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Hassan El-Fawal

  • Position: Professor of Biomedical Sciences
  • Department: School of Sciences and Engineering
  • Email: [email protected]
Brief Biography

Hassan El-Fawal describes himself as a son of academia, having grown up in an extended family of academics and researchers. He earned his BSc in Entomology and Pesticide Chemistry from the Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Alexandria University. It was there that he fell in love with neuroscience and toxicology. Returning to the USA, he started a journey of discovery in Cornell University, after which he worked in generic pharmaceuticals and organic solvents industries for trhee years. He went on to earn his MSc, from the University of Guelph, Canada, and PhD in Biomedical and Veterinary Medical Sciences from Virginia Tech. El-Fawal was a Research Assistant Professor at New York University Medical Center’s Institute of Environmental Medicine. Recruited by Mercy College, a Liberal Arts institution, he developed, and taught, Natural and Biomedical Sciences curricula for undergraduate Biology, Health Sciences and graduate Health Professional Programs in Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology, Physician Assistant Studies, Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, and Advanced Nurse Practitioner Programs. He joined Mercy College as Associate Chair, then Chair of the Division of Natural Sciences and Veterinary Technology, and was Director of the Environmental Health and Safety program, as well as developing courses in Islamic History and Arabic. Prior to joining the American University in Cairo (AUC) in 2016, he was professor and founding dean of the School of Health Sciences with joint appointment as Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, where he developed undergraduate and graduate programs in Medical Diagnostics, Biotechnology, Nanomedicine, and Health Outcomes Research and Informatics. El-Fawal has been a member of the Society of Toxicology for more than 30 years, and is a member of editorial boards in Bionanosciences, and Nutritional Pharmacology. His research is in the area of Environmental Health, with a particular focus on developing diagnostic tests of neurodegeneration, environmental cardiopulmonary diseases, and nanosafety. However, his mission is to break down barriers that impede meaningful progress and solutions for the human condition. Believing that one should not just talk the talk, but must walk the walk, El-Fawal has been instrumental in establishing the interdisciplinary Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology (I-GHHE), with graduate offerings in Global Public Health and Environmental Sustainability. Consistent with this is I-GHHE’s Center for Applied Research on the Environment and Sustainability (CARES).

As a relaxation from his administrative responsibilities, El-Fawal seeks opportunities to interact with students through teaching and research. El-Fawal has trained nearly 80 undergraduate, Masters, Doctorate and Post-doctorate fellows in the course of his career. Read More

Research Interest

Research work in El-Fawal's Laboratory revolves around applying innovative technology to address health and environmental challenges. However, he believes in a holistic approach that recognizes the interplay with the ethical, social and policy determinants of health and environmental sustainability. In keeping with this, his laboratory works with engineers, biologists, chemists, physicians, pharmacists and other health professionals, as well as social and behavioral scientists, and regulatory professionals. El-Fawal believes that sustainable solutions to challenges can only be addressed through a team-effort that inculcates social responsibility, beyond the laboratory, classroom, or the narrow definition of community. The diversity of El-Fawal’s interests is further exemplified by the courses he has taught and teaches.

Neurodegeneration and Diagnostics

  • El-Fawal, HAN. (2014). Neuroantibody (NAb) biomarkers: links and challenges in environmental neurodegeneration and autoimmunity. Autoimmune Disease 2014 2014:340875. doi: 10.1155/2014/340875
  • Osuna, C. E., Grandjean, P., Weihe, P. and El-Fawal, HAN. (2014). Autoantibodies associated with prenatal and childhood exposure to environmental chemicals in Faroese children. Toxicol Sci. 142(1):158-166
  • El-Fawal, HAN. (2011). Neurotoxicology. In: Nriagu JO (ed.) Encyclopedia of Environmental Health, First edition, volume 4, pp. 87–106: Elsevier
  • El-Fawal, HAN. and McCain, W. (2008). Monitoring the development of organophosphorus-induced delayed neuropathy (OPIDN) and its amelioration. Neurotoxicol. Teratol. 30:161-166
  • El-Fawal, HAN. and O’Callaghan, J. P. (2008). Autoantibodies to neurotypic and gliotypic proteins; Assessment of trimethyltin. Neurotoxicol. 29:109-115
  • Surendran, G. and El-Fawal, HAN. (2008). Neuroimmune responses to toxic agents: Comparison of organometal electrophiles using detection of antibodies to neural cytoskeleton and myelin as biomarkers. J. Pharmacol. Toxicol. 3: 173-189
  • El-Fawal, HAN, Waterman, S. J., De Feo, A. and Shamy, M.Y (1999). Neuroimmunotoxicology: Humoral assessment of neurotoxicity and autoimmune mechanisms. Environ. Hlth. Perspect. 107 (Supl 5):767-775
  • McConnell, R., Delgado-Tellez, E., Cuadra, R., Torres, E., Keifer, M., Almendaraz, J., Miranda, J., El-Fawal HAN., Wolff, M., Simpson, D., and Lundberg, I. (1999). Organophosphate neuropathy due tometamidophos: biochemical and neurophysiologic markers. Arch. Toxicol. 73:296-300
  • El-Fawal, HAN. (1996). Concepts of Immunological Markers of Metal Toxicity. In: Metal Toxicity (L. Chang, ed.), pp. 857-865, CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, Florida

Oncology

  • El-Fawal, H.AN, Rembisz, P., Alobaidi, R. and Mousa, S. A. (2016). Chemotherapy-mediated pain and peripheral neuropathy: Impact of oxidative stress and inflammation. In Oxidative damage and antioxidant imbalance:  The science of biology in health and disease. First ed., D. Armstrong and R. D. Stratton. pp 367-388. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  • Yasin B. R., El-Fawal HAN, Mousa S. A. (2015). Date (Phoenix dactylifera) Polyphenolics and Other Bioactive Compounds: A Traditional Islamic Remedy's Potential in Prevention of Cell Damage, Cancer Therapeutics and Beyond. Int J Mol Sci. 17;16(12):30075-90. doi: 10.3390/ijms161226210
  • Al-Amri WS, Balachandran I, Thangirala, S, Coleman, A, El-Fawal, HAN, Mousa, SA. (2013). Differential association between HER2/neu and angiogenesis in breast cancer. Am J Cancer Biol 2013; 1: 201300207,15

Nutrition and Genomics 

  • Al-sofiani, M., Aljammah, A, Hasanato, A, Racz, M, Mason, D. El-Fawal, H. A. N. and Mousa, S. A. (2015). Effect of vitamin D supplementation on glucose control and inflammatory response in type 2 diabetes: Double blind, randomized clinical trial.  Intl J. f Endocrin. Metab. Intl J. Endocrin. Metab. 10;13(1):e22604. doi: 10.5812/ijem.22604
  • Pai, M., Chen, W., Garba, A., Cui, H., Zaffo, B., El-Fawal, HAN and Mousa, S. (2013). A novel preclinical pharmacokinetic and toxicology model to evaluate antimicrobial-induced acute kidney injury across weight and sex. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 57:716-722
  • Mason, D.L, Assimon, M.M., Bishop, J. R. and El-Fawal, HAN. (2013). Nervous system autoantibodies and vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms in hemodialysis patients. Hemodialysis International 17:237-242
  • Assimon, M.M., Salenger, P.V., El-Fawal, HAN and Mason, D.L. (2012).  Nutritional vitamin D supplementation in hemodialysis: a potential vascular benefit? Nephrology 17:3-11

Cardiopulmonary Health

  • Kinney, P.L., Nilsen, D.M., Lippmann, M., Brescia, M., Gordon, T., McGovern, T., El-Fawal, HAN, Devlin. R.B., and Rom, W.M. (1996). Biomarkers of lung inflammation in recreational joggers exposed to ozone. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 154:1430-1435
  • McGovern, T.J., El-Fawal, HAN, Chen, L.C. and Schlesinger, R.B. (1996). Ozone-induced alteration in beta-adrenergic pharmacological modulation of pulmonary macrophages. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol., 137:51-56
  • El-Fawal, HAN and Wood, R.W. (1995). Airway smooth muscle relaxant effects of cocaine pyrolysis product, methylecgonidine. J. Pharmacol. Exper. Therap., 272: 991-996
  • El-Fawal, HAN, McGovern, T. and Schlesinger, R.B. (1995). Nonspecific bronchial responsiveness assessed in vitro following acute inhalation exposure to ozone and ozone/sulfuric acid mixtures. Exp. Lung Res., 21:129-139
  • Schlesinger, R.B., El-Fawal, HAN, Zelikoff, J.T., Gorczynski, J.E., McGovern, T., Nadziejko, C.E. and Chen, L.C. (1994). Pulmonary effects of repeated episodic exposures to nitric acid vapor alone and in combination with ozone. Inhal. Toxicol. 6:21-41
  • El-Fawal, HAN and Schlesinger, R.B. (1994). Nonspecific airway hyperresponsiveness induced by inhalation exposure to sulfuric acid aerosol: An in vitro assessment. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 125:70-76

NanoMedicine

  • El-Fawal, HAN. (2016). The Tree and the Forest: A Need for Dialogue and a Collaborative Approach in the Safety of Nanomedicines. In Handbook of Clinical Nanomedicine Volume II: Law, Business, Regulation, Safety and Risk. R. Bawa, G. F. Audette and B. E. Reese. (Assistant Editors), pp: 1281-1289. Pan Stanford Publishing, Singapore

Humanities and Law

  • El-Fawal, HAN. Court Systems. In Encyclopedia of Forensic and Legal Medicine (J. Payne-James, R. Byard, T. Corey and C. Henderson, eds). Vol. 1, Oxford: Elsevier. First Edition 2005; Second Edition 2016
  • El-Fawal, HAN. Judicial Punishment. In Encyclopedia of Forensic and Legal Medicine (J. Payne-James, R. Byard, T. Corey and C. Henderson, eds). Vol. 3, pp. 282-290. Oxford: Elsevier. First Edition 2005; Second Edition 2016

Recent Conference Presentations (reverse chronological order)

  • El-Naggar, MA, El-Fawal, HAN, Allam, NK. (2019). PVP-based Scaffolds for Neural Tissue Engineering. Advanced Biomedical Engineering and Instrumentation Summit, San Francisco, CA
  • El-Fawal HAN (2019). Prevalence and differential neurantibody (NAb) class detection in pesticide-exposed horticulturist. Society of Toxicology, Baltimore, MD
  • El-Fawal HAN., Hudgens E, Gallagher JE.  (2018). Association of Neuroantibodies (NAb) In African American Children with Participant-based Monitored Indoor Organic Air Pollutant Levels In MICA-Air Study. Society of Toxicology, San Antonio, TX
  • El-Fawal HAN, Abdel Moneim I, El-Gazzar RM, Shamy MY (2017). Occupational Lead (Pb) Exposure is Associated with Neuroantibodies (NAb) In Males: Prevalence And Association With Clinical Signs. Society of Toxicology, Baltimore, MD
  • Monaco-Brown M, Horgan M. Kaminsky L, Chen D and El-Fawal, HAN. (2017).  Antibodies against nervous system proteins (NAb) are significantly associated with risk of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA
  • El-Fawal, HAN, Horgan M and Monaco-Brown M. (2017). Neuroantibody (NAb) isotypes provide an indication of pathophysiology in hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA
  • El-Fawal, HAN. (2017). Keynote: Nanotechnology: Scope and Safety Challenges. Second Annual Nanotechnology Conference, Dubai, UAE
  • El-Fawal, HAN. (2017). Keynote: Neurological and Immune Challenges in NanoMedicine: From Toxicity to Improved Efficacy. Pharmacy 2017 Conference, Dubai, UAE
  • Alobaidi R, Thangirala S, Mousa SA, El-Fawal, HAN (2016). Small Molecule OT-404 Inhibits Oxidative Stress (OS) And NFκB Providing Protection In Cisplatin-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN). Society of Toxicology, 2016, New Orleans, LA
  • El-Fawal HAN, Abdel Moneim I, El-Gazzar RM, Shamy MY (2016). Neuroantibodies (NAb) In Males with Mercury (Hg) Exposure: Prevalence And Association With Clinical Signs. Society of Toxicology, 2016, New Orleans, LA
  • Cichewicz A, Mason D, Hudgens E, Gallagher JE. El-Fawal HAN. (2015). Association of neuroantibodies (NAB) with glutathione-S-transferase (GST) isozyme polymorphisms (SNP) in African-American children with metal exposures. Society of Toxicology 2015, San Diego, CA
  • Dougherty K, Cichewicz A, Hudgens E, Gallagher JE, El-Fawal HAN. (2015). Neuroantibodies (NAB) in African-American (AA) children with metal exposures associate with cytokine and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) polymorphisms (SNP). Society of Toxicology 2015, San Diego, CA

Patents

  • 5,552,407 Anhydroecgonine compounds and Their Use as Anticholinergic Agents
  • 5,821,249 Anhydroecgonine compounds and Their Use as Anticholinergic Agents

Professional Organizations and Editorial Boards

  • Society of Toxicology (1987-present) [Neurotoxicology Specialty Section; Biotechnology Specialty Section; Nanotoxicology Specialty Section; Public Health Risk Assessment Specialty Section]
  • Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine (2014-present)
  • Editorial Board Member, Journal of Experimental Biology and Medicine Bionanoscience Section 

Advocacy

Sponsored by the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) and I-GHHE 

Neuroethics (November 2017) https://www.aucegypt.edu/news/stories/breaking-down-neuroethics-dean-hassan-el-fawal

School and Conference: Neuroscience on Metabolism in Mind: African Insights into the Gut-Brain Axis [June 2018; IBRO-ARC (Africa)]

School and Conference: A Public Health Imperative for MENA: Neuroscience and Neurological Disorders Research and Practice [November 2018; IBRO-MENA]

Sponsored by Arab-German Young Academy (AGYA) and I-GHHE

Translational Research School: From Discovery to Market (November 2018)

Sponsored by Global the Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), University of Surrey, SSE Environmental Engineering and I-GHHE

UK-Egypt Workshop on Air Quality and Health in Middle Eastern and European Cities (July 2018) https://www.surrey.ac.uk/news/surrey-lead-air-quality-discussions-international-workshop-cairo

Clean Air Engineering for Cities [(CArE-Cities); July 2019] https://www.aucegypt.edu/index.php/news/auc-university-surrey-bring-together-international-experts-combat-air-pollution

Sponsored by SSE and I-GHHE

International Workshop on Biosensors and Biotechnology (November 2019)

PhD Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) USA

MSc Neuro- and Immunopharmacology, University of Guelph, Canada

BSc Entomology and Pesticide Chemistry, Alexandria University, Egypt

Natural Sciences

General Biology; General Chemistry; Biochemistry; Nutrition; Genetics; Physics for Health Professions; Geology; Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy; Environmental Sciences; Aquatic Biology and Toxicology; Computers and Biostatistics; Mathematical Modeling in Biology and Medicine; Microbiology for Health Professions 

General Education Electives: Human Biology; Elements of Biochemistry; Physical Anthropology; Introduction to Nutrition; Human Genetics; Introduction to Geology; Chemical Pollution and Environmental Health; Forensic Science

Biomedical, Health, and Medicine

General Biomedical: Anatomy and Physiology, Medical Physiology (with cadaver dissection), Pathophysiology, Anatomy and Physiology for Speech and Hearing; Pharmacology 

Neuroscience: Applied and Clinical Neuroscience; Neuropharmacology and neurotoxicology; Neuroanatomy of Communication; Neurotoxicology; Neuroimmunology 

Immunology: Immune System in Health and Disease; Molecular Immunology; Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology

Public Health and Environmental Medicine: Risk Management, Statistics and Epidemiology, Safety Codes and Standards, Ergonomics., Principles of Industrial Hygiene; Environmental Measurements, Environmental and Occupational Toxicology; Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine; Environmental Lung Diseases; Global Issues in Environmental Medicine

Biotechnology and Nanotechnology: Integrated Biomedical Sciences; Biochemical and Cellular Techniques; Cellular Pathophysiology and Histology; Genetics and Molecular Basis of Disease; Molecular Diagnostics; Biomarkers: Exposure, Susceptibility, Effects and Efficacy; Nanotoxicology  

Pharmacology and Toxicology: Cardiopulmonary Pharmacology; Systemic and Molecular Toxicology; Clinical Cases in Pharmaceutical Toxicology; Clinical Chemistry for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring; Teratology

Research Courses: Research Methods and Statistics; Qualitative and Quantitative Research; Advanced Issues in Health Outcomes Research; Good Laboratory Practices and Laboratory Management; Evidence-based Medicine; Bioethics; Graduate Thesis Seminar

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Disease and Social Perception; Psychobiology; Behavioral Neuroscience and Substance Abuse

Humanities

Arabic; Islamic History and Civilization; Introduction to Islam; Environmental Ethics 

General

Cross Talk: Implementation Sciences and Engineering