In December 2007, the Faculty of Medicine mourned the loss of Professor Alaa El-Husseini. A world-renowned and award winning researcher, Dr. El-Husseini’s work on synapse development in the brain had important implications for understanding human disorders including Huntington’s disease and autism. In addition to his research, Alaa was also an active teacher in the University of British Columbia Undergraduate Medical Program and the Graduate Program in Neuroscience where he mentored many outstanding students. His sudden passing in late 2007 was a tremendous loss, and to honour his life and his many contributions, the Alaa El-Husseini Memorial Fellowship in Neuroscience and Mental Health is being established the University of British Columbia.
After successfully completing the Graduate Program in Neuroscience at UBC in 1997, Alaa undertook post-doctoral training as a CIHR Fellow at the University of California. Upon Alaa's return to UBC in 2001 he was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, and subsequently as an Associate Professor in 2006. Alaa’s recent work with the Qatar Foundation focused primarily on the enhancement of research and the establishment of a knowledge-based and sustainable economy in Qatar. The Foundation’s passion and commitment to building centres of excellence in the areas of biomedical and health sciences mirrored Alaa’s beliefs, and his work for the organization will serve to having a lasting impact.
With your help, the Alaa El-Husseini Memorial Fellowship in Neuroscience and Mental Health will provide support for students from the Middle East to receive graduate training in the neurosciences and mental health fields at UBC. For more information about the Alaa El-Husseini Memorial fellowship in Neuroscience and Mental Health, please contact Maryn Ellis at (604)822-5345 or maryn.ellis@ubc.ca.
