Winner. Scientist of the Year 2020

Huda Omer Basaleem

Academic title, degree: MBChB, MPH, PhD
Fields of science: Medicine and Health Sciences
Research interest: Community medicine, public health, cancer prevention and control, epidemiology of non communicable diseases, reproductive and child health, women empowerment
Institution: University of Aden
Position: Vice Dean, Faculty of Postgraduate Studies; Director, Aden Cancer Registry and Research Center; Professor, Community Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Country: Yemen

Huda Basaleem is Medical Doctor (Bachelor of Medicine & Surgery MBChB), Master of Public Health (MPH, Egypt), and Doctorate in Community Health (PhD, Malaysia). She holds a Diploma in International Child & Youth Care for Development from Victoria University, Canada. She is currently Vice Dean of the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies and Research, Professor in Community Medicine and Public Health at the Department of Community Medicine, and Director of Aden Cancer Registry and Research Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Aden.

Professor Dr. Huda Basaleem is actively involved in such activities:

• World Health Organization (WHO) Expert, Eastern Mediterranean Countries on Non Communicable Diseases Surveillance;

• UNESCO Country Focal Point Bioethics Network on Women's Issues in the Arab Region;

• Member: Ethics Center of Science & Technology and Women Center for Research and Training University of Aden, and other important scientific and professional organizations;

• Executive Board Member: Organization for Women in Science for the Developing Countries (Italy) and Secretary General Yemeni Women Association for Science & Technology;

• Committee Member: International Educational Activities, National Academies of Science USA, "Educational Institute on Responsible Science”;

• Member, the Quality Control and Accreditation Unit, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Aden University, Yemen;

• General Coordinator of Research Ethics Committee, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Aden University, Yemen;

• Collaborator in the Global Burden of Disease Study, and published a number of publications in this project, Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington;

• Editor-in-Chief, Yemeni Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, and Editorial Board Member in a number of regional and international journals;

• Principal Investigator and Consultant: WHO, UNICEF, World Bank, Foundation for Future, UNHCR, IOM, European Commission.

For her fruitful work, Professor Dr. Basaleem has received a number of national and international awards and distinctions, including:

• 2013 Elsevier Award in Life Silences for Early Career Women Scientists in the Developing World for the Arab Region;

• 2014 Award of Best Doctor for the Fight for Better World in the Arab World;

• 2019 UNESCO Recognition on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

In recent years, Professor Dr. Huda Basaleem has obtained the following great achievements:

• Leading a research project funded by the World Health Organization in 20 countries including Yemen. The research aims to mitigate the indirect impact of COVID 19 pandemic on reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child, adolescents and old people health;

• Consultant with Medicines Sans Frontiers in a comprehensive survey titled “Integrated Health and Nutrition Assessment in Selected Districts in Yemen”;

• Consultant and Investigator (representing Yemen) in collaborative researches:
- Antimicrobial resistance, utilization and stewardship in Yemen with Boston University;
- Estimation of crisis-attributable mortality in Yemen with London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine;

• Member of the UNESCO International Advisory Committee on Open Science (2020).

Dr. Basaleem has published numerous articles in regional and international peer-reviewed journals.

In addition, she is a Trainer in Community Medicine in the Arab Board of Medical Specialization: bioethics, research methodology, biostatistics, cancer control/prevention, health curricula designing and evaluation, early childhood development (ECD), women health, and health/nutrition education.