3 Egyptian women scientists honoured for their outstanding work by L’Oréal-UNESCO

Nehal Samir
18 Min Read

Breaking the glass ceiling, three Egyptian women scientists engraved their names in history by being honoured and awarded by L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science among 14 Arab brilliant minds.

The exceptional researchers were awarded as part of the Young Talents Programmes of  Egypt, the Levant, and  Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for their outstanding research. The celebration came during the International Day of Women and Girls in Science at Dubai Expo on 11 February.

During the ceremony, 14 young talents that are a mix of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers were awarded for their role in solving today’s challenges as well as inspiring the future generation of females.

Five of the recipients were from various countries in the GCC, three from Egypt, and six from the Levant. Furthermore, 2020 fellows were also acknowledged during the celebrations.

Daily News Egypt interviewed the three Egyptian scientists to get to know them and what their next steps are. The three scientists are Ingy Ibrahim Abdullah, postdoctoral fellow working on a research on overcoming receptor mutations in cancer targeted therapy; Irene Samy Fahim Gabriel, postdoctoral fellow working on a research on manufacturing of sugarcane bagasse-based tableware in Egypt; and Sarah Abdel Kader, PhD student working on a research on-site sustainable treatment methods for agricultural wastewater treatment to be reused in irrigation.

The Programme

Before interviewing the three scientists, DNE dug further to understand what the programme entails first. This programme commenced as part of the larger L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women In Science Programme that was launched in 1998 and has since recognised over 3,900 phenomenal researchers and 122 laureates from more than 110 countries and regions.

Furthermore, the Young Talents Programme was introduced in the Arab region in 2010 and, until today, has awarded more than 160 female scientists; 28 of which are Egyptians that have been awarded on the global, regional, or national levels, with two of them also winning additional international recognition from the International Rising Talent Programme.

“Through the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Programme, we aim to improve the representation of women in STEM to drive global impact by empowering more female scientists to achieve excellence at different stages of their careers and to encourage their participation in solving the great challenges of our time for the benefit of all,” according to Alexandra Palt, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer and CEO of the L’Oréal Foundation.

In light of the celebrations, Benoit Julia, the Managing Director of L’Oréal Egypt said: “We are proud of our constant empowerment to women, specifically in the field of science. We launched the L’Oreal UNESCO For Women in Science in Egypt Program in 2018 in partnership with the Academy of Science in Egypt and the UNESCO Regional Office in Egypt with an utmost belief in the importance of supporting and encouraging more Egyptian female researchers and scientists. As the world needs science, women’s input is a requirement for science’s progress.”

Nahla Mokhtar — Director of Corporate Affairs, Engagement, and Sustainability at L’Oréal Egypt — praised the participation of Egyptian scientists and researches by stating that “L’Oréal Egypt aims to empower and support women at all levels through various initiatives and projects that open new horizons and provide the opportunity for women to build an integrated society.”

Irene Fahim

The first female pioneer is Irene Fahim, who is an Associate Professor in the Industrial Engineering and Service Management Department and the leader of the Industrial and Manufacturing Track in the Smart Engineering Systems Research Center at Nile University.

Growing up, she was always fond of the academic and non-academic challenges she encountered, and she would compete with all her friends at school to overcome them.

Fahim said that the subjects she enjoyed the most during school were math and science, which eventually nurtured her interest in studying engineering.

She mentioned that most of her family are engineers; seeing all of them prosper in their careers helped Fahim continue in pursuing her bachelor, masters, and PhD degrees. 

“As the years passed, I realised my love for mentoring and supporting others, so I decided to take on this passion and begin teaching. I adopted a different tutoring style, which relied more on the use of creativity rather than memorisation and spoon-fed knowledge,” she said.

In light of this, when she was an undergrad, one of her professors at the American University in Cairo (AUC), who she idolised, taught her the importance of inhibiting environmental damage. This has led her to focus her research on sustainable and circular economic projects in an effort to start creating new environmentally friendly products.

Fahim explained that the aim behind her research is to manufacture food packaging and packaging materials at a competitive price from sugarcane bagasse pulp using an innovative drying and forming process (IP rights and patents underway).

She continued that the proposed method reduces energy and water-use in the manufacturing process by about 50% and eliminates the need for several logistical steps; including the transportation and treatment of raw materials to achieve significant energy, water, and cost reductions.

Fahim explained that this will offer a competitive price in the fast-growing market that is driven by COVID-19 and the growing trend of sustainable-based industries.

“The project gives a new investment dimension to the bagasse pulp industry in Egypt, which is currently based on the declining paper market. Sugarcane absorbs more carbon dioxide during its life cycle than almost any other plant. The research suggests that expanding sugarcane production could reduce global carbon dioxide emissions by up to 5.2%, making it the most sought-after resource in the industry.”

“Egypt produces about 3 million tonnes of bagasse annually (ranked ninth in the world); meanwhile, most of these quantities are burned in sugar factories. In this light, this project will valorise the usage of bagasse waste and the biodegradable properties of bagasse pulp will make a suitable alternative to Styrofoam in the manufacturing of tableware,” she added.

It is worth noting that several countries have already banned the use of synthetic plastics. The low cost of producing bagasse pulp, simple manufacturing process, and high market potential are the main factors that encourage the leveraging of this industry in Egypt.

“My long-term mission as a scientist is to propose a green value chain to produce biodegradable plastics and an effective waste management system that begins with the collection of sugar cane waste and ends with the manufacture of various packaging products using sustainable natural renewable material,” she said.

Fahim explained further that the low financial cost of using bagasse pulp, simple manufacturing process, and market potential are the key driving forces for the interest in the production of packaging and packaging materials from bagasse in Egypt.

She said that further trials are needed to optimise the type and percentage of additives used with the bagasse pulp; she also needs to purchase a heat press with different moulds to manufacture lab scale products, study the effect of the heat press on mechanical properties of the bagasse, study upscale options in depth, and further test manufactured tableware.

“My biggest challenge so far is being a single mother of two children, and yet being so eager to achieve. I have spent long hours studying for my PhD while maintaining my kids’ schedules and spending time with them,” she said. Despite this challenge, she mentioned that her biggest supporters are her family, kids, and friends.

“I am so proud that these challenges led me to where I am now. My most memorable milestones are being able to earn my PhD degree with my kids cheering me on, receiving a prize from the Egyptian president in 2017, and being recognised with a women’s encouragement state award,” she said proudly.

Ingy Abdullah

“Ever since I was young, I have always dreamt of changing the world. And the older I got, the more I decided to specialise in something to achieve this goal; whether it be in helping shape the future of my students, or the input of my research to benefit humanity,” said Ingy Abdullah.

“To be honest, it was not a single person or event that led me down the path of STEM research. I have always liked science, especially biology and chemistry. Both my father and mother are avid pharmacists, and during the different phases of my life, I was lucky enough to learn from several amazing teachers and professors that I looked up to. My main motivation since day one has been to cause change and contribute to necessary improvements in people’s lives medically, economically, and environmentally.”

She said that cancer is a devastating disease and that she has witnessed it first-hand and how it affects patients and their families. Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of the disease and the leading cause of death in women worldwide.

In Egypt, according to the World Health Organisation, 35% of female cancer patients are diagnosed with breast cancer.

Abdullah explained that her current research aims to discover novel drugs for the targeted therapy of breast cancer patients, especially those suffering from mutations that render the available drugs ineffective.  She hopes that her research contributes to giving them a fighting chance.

Furthermore, her research is in line with Egypt’s 2030 Vision in terms of health and population screening programmes for breast cancer and the development of effective therapies.

“I am also working on another project to create microbial cell factories for sustainable production of valuable natural products to allow their constant availability at reasonable prices, which is important for the rapidly growing Egyptian community,” she revealed.

Concerning the next steps of her research, Abdullah said that she is currently using computer simulations to decide on the best possible drugs to act as effective treatments for breast cancer patients exhibiting mutations. She plans on starting laboratory testing for the effectiveness of these candidates. She also stressed that the L’Oréal–UNESCO For Women in Science Fellowship will help her implement this step soon.

“My goal is to witness my discoveries reaching people who need them. I hope that at some point, my laboratory research will penetrate the market and be available to patients. Thus, I plan on continuing to expand my research group and build the research line in my department. An important goal for me is to confer the knowledge and research techniques I develop to rising scientists to benefit from and use in their work in the future,” she said hopefully.

Abdullah added that she is blessed to have been mentored and supported by wonderful teachers throughout her career, believing the biggest challenge she has faced is the label that women in the field of science will not be as committed as their male counterparts. It is assumed that family and social life will be a distraction.

“However, this is far from the truth, as proven by many pioneering women. Recently, a culture of ‘a person’s work speaks for itself regardless of gender or anything else’ is being nourished and such biases are declining. Moreover, programmes such as the L’Oréal–UNESCO For Women in Science have been considerably helpful in encouraging women to continue their journey and persevere in the field of science.”

Sarah Abdel Kader

Since the beginning of her journey with scientific research, Sarah Abdel Kader has been driven by her concerns towards environmental problems irritating the Egyptian community. However, the water scarcity facing Egypt recently is the main motive behind her research idea. 

She mentioned that agricultural activity in Egypt consumes 80-85% of water resources. This fact reflects the importance of developing new water sources for this important field; not only to overcome water scarcity, but also to maintain food security.

Abdel Kader explained that the aim of her research is to develop an on-site sustainable method for agricultural wastewater treatment to be reused in irrigation. This idea will help in reducing the amount of freshwater used in agriculture without affecting agricultural production.

Additionally, this research is very important, as it supports Egypt’s 2030 Vision that encourages the recycling and reuse of different types of wastewater as part of the national plan to help the Egyptian community to convert to sustainable practices. Also, it will be a step towards adapting to climate change effects in the agricultural sector and the water scarcity problem.

She said that the L’Oréal UNESCO award will help her complete the experimental work for her research and analyse the results that will help prepare the idea for real-life implementation. However, implementation will require support from the government and the rural community. 

Furthermore, she mentioned that her main goal and motive in scientific research is to detect and provide sustainable solutions to the problems facing the Egyptian community. This motive was enhanced by the declaration of Egypt’s 2030 Vision. So, she is planning on implementing this vision by providing sustainable solutions to the different challenges faced by the Egyptian community through scientific research and collaborations with researchers from several fields.

“Also, I am preparing to use my experience in scientific research to enhance my professional career in the environmental sciences and engineering field. I have already started my journey towards these goals through my work as an environmental specialist in the Social Housing and Mortgage Finance Fund. I am also working on the Green Social Housing project, which is considered an important step towards sustainable development in the housing field,” she said.

Agreeing with Fahim and Abduallah, she said that working in the field of science was not easy due to the stereotype that women can’t be committed because of their responsibilities. She stressed that this issue poses a threat to women in the field, as they lose their confidence and try hard to prove themselves.

Additionally, She explained that long working hours and social responsibilities as wives and mothers are considered huge obstacles that prevent women from completing their graduate studies or participating in scientific research.

“It is usually hard to choose between a professional career and scientific research, especially for women,” she concluded.

The three scientists mentioned that the balance between social, professional, and academic life is the biggest challenge facing women in the scientific research field. However, family support can help a lot in reducing the burden of this challenge.

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