Clinical pharmacist from Cairo joins CPPI faculty for postdoctoral fellowship

Feb. 8, 2023

Author: Sydney Weber

Mona Al-Shahawey, Ph.D., current assistant professor of clinical pharmacy at the School of Pharmacy-Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt, is joining Teresa Salgado, Ph.D. for a postdoctoral fellowship with the goal of expanding her knowledge and skills in qualitative, survey and practice-based research. Further, she will work with CPPI core faculty member David Holdford, Ph.D., who also serves as director of international programs within the VCU School of Pharmacy, to learn the foundation of pharmacoeconomic analyses.

“Thanks to the USAID and the Egyptian General Administration of Missions, I’m very glad to have the opportunity to be accepted as a postdoc researcher at VCU under the supervision and mentoring of Drs. Salgado and Holdford,” Al-Shahawey said. “I thought it was the right time for me to expand my knowledge beyond clinical trials and pharmacogenetics, and learn about qualitative research, survey analysis and pharmacoeconomics.”

Al-Shahawey received a master’s in clinical pharmacy from the School of Pharmacy-Ain Shams University, during which she studied the effect of an anti-hyperuricemic drug, febuxostat, on endothelial dysfunction in patients undergoing hemodialysis. In 2021, she completed her Ph.D. in clinical pharmacy, leading to several publications, including one titled: The impact of cholecalciferol on markers of vascular calcification in hemodialysis patients: A randomized placebo controlled study.

Her current research includes pleiotropic effects of vitamin D on patients undergoing hemodialysis, COVID-19 genetic correlations, drug-repurposing in COVID-19 and COVID-19 associated mucormycosis.

“I am delighted to be hosting Dr. Al-Shahawey,” Salgado said. “Mentoring is one of the cornerstones of academia, and I have been fortunate to have had great mentors throughout my life who contributed to my growth as a researcher and as an academic. I am happy to be able to afford this opportunity to another colleague.”

Along with Salgado, Al-Shahawey will join Holdford to learn the foundation of pharmacoeconomic analyses to be able to add a pharmacoeconomic perspective to her current clinical trials.

“Dr. Al-Shahawey’s research has demonstrated the efficacy of several treatments for hemodialysis patients in controlled research settings, but their economic impact in actual practice is unclear. We currently plan to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a select treatment to understand its value in real life settings,” said Holdford.

In her free time, Al-Shahawey loves to read, play the piano, and cook: “I’m a really good cook,” she noted, “or at least that is what my friends tell me!” Welcome to the team, Dr. Al-Shahawey!