Newgiza University School of Medicine
Cairo, Egypt
Its my great pleasure to submit my candidacy to serve on the World Muscle Society Executive Board
I have had the honor of being part of the WMS community since 2008, intimidating as it was being the only member from Africa, I believe the WMS vision of diversity and inclusivity has allowed the growth of my passion for Myology. Attending the yearly meetings was one of the pillars of my success in helping my patients as a consultant of neuromuscular disorders. And this helped me to develop successful scientific collaborations with international research groups and organizations.
I was inspired to have an active role in the WMS, as the website editor for the “Myology development across the world” section. Through the last year the section created abundant networking opportunities, and the recognition of myologists from countries where Myology is still developing on the WMS website has encouraged young researchers to reach out to the WMS seeking international collaboration and guidance.
Another WMS initiative that I’m proud to be involved in planning a Eastern Mediterranean regional myology meeting under the umbrella of the WMS. The NMGC2022 taking part in Egypt this November will deliver a scientific program for local medical professionals and training for post-doctors on manuscript writing mentored by the WMS board members.
Serving as an executive board member, will give me the chance to promote the website to serve the WMS vision of diversity. I aim to engage more myologists and institutions from across the world in the WMS community and develop the WMS initiative “to include all” by supporting education and exchange of knowledge through planning with WMS members for future regional WMS meetings in countries where Myology is expanding, taking the NMGC2022 meeting as a model.
The WMS inclusion and helping develop myology from regions across the world will allow for generation of empowered local myologists, exchanging knowledge, improving patient care, and advancing the development of novel therapies.
Dr. Rasha El Sherif,MD is a consultant of neuromuscular disorders with special research interest in the clinical and genetic patterns of LGMD, she received her training and completed her Doctorate degree thesis on the genetics of muscular dystrophies in the national Institute of Neuroscience, NCNP, Tokyo Japan under the mentorship of Dr.Hideo Sugita and Dr. Ikuya Nonaka. And still have collaborative work with Dr. Ichizo Nishino group in several research projects.
She is currently a faculty member and Neurology section lead in NewGiza University, school of medicine, Cairo Egypt. In 2021 she co-founded the first muscle Biobank in Egypt in collaboration with the research department in NGU school of medicine, and currently working on two research projects granted by Pfizer international and The Egyptian Science and Technology Development found (STDF) focusing on clinical and molecular research work in LGMD.
She is the chair and founder of Myo-Care National Foundation, an Egyptian NGO dedicated to promoting research and education in the field of neuromuscular disorders in Egypt.
She runs the muscle disease clinic in Myo-Care Neuromuscular center, which has served since 2012 as a referral center for more than 200 new muscular dystrophy (MD) patients annually from Egypt and other countries in the region. And she perform around thirty muscle biopsies every year.
She is currently serving as the WMS website editor for the section Myology development across the world.
In 2020 she was appointed as a member of the "Egyptian Human Genome" project scientific committee and chair of the rare disease subcommittee.
In 2021 she was chosen to represent North Africa in the World Health Organization (WHO) Collective Global Network for Rare Diseases panel of experts.
In 2012 she received a fellowship to study the registry of NMD at Newcastle University, and she established the "Egyptian Neuromuscular registry" in collaboration with TREAT-NMD. The registry currently holds more than 2000 genetically confirmed MD patients, including 432 LGMD patients. Since September 2021, she has served as the TGDOC LGMD subgroup group lead in TREAT-NMD and chair of the publication committee.
