Personal Details & Academic Background:
Prof. Mohamed Ghoneim is a pioneer of renal transplantation in Egypt and the Arab world. He is an international academic and one of the world-renowned leaders in the field of urological oncology. Currently, Ghoneim is Professor Emeritus of Urology at the Mansoura University, Egypt. Born in the year 1939, Ghoneim graduated in medicine from Kasr Al Ainy University, Egypt in 1960 and he did his internship in 1961-1962, at the University Hospital in Cairo.
Responsibilities and Assignments
Prof. Ghoneim did his Residency at the Department of General Surgery and Urology in Cairo University Hospitals between 1962 and 1965. Thereafter, he moved to Mansoura with the intention to work for the sake of his countrymen. Initially, he served as Clinical Demonstrator in Urology at the Mansoura University Hospital till 1968, before serving as a Lecturer in Urology at the Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University. In 1971, Ghoneim moved to England to work as a Registrar with the South Mead General Hospital, Bristol at their Urology and General Surgery (Transplantation) department. In 1973, he took up a year’s clinical fellowship in Urology at the Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York, followed by a Research Fellowship at the Urodynamic Lab at the Department of Urology, University of Sherbrooke Medical Centre in Quebec, Canada. After gaining valuable experiences in these positions, he returned back to Mansoura University Hospital as a Professor in Urology in 1976.
Professional Milestones:
In 1983, Prof. Ghoneim founded the Urology and Nephrology Center (UNC) - WHO Collaborating Centre, for Management of Renal and Urological Disorders in Mansoura, Egypt. This Center of excellence, established within the Mansoura University Hospital, is dedicated for surgical and medical treatment of genito-urinary disorders. At present, the UNC provides care to tens of thousands of patients, for the vast majority of them, free-of-charge, and education and training to hundreds of nurses and physicians from around the world. The success of the UNC is a tribute to the personal commitment and sustained effort of Ghoneim. Information at UNC is now approximately 85% digital, enabling physicians to access and review patients' diagnostic images and information electronically and to make quick and sound healthcare decisions. To enable this, Ghoneim recruited computer scientists from the University of Cairo, engineers from General Electric and members of his own faculty to collaborate, and build a system that works as well for the doctor in the clinic and the surgeon in the operating room as it does for the professor or statistician in the office.
Ghoneim is a world leader in kidney transplantation. The UNC carried out the first renal transplant in Egypt in the year 1976. The number of transplants carried out to date at the Centre is more than 2000, making it one of the leading Centers for renal transplants in the Middle East. Ghoneim is also an international expert in general and specialized urology operations, prostate diseases, tumours of the genito-urinary system, renal stone operations, correction of congenital anomalies and urological endoscopic and laparoscopic surgery. He carried out several studies on bladder carcinoma resulting from Bilharzial infestation; an endemic problem in Egypt. He also introduced several novel surgical techniques for bladder replacement by intestines following its removal for cancer. In addition, Ghoneim has been heavily involved in basic research. Currently, studies are being carried out at the Centre aiming for the treatment of diabetes by the utilization of stem cells.
Prof. Ghoneim has published more than 14 books or book chapters on medical oncology, bladder cancer, and other topics in urology. He has published more than 130 original articles in national and international journals.
In 2010, Ghoneim started the International Training Course on “Techniques in Reconstructive Urology”, which provides hands-on training and practice for common reconstructive urological techniques. Prof. Mohamed Ghoneim went to Gaza during the winter of 2008–2009 to help in providing medical services to casualties of the Gaza War.
Awards and Recognition:
Prof. Ghoneim is the recipient of several national and international Awards and honors. These include the Dr. Fakhry's Prize for distinguished research in Surgical Sciences, (1978), the Saint-Paul Medal Award of the British Urological Association (1992), National Award for Medical Sciences, Egypt (1997), Arab American Medical Association Award (2000), Harry Spence Medal of the American Association of Genito-Urinary Surgeons, (2002), the prize for the Arab Pioneers by the Arab Thought Foundation (2003), and the Felix Guyon Medal of the International Society of Urology (2006). He has received Honorary Doctorates and degrees from: the University of Gothenburg, Sweden (1988), Arab Academy for Science and Technology (2003), and the University of Gezira, Sudan (2007). He is also an honorary fellow of the International College of Surgeons.
Taking into account the valuable work performed by him in developing the healthcare services in the Arab World and his commendable contributions to the advancement of medical services and education in Arab Countries, Prof. Mohamed Ghoneim has been selected for the Hamdan Award for Distinguished Personalities in the Arab World for the term 2013 - 2014.
