Stuart Roosa (Apollo 14), and Alfred Worden (Apollo 15) at a 1994 "Salute to Apollo" in Oshkosh, Wisconsin

During the Apollo years, Dr. El-Baz joined NASA officials in briefing members of the press on the results of the lunar missions. His appeal rested in a unique ability to simplify complex issues in clear, succinct and easily understood words. His remarks on the scientific accomplishments were regularly quoted by the media during the Apollo missions.

In Episode 10 ("Galileo Was Right") of the TV series "From the Earth to the Moon," produced by Tom Hanks for HBO, his role in the training of the Apollo astronauts was featured in a segment entitled: "The Brain of Farouk El-Baz." In his honor, the popular television program "Star Trek: The Next Generation" featured a shuttle craft named "El-Baz."

Star Trek's shuttle "El-Baz"

In 1973, NASA selected him as Principal Investigator of the Earth Observations and Photography Experiment on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP), the first joint American-Soviet space mission of July 1975. Emphasis was placed on photographing arid environments, particularly the Great Sahara of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, in addition to other features of the Earth and its oceans. Emphasizing the study of the origin and evolution of arid landscapes, he collected field data during visits to every major desert in the world. One of his significant journeys took place, soon after the United States and China had normalized relations in 1979, when he coordinated the first visit by American scientists to deserts in northwestern China. The six-week journey was chronicled in National Geographic and the Explorers Journal. His research on the origin and evolution of the desert resulted in his election as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Dr. El-Baz served his native land as Science Advisor to the late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat from 1978 to 1981. Because of population growth and the attendant food requirements, Sadat believed that Egyptians should not continue to be confined within the Nile Valley and must reclaim more land from the desert.

First meeting with the late Anwar Sadat, President of Egypt, in 1974

His desert research, spanning over 25 years, helped in dispelling the public misconception that deserts were man-made and explained how arid lands originated and evolved in response to global climatic variations. His research methods are now commonly replicated in desert studies throughout the world.

Throughout his career, Dr. El-Baz has succeeded in conveying the excitement of scientific research and the importance of using advanced technology. One of his efforts resolved the 1995 controversy about the crowd size in Washington DC's "Million Man March". He estimated the number of participants in the march using the same computer techniques applied to counting sand dunes in the desert.

The Boston University "Million Man March" counting team
He is an accomplished author or editor of twelve books, including Say it in Arabic, The Moon as Viewed by Lunar Orbiter, Apollo Over the Moon, Egypt as Seen by Landsat, Deserts and Arid Lands, The Gulf War and the Environment, and Atlas of the State of Kuwait from Satellite Images. He has contributed over 200 scientific papers to professional journals, supervised numerous graduate students, and lectured in academic institutions and research centers worldwide.
In 1999, the Geological Society of America (GSA) established the "Farouk El-Baz Award for Desert Research," an annual award aimed at encouraging excellence in arid land studies.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Outstanding Arabs: Ahmed Zewail

Ahmed Zewail is presently the Linus Pauling Chair Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Physics, and the Director of the Physical Biology Center for UST and the NSF Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (LMS) at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, U.S.A. Professor Zewail was awarded the 1999 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his pioneering developments in the field of femtoscience, making it possible to observe the movement of the individual atoms in a femtosecond, a split second that is a millionth of a billionth of a second. Such a development—which literally changed our view of the dynamics of matter—holds great promise in the areas of technology and life sciences. Currently his research interests include the biological sciences, the complexity of molecular function and the new development of ultrafast diffraction for the imaging of transient structures in space and time with atomic-scale resolution. Professor Zewail was educated in Egypt, received his B.S. (with first class honors) and M.S. from Alexandria University, and his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. His honors include more than 100 Prizes and Awards, Orders of Merit, and Orders of States from around the world. These include the Robert A. Welch Prize, Wolf Prize, King Faisal Prize, Benjamin Franklin Medal, Peter Debye Award, and the E. O. Lawrence Award. From Egypt he received the Order of the Grand Collar of the Nile, the highest state honor, and postage stamps were issued to honor his contributions to science and humanity. He holds honorary degrees in the sciences, arts, philosophy, law, medicine, and literature from universities and institutions around the world including the U.S.A., England, Switzerland, Egypt, Belgium, Australia, Canada, India, Italy, Scotland, Korea, Sweden, France, China, Mexico, Ireland, Japan, Lebanon, and Argentina. He is an elected member of national and international academies and societies, including the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Achievement, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the European Academy of Arts, Sciences, and Humanities, the Royal Society of London, the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Academy of Sciences of Malaysia, and the French Academy of Sciences. He is on the Board of Trustees and Board of Directors of national and international foundations and universities, and holds the Honorary Chair at the United Nations University. Professor Zewail is renowned for his public lectures and writings encompassing science and technology, education and world affairs, and for his tireless efforts to help the population of the have-nots. In his recent biography Voyage through Time—Walks of Life to the Nobel Prize, he gives an exposé of his life and work until the receipt of the Nobel Prize, and he suggests a concrete course of action for the world of the have-nots and for a new vision of world order. Ahmed Zewail is the father of four children and lives in California.

Friday, July 06, 2007

Outstanding Arabs: Sir Magdi Yacoub

From the Royal Society website...
Sir Magdi Yacoub has performed more transplants than any other surgeon in the world and, as a scientist, his interest in the basic mechanisms of heart structure and function in health and disease has improved transplant surgery and patient care. He retired from the NHS in September 2001, but continues to head his research programme at Harefield Hospital, which he sees as, "treating patients in the future." Why did the society award this fellowship? Magdi Yacoub was born and raised in Cairo where he qualified as a doctor in 1957. He came to Britain in 1962 and since then has made pioneering strides in cardiothoracic surgery. Under his leadership, Harefield Hospital became the countrys leading transplant centre, performing over 200 operations a year. Madgi specialised in working with children with congenital heart defects and performed complex operations on the tiny hearts of babies in their first days of life. In a career spanning over four Decades, Magdi has been involved in a number of firsts. He was involved in the first UK heart transplant, performed the first UK live lobe lung transplant and the first ever domino operation, in which one patient with failing lungs is given a new heart and lungs, with a second patient receiving the first patients fully functioning heart.He has always combined surgical work with scientific research, which he sees it as the key to improving patient care and ultimately eliminating heart disease. He has conducted research looking into organ rejection after transplantation and is working to produce a tissue-engineered aortic heart valve."Operating on patients with heart disease leads you to ask, why did this organ go wrong in the first place and what can we learn about the basic mechanisms of the heart that can help us understand heart failure better," says Magdi. "There is a massive amount of heart disease in this country and elsewhere - we are almost flooded - wouldnt it be great if we could abolish it completely or, at least, reduce the numbers of people affected. My research is driven by the search to find answers to patients problems. The more you look into a problem, like heart failure, the more you find. Heart transplants were regarded as pie in the sky when I started out in medicine. Research is a chance to help treat the patients of the future." How has this work helped society? Magdi Yacoub's work is all about helping people live longer and more fulfilling lives and describes "seeing people who are not well getting so much better" as the most satisfying part of his job. His strong sense of social responsibility led him to establish the Chain of Hope charity, which sends teams of medics to the developing world to treat children suffering from heart disease free of charge. With all the knowledge we have scientifically, we have a responsibility to help," he says. Magdi is personally involved in the charitys missions and had just returned from Mozambique.As well as treating children, the charity works to build up developing countries capacity to do operations and carry out research themselves. It helped to establish Maputo Heart Institute in Mozambique, which is training doctors and investigating how to treat EMS, a neglected heart disease. This disease affects up to 15% of children and young adults and leads to premature death. The charity also brings promising doctors from Mozambique to the UK for further training. Similarly 2 or 3 children from the developing world come to London for operations each month."The charity is called a Chain of Hope, because of the chain of people involved in the work we do - people donating money, people acting as host families for children and people donating their medical expertise," Magdi says.
What current areas of research are being investigated?
Magdi's team of 75 scientists are looking at new ways they can improve heart transplantation and repair damaged hearts. One emerging area is stem cell research. Stem cells are the master cells of the body and have the ability to develop into specific kinds of cells, such as heart cells. Magdi hopes that they can be used to help the damaged heart regenerate itself and repair its own function. Currently, his team is creating heart cells in the lab. Clinical trials will be needed before stem cells can be a part of everyday patient care, but nevertheless believes that the future for this technology, "could be near".He is also researching techniques to improve the treatment of valvular heart disease. Valves guard the entrances and exits of the two pumping chambers of the heart and a disease or damaged valve can affect the flow of blood and put extra strain on the heart. Magdi is exploring whether tissue engineering can be used to restore valve function.Some work is also being carried out on xenotransplantation. However, Magdi has reservations about this area. "There are still ethical problems about the risk of introducing new infections, which could be very dangerous to mankind," he says. "There is a type of virus in the genome of the pig that could have a devastating impact if it crossed over to humans." Why did you decide to get involved in the Royal Societys Role Models project? Magdi is chairing a Royal Society project looking at how effective role models are in changing young people's view about science and engineering. The aim of project is to produce best practice guidelines and advice for organizations working in science education."I got involved in this project because Im conscious of the fact there is massive amount of intellect that we need to look after. I know from interacting with young researchers in my own lab, how excited and enthused young people can be about science. This enthusiasm needs to be encouraged as it contributes to the intellectual power in the community."Indeed, Magdi knows first-hand how experiences early in life can make a lasting impression. He decided to become a heart surgeon as a young boy. His father was a general surgeon in Egypt and he was fascinated by the work he did. He was drawn to heart surgery, in particular, after the death of his youngest aunt - who died of mitral stenosis (a narrowing of the heart valve), a correctable heart condition."She was very young, in her twenties, and I was left with the impression that she didnt need to die. This motivated me to become a heart surgeon," he says. Fellowship Sir Magdi was made a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1999. He is currently Chair of the Role Models Project. He was knighted in 1992 by HM Queen Elizabeth II. Professor Yacoub is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians and Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine. He holds honorary degrees from Brunel University, Cardiff University, The University of Loughborough, University of Middlesex and also from the University of Lund in Sweden. He holds honorary posts in Lahore, Pakistan and University of Siena, Italy. He has received many awards and distinctions among which the Clement Prize Thomas Award of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1989. In 1999 he was elected a Fellow of The Royal Society and presented with the Lifetime Outstanding Achievement Award in recognition of his contribution to Medicine by the Right Hon. Frank Dobson, MP,Secretary of State for Health. In April 2004 he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement award by the International Society for Heart & Lung Transplantation. A touching story... courtesy of the BBC website 13 April 2006 Heart transplant reversed
Hannah Clark with Sir Magdi Yacoub
A young girl has had her donor heart removed and her own heart replaced and restarted in a pioneering operation ten years after her original transplant. Doctors at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital acted after discovering the body of 12-year-old Hannah Clark was rejecting her donor heart. Retired coronary specialist Sir Magdi Yacoub advised the surgeons who removed it and reconnected the dormant heart. Hannah, from Mountain Ash in south Wales, left hospital after five days.

The ground-breaking surgery was carried out on 20 February. Sir Magdi performed Hannah's original heart transplant when she was two.

Heart size doubled

The original operation saved her life because she had cardiomyopathy, which made her heart double the size it should have been and therefore likely to give out within a year.

Experts said a modern approach to the problem would see the enlarged heart removed to rest, while a mechanical heart took over its job temporarily.

Her donor heart worked fine until last November when a routine check-up showed that her body was rejecting it.

Hannah's mother, Elizabeth Clark, said the operation, which had been expected to take at least eight hours, was finished in just four.

The piggy-back heart allowed the patient's own heart to take a rest
Professor Peter Weissberg

She said: "They also said she could be in intensive care for weeks, maybe months - they just didn't know because it was the first time it had been done.

"Hannah recovered so well she was able to come home within five days.

"Nobody thought she would be like she is now.

"She is just enjoying her life and is looking forward to going back to school after Easter."

Cancer battle

Following the operation, Hannah no longer needs to take strong anti-rejection drugs she had to take with the donor heart.

She has also battled lymph cancer in recent years but is now in remission following a successful course of chemotherapy in January.

Hannah Clark
Hannah Clark is looking forward to going back to school

Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director of the British Heart Foundation, described the operation as "an exciting and important event".

He said: "Surgeons have thought for some time that if a heart is failing because of acute inflammation, it might be able to recover if rested.

"This seems to be exactly what has happened in this case.

"The piggy-back heart allowed the patient's own heart to take a rest.

'Surprising result'

"Today the approach would be to implant a mechanical heart, called a ventricular assist device, to take over the work of the inflamed heart in the hope that the heart will recover and the device can be taken out after a few months.

"Ten years ago such devices were not sufficiently reliable, which is why Hannah received a donor heart alongside her own.

"This is a great example of how a pioneering and novel approach to a medical problem can lead to surprising results that tell us a lot about how some heart diseases progress.

"In the past, patients with inflamed hearts either died or were transplanted before their own hearts had any chance of recovery."

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People

This is just a small sample from the tons of movies that portray us Arabs negatively. When will the world "unlearn their prejudices against Arabs?" Most of what reaches the world about Islam and the Arabs is either clear lies or over-exaggerations of the faulty actions of a handful that are used to tag an entire nation. I am hoping that it is through websites, such as this one, that the true image of Islam is presented. Therefore, I shall be posting a series of articles entitled "Outstanding Arabs" in which I intend to shed some light on several Arab individuals whose brilliant achievements in different fields have changed humanity. Just trying to change the sterotypical category in which we Arabs are placed.