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Under the patronage of Prof. Mohamed Diaa Zain El-Abedeen, President of Ain Shams University; Prof. Amany Osama Kamel, Vice President for Postgraduate Studies and Research; Prof. Rehab Othman Ahmed, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy; and Prof. Rola Melad Labib, Acting Vice Dean for Community Service and Environmental Development, the Faculty of Pharmacy at Ain Shams University hosted Prof. Ahmed Omar Kasb, Professor of Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Tumors and Director of the Liver Cancer Program at the MD Anderson Cancer Center, University of Texas in Houston, USA. The visit comes within the framework of strengthening international cooperation and advancing scientific research in the field of cancer.

The event was organized under the supervision of Prof. Abdullah Sami, General Supervisor of the University’s Scholarships Office, and Prof. Irene Ayoub, Director of International Relations and Academic Cooperation at the Faculty of Pharmacy.

Prof. Ahmed Kasb delivered an exceptional scientific lecture titled: “A Holistic Approach to Improving Immunotherapy Response in Gastrointestinal Cancer Outcomes through a Naturally Driven Approach: Opportunities and Challenges.”

During the lecture, he presented the latest scientific advancements in enhancing the effectiveness of immunotherapy for gastrointestinal cancers through a holistic, naturally driven strategy that boosts therapeutic response and improves recovery outcomes.

The lecture witnessed the notable presence of department heads, faculty members, researchers, and students, along with rich scientific discussions on innovative prospects in cancer research.

A delegation from the Ain Shams University Faculty of Medicine Research Center also participated, including Prof. Hesham El-Ghazaly – Director of the Faculty of Medicine Research Center, Prof. Fatma Obaid, Director of the Clinical Research Center, accompanied by a team of pharmacists, Prof. Sara Agwa – Director of the Genomics Unit, Prof. Fatima Abdel Karim, Director of the Stem Cell Unit, and Prof. Abdullah Sami – Director of the One Health Unit

The guest and accompanying delegations also toured several facilities, including the Drug Discovery and Development Research Center headed by Prof. Abdel Nasser Sengab, the Medicinal Plants Research Station, the Preclinical Experiments Unit and Animal House, the Central Laboratory, and the Advanced Pharmaceutical Research and Experimentation Unit.

During the visit, participants discussed launching joint research projects between the Faculties of Pharmacy and Medicine, establishing training and exchange programs for researchers and postgraduate students, and enhancing innovation and integration between research and clinical applications.

At the conclusion of the visit, both sides affirmed their commitment to developing a sustainable research partnership between Ain Shams University and the MD Anderson Cancer Center in the field of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) research, contributing to empowering young researchers and supporting cancer control efforts in Egypt.