Muntaser Ibrahim (original) (raw)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sudanese geneticist (born 1957)

ProfessorMuntaser Ibrahim
منتصر الطيب إبراهيم
Born (1957-06-17) June 17, 1957 (age 67)Omdurman, Sudan
Nationality Sudanese
Education B.Sc. (1980), M.Sc. (1987), Ph.D. (1994)
Alma mater Zagazig University, EgyptUniversity of KhartoumUniversity of Copenhagen, Denmark
Awards C.N.R. Rao Prize for Scientific Research (2014)
Scientific career
Fields Human genetics, disease genetics
Institutions University of Khartoum, Sudan

Muntaser Eltayeb Ibrahim (Arabic: منتصر الطيب إبراهيم, born June 17, 1957) is a Sudanese geneticist and professor of molecular biology at the University of Khartoum, where he leads its Institute of Endemic Diseases.[1] Science described him as "one of Sudan's most distinguished living scholars".[1] His research focuses on human genetic diversity in Africa, human genetic variation contributing to susceptibility to infectious diseases such as malaria and leishmaniasis, and cancer genetics.[1]

Ibrahim is a founding member of the African Society of Human Genetics[2] and co-founded the Sudanese National Academy of Sciences (SNAS).[1] He is also a member of The World Academy of Sciences.[1] He has co-authored more than 180 original peer-reviewed research publications, including work published in Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Nature, Nature Genetics, and other major journals.[3][4]

Early life and education

[edit]

Ibrahim was born in Omdurman, Sudan.[5] He received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1980 from Zagazig University in Egypt. He subsequently earned a postgraduate diploma in Medical Entomology and Parasitology from Cairo University in 1982 and a Masters of Science in Zoology from the University of Khartoum in 1987. In 1994, he graduated with a PhD in molecular biology from the University of Copenhagen.[5]

Ibrahim served as a Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Pathology at the University of Cambridge from 1997 to 1998.[5] In 1997 he was appointed as an assistant professor in the Institute of Endemic Diseases at the University of Khartoum. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 2002, and full professor in 2006.[5] He also served as the chair of the Department of Molecular Biology in the Institute of Genetic Diseases at the University of Khartoum from 2002 to 2006.[5]

Ibrahim was a co-founder of both the African Society of Human Genetics and the Sudanese National Academy of Sciences, and is a member of the World Academy of Sciences.[1] He served on the council of advisors for the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology from 2004 to 2013. He has supervised more than 40 Masters and PhD students.[5]

Ibrahim's work focuses on Sudanese and African human genetic diversity,[6][7][8] as well as the role of diseases in shaping human genetics. He has studied the impact of genetics on susceptibility to diseases including malaria and leishmaniasis.[9][10] He has also studied the genetics of cancer, including leading a study showing an association between Epstein–Barr virus infection and breast cancer in Sudan.[11]

Ibrahim won the C. N. R. Rao Prize for Scientific Research in 2014.[12] This annual prize honors a fellow of The World Academy of Sciences who comes from a Least Developed Country and has contributed significantly to world science.[12] The award was presented to Ibrahim for his "fundamental contribution to our understanding of the role of human genetic variation and population structure in disease susceptibility."[12]

He is also a Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences since 2007.[13]

2019 protests and imprisonment

[edit]

After participating in non-violent protests advocating for political change in Sudan, Ibrahim was arrested and released twice in January 2019. Along with other academics, Ibrahim drafted a proposal for reforms to help resolve the political crisis in Sudan. Ibrahim was subsequently detained on February 21, 2019, and imprisoned for more than a month.[14] Multiple groups, including Sudanese academics, the African Society of Human Genetics, the International Human Rights Network of Academies and Scholarly Societies, the Committee of Concerned Scientists, and Ibrahim's international colleagues, called for his release.[1][4][15][16][17][18] Ibrahim was freed along with other political prisoners following the 2019 Sudanese coup d'état.[19][20]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Nordling, Linda (March 11, 2019). "Renowned Sudanese geneticist behind bars for opposing regime". Science | AAAS. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  2. ^ "Dr. Muntasar Ibrahim – H3Africa". Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  3. ^ Google scholar.
  4. ^ a b Wonkam, Ambroise (March 13, 2019). "Statement to Demand the Release of Professor Muntaser Ibrahim" (PDF). African Society of Human Genetics. Retrieved March 27, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Personal Data – Muntaser El Tayib Ibrahim". University of Khartoum. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  6. ^ Tishkoff et al. (2006).
  7. ^ Tishkoff et al. (2009).
  8. ^ Schmid, Randolph E. (April 30, 2009). "Africans have world's greatest genetic variation". MSNBC. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  9. ^ Mohamed et al. (2003).
  10. ^ Jallow et al. (2009).
  11. ^ "Molecular biologist Muntaser Ibrahim wins C.N.R. Rao Prize". EurekAlert!. Retrieved March 17, 2019.
  12. ^ a b c "TWAS-C.N.R. Rao Award for Scientific Research". TWAS. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  13. ^ "Ibrahim, Muntaser Eltayeb". TWAS. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  14. ^ "Fresh rallies against al-Bashir as Sudan secures USD300M loans". Retrieved March 23, 2019.
  15. ^ "News at a glance". Science. 363 (6432). American Association for the Advancement of Science: 1126–1128. March 15, 2019. Bibcode:2019Sci...363.1126.. doi:10.1126/science.363.6432.1126. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 30872494. S2CID 78092543.
  16. ^ "International Human Rights Network of Academies and Scholarly Societies" (PDF).
  17. ^ "Internationally Respected Geneticist Arrested for Criticizing Government in Sudan — Committee of Concerned Scientists". concernedscientists.org. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  18. ^ Copenhaver, Gregory P.; Barsh, Gregory S.; Marchini, Jonathan; Cordell, Heather J.; Tishkoff, Sarah A.; Williams, Scott M.; Sirugo, Giorgio (March 25, 2019). "The Plight of Muntaser Ibrahim". PLOS Genetics. 15 (3): e1008100. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1008100. ISSN 1553-7404. PMC 6433285. PMID 30908486.
  19. ^ "Sudan's security service announces release of political prisoners". Reuters. April 11, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  20. ^ Butler, Declan (April 17, 2019). "Prominent Sudanese geneticist freed from prison as dictator ousted". Nature. doi:10.1038/d41586-019-01231-5. PMID 32296156. S2CID 159302397.